4 exciting new things coming to United's Newark hub this year
While some flyers avoid it at all costs, Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) is a major hub for United Airlines.
Newark gets a bad rap for delays, old infrastructure and poor runway configuration, among a long list of complaints, but United isn't going anywhere, especially after just suspending flights from nearby John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
Newark is the airline's primary East Coast gateway, and it's a major market with a passenger "catchment area" that includes much of New York City.
United recognizes that the airport is far from perfect, but the carrier is on a mission to improve the travel experience.
To that end, the airline's vice president of Newark operations, Rodney Cox, took TPG on a tour of what flyers can expect at the airport in the coming weeks and months — and there's a lot that flyers might get excited about.
New Terminal A woes are behind
Newark's new Terminal A opened to much fanfare, but it also brought along some big hiccups. For one, the opening of the new $2.7 billion facility was delayed at the last minute by more than a month due to failed alarm and fire tests.
Even though the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which manages and oversees the airport, bought itself some more time, the new Terminal A was still riddled with issues on opening day. Hours-long lines, a power outage and a security breach greeted passengers on Jan. 12, yet the problems didn't stop there.
Many gate agents weren't fully trained on the new automated jetbridge technology, which led to further delays in the weeks after opening. Plus, the building's alarm system repeatedly gets tripped by concessionaires opening and closing doors — and once the alarm goes off, every secure door in the facility locks, leading to widespread delays.
Thankfully, however, the terminal operator, Munich Airport Group, United and the other airline partners have worked to iron out these teething pains.
"As with any new construction, you have to get the kinks out of it. And we've had a couple of issues with jet bridges and alarm systems... We are resolving those issues to where there are a lot less issues for our customers, and we'll engineer all those problems out of that building eventually," said Cox.
There may be some residual delays at Newark Terminal A in the near term, but the building-related issues are expected to be worked out well before the peak summer season.
2nd phase will bring 6 more gates
At the outset, 21 of the new Terminal A's 33 gates are operational. The remaining 12 will open as part of a second phase of construction that's expected to be completed this summer.
When construction is finished, Delta Air Lines will move into Terminal A and United will also pick up six more gates, bringing its Terminal A total to a whopping 17 gates. (United uses all 52 gates in Terminal C.)
Until the second phase opens, United is basing its Airbus A319 and A320 fleets in the new Terminal A, and it's prioritizing high O&D (origin and destination) markets for flights from this facility to minimize the number of connections. (This includes many routes to Florida, San Diego, San Antonio, Boston and Washington, D.C.)
There is an around-the-clock airside bus service that shuttles between terminals A and C, but it's still a pain. In fact, United added ten minutes to the minimum connection time at Newark to account for this roughly eight-minute bus ride.
Right now, United plans about 80 flights a day out of Terminal A, but it'll grow that number to somewhere between 120 and 150 once the second phase opens. When that happens, United will station bigger planes at Terminal A, including widebodies and international departures, Cox said.
Regional jets, which used to fly out of the old Terminal A, will operate exclusively from Terminal C going forward, he added.
2 new United Clubs are coming
Newark is now home to a "one-of-a-kind" United Club that opened last May. This all-new 30,000-square-foot space is located near Gate C123 and has been a hit with flyers.
Despite a capacity of nearly 500 flyers, this United Club is especially prone to overcrowding since it's the only permanent United membership lounge open in the entire airport.
The old club near C74 is undergoing a gut renovation, and United is building a brand-new location in Terminal A.
While these new and renovated clubs have been in the works for a while, Cox shared an updated opening timeline with TPG.
The new club in Terminal A will open at the end of the second quarter (around June), while the revamped C74 club will reopen at the end of the third quarter (in September).
Both lounges are expected to look like the new C123 club in terms of design, Cox teased.
Upgauging is the key to growth
Newark Airport isn't slot restricted in the same way that LaGuardia, JFK and Washington Reagan National are.
That said, "traffic flow" is managed by the Federal Aviation Administration, which restricts Newark's operations to 79 combined takeoffs and landings each hour.
Those operations are split between all of the airport's carriers, though United is by far the biggest. Every time a ground delay program or bad weather hits the airport, United is adversely affected.
Given the cap on movements, United can't grow in Newark by adding more flights; in total, the airline can only operate a max of between 430 and 440 daily flights at Newark, Cox said.
So instead, the airline will grow with a different strategy: upgauging. By deploying larger aircraft at Newark, the airline can increase capacity without adding more flights to the daily schedule.
Upgauging works so long as there's demand for more seats and there's room for larger planes, and Cox said that there's both.
"When we would normally see like a 45% load factor [in January or February], we're still hovering at 80%. It's crazy. People are flying. They haven't stopped," he said about demand trends.
In terms of space for larger planes, Cox has plenty of parking spaces in the new Terminal A. As for which planes are coming to Newark, he said that "you'll probably see over time less and less United Express departures, more mainline departures. It doesn't necessarily have to be a wide-body, but mainline could be an Airbus or Boeing 737 or 757."
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.