Newark Airport

The ground staff are rude, there is no difference between business check-in and economy one, both with the minimum staff. There are almost no shops and it is impossible to buy international newspapers. The business lounges of United are well below standards.

Having passed through Newark twice in 2 weeks, it must be the worst airport in the USA or possibly the western hemisphere. My family and I had 3 hours after landing from Belfast NI on a United flight, to connect to a flight to Orlando, we missed it. 2.5 hours in immigration. The staff were disinterested in the fact you have a connecting flight, most of then can hardly speak English, so why are they there in the first place? The immigration officers are slow and there is not enough of them. We had to collect our baggage and then get through security even though we had a connecting flight. On the way back from Orlando we had a 2 hr 11 min flight and then a 3 hour wait to the flight back to Belfast, all with United Airlines. When we touched down (on time), there was no gate for our plane to go to, and then when we got a gate there was a plane at it, then when it left the pilot could not taxi to the gate, but had to be towed, but there was no one to tow the plane, then when we got to the get there was no one to attach the ramp to the plane. One hour later we finally got off the plane, Hang your head in shame Newark. You are not part of the American dream, in fact you are a nightmare to all that cross your threshold.

What a bad airport. Horrible at best. It looks as if the last time it was renovated was in the 60s: small crowded waiting areas at the gates, broken chairs, torn padding, not enough outlets (people were huddled up over the few outlets that were available to charge their phones), small decrepit washrooms, very few food/shopping options, and no free wifi. Getting stuck in that airport for 5 hours while waiting for delayed flights is true torture. I was initially in Terminal A at gates A11-18, then A22-28. At least the lines at security weren't that long in the evening, but it is very hard to find anything real positive to say about this airport. I am now dreading the fact that I already have an international connection through it in the summer.

Just come back via Newark to the UK and I was bitterly disappointed with everything after Security ie on the air- side. We'd taken a fair amount of cash with us for a significant anniversary and had quite an amount we wanted to spend rather than change back to £'s at a pretty poor rate. Imagine my dismay to find you don't appear to be able to pay cash for the anything vaguely expensive so trying to pay for an expensive meal to get rid of your dollars was a total failure. The meal we had was expensive and 2 x major issues: We ordered some sides but they delivered one with the starters! Why? A starter was badly burnt - why would any decent chef even think about sending it out? It tasted so bad I had to send it back. The Duty Free is also really poor. We flew from Birmingham UK which probably has a fraction to the Newark passenger numbers but hugely bigger duty free areas. Perhaps its because Newark has 3 x sites? Also the Internet - why not free as Birmingham Uk or a really easy way to pay for a "one off event" rather than limit it to hours. You have no control over wether your flight will be delayed after all. If I go the the USA on business I'll ask our travel organisers if I can go another way.

Other than its great location of being close to New York - Jersey City there are no real redeeming qualities. Customs - Queues are between 0 to infinitely long depending on how many CBP officers feel like working. I soon figured out which officers to ignore as they were prone to having lengthy "And I think...." talks versus the stamp "Welcome back Sir". Facilities - they are never clean enough terminal B mens room always has a broken stall (every week). Food options in departure are horrible. A Dunkin Donuts stall would actually elevate it to 3 star rating. The pre clearance area however has vastly improved. No one spends time in the pre-clearance area as the Clearance area can have line ups as long as 45mins - reason TSA. Usually commute via YTZ-EWR on Porter.

Recently I experienced this airport for the first time - coming in from Germany to connect to a domestic flight. Why Lufthansa thinks 2 hours is sufficient to connect here do not ask me. Just changing buildings is a strike against you from the beginning. Immigration officer was among the rudest I have experienced. The customs officer knew I was in a hurry to try to make my connection and I think he intentionally sent me over to the customs desk for extra inspection. The customs officer at the inspection desk made some unbelievable comments about how "frantic passengers" tend to make the officer want to search them. I have never in my life been almost threatened by customs coming into the US and I have come into many other airports. In general coming into the USA is an awful experience for citizens and non-citizens but Newark tops anything I have experienced so far. I missed my connection of course and spent the night in a shabby hotel. Between the airlines Lufthansa and United and Newark airport this was a really terrible trip. I will avoid connecting in Newark in future.

Don't eat here. $40 for 2 beers and 2 hamburgers and they added a tip for my using the touch screen order pad. So called craft beer tasted like yesterdays slopping from a Munich beer hall. Going from the commuter terminal to United Airline's terminal is confusing. I gave one star for a very clean and bright terminal and 1/2 star for the lack of the old Continental club.

Arrived late Friday from the CX flight waited about 40 minutes standard in USA but far better than Miami and JFK. Parking right outside airport so off pretty fast. Check in for the very late CX return took about ten seconds you are the last flight leaving so all very fast in airport lounge really good and the staff did a good job of managing an unruly mainland Chinese crowd who jostle and shove all the time a good experience as far as US entry goes. CX need To have a Chinese speaker at check in though.

Please try to avoid this airport if you possibly can. The USA Immigration staff are lazy surly and arrogant people who have permanent scowls on their faces and cannot be bothered to man their booths in the face of hundreds of people trying to get through immigration quickly to catch connecting flights. The guy who was directing passengers from separate Edinburgh and Glasgow flights could not hide his embarrassment at the lazy immigration officers who he described as being more interested in their countless coffee and doughnut breaks than serving customers. Gangs of immigration officers seemed to hang out in an office but did not want to work. We were eventually taken after 80 minutes waiting and the immigration officer was slouched in his seat and could hardly be bothered mumbling to us. Unfortunately we have no choice from Glasgow to USA but I wish we did!

Has to be the worst airport I have travelled through. No security checks in baggage clothing no metal detectors absolutely anything could of been taken on our flight to Birmingham UK. There are about 6 duty free shops 4 of which of full of cheap market imitation souvenirs. No brand named shops I guess they don't want to be associated with the place. The so called food hall that must cost a fortune in heating bills as it was permanently on the highest heat setting. A restaurant with no clean glasses customer service with the most miserable attitudes from 99% of people who work there. Toilets never cleaned dirty disgusting environment to be in. No free wi-Fi to connect to. How this airport operates is beyond belief I shall not use it again.