EWR -Newark Airport the Tuesday before Thanksgiving

[Anonymous]

We have a flight on British Airways from Newark the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. What sort of bedlam should we expect??? (Traffic/parking/security wait times). Any helpful hints would be appreciated -it’s been years since we’ve flown around Thanksgiving, and we will have three children in tow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a flight on British Airways from Newark the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. What sort of bedlam should we expect??? (Traffic/parking/security wait times). Any helpful hints would be appreciated -it’s been years since we’ve flown around Thanksgiving, and we will have three children in tow.

I'm really neurotic and think you should try to get to the airport for a flight like that three or four hours in advance. But I've never had a real problem there. As long as there's not a blizzard, I'll bet that you get through everything involving parking and shuttles within an hour, and everything involving check-in and security within 90 minutes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a flight on British Airways from Newark the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. What sort of bedlam should we expect??? (Traffic/parking/security wait times). Any helpful hints would be appreciated -it’s been years since we’ve flown around Thanksgiving, and we will have three children in tow.

I'm really neurotic and think you should try to get to the airport for a flight like that three or four hours in advance. But I've never had a real problem there. As long as there's not a blizzard, I'll bet that you get through everything involving parking and shuttles within an hour, and everything involving check-in and security within 90 minutes.

Thank you for responding! Your time frame sounds like the one we had landed on, as well. I would rather err on the side of caution since we are traveling as a party of five (and finding five seats on a later flight if we miss this one sounds a little iffy)!

[Anonymous]

That’s ridiculous. Two hours is plenty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That’s ridiculous. Two hours is plenty.

I am the OP, and I asked because I have spent two hours in security lines alone at LAX, ORD, IAD, and BWI right around holidays. I have found those airports to be unpredictable -we either fly through and are check in to gate in under 30 minutes, or we are in travel hell, trying to race to the gate. If someone is basing their lead time on an EWR holiday travel experience comparable to some of my previous ones, that is helpful to know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That’s ridiculous. Two hours is plenty.

You know nothing. International flight during thanksgiving weekend at one of the crappier airports in the US....3 hours sounds right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That’s ridiculous. Two hours is plenty.

You know nothing. International flight during thanksgiving weekend at one of the crappier airports in the US....3 hours sounds right.

Agree. It’s been a few years since I’ve flown through Newark, but I wouldn’t leave less than three hours for an international flight on that day. In my experience the Saturday after thanksgiving is delightfully quiet, but the days before and the Sunday after are a nightmare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That’s ridiculous. Two hours is plenty.

You know nothing. International flight during thanksgiving weekend at one of the crappier airports in the US....3 hours sounds right.

I agree and I live in NJ. Two hours is not enough time. That being said, we always stay local for Thanksgiving. But just in general at EWR we never assume that 2 hours will be enough time.