Newark Liberty versus Philadelphia International—The lesser of two evils.
For the hundreds of thousands of us that live in central New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania, both Philadelphia International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airports are nearby options when it comes to flying. Both airports are located about 50 minutes from our home, and we fly from both regularly. This year along we have flown from PHL 5 times and Newark 3 times. but all other factors being equal we prefer to fly from Philly (PHL) over Newark (EWR). Here is a brief comparison of the two airports and some pros and cons of each to help guid your future flight decisions.
- Carriers. Both airports serve a wide variety of airlines; including all the majors (United, Delta, American). United dominates EWR while Philly is a hub city for American. If you are a frequent flyer of United or American, you will typically prefer either EWR or PHL based on your airline preference. Similarly, if you fly to another hub city, such a Charlotte, Philly is usually the better option on American which Houston is better served by United from Newark. Newark also has a much wider variety of international carriers that serve the airport, including Singapore Air, Virgin, Air India, El Al and others. Newark has a slight edge here because .
- Low cost carriers: Frontier, Spirit and Jet Blue fly significant routes from both PHL and EWR. Jet Blue has a stronger presence at Newark but does offer flights from both airports. Southwest does not fly into or out of Newark, but does fly from Philly including direct flights to Orlando, Atlanta, Nashville, Dallas. If you are a Southwest fan, Philly is your choice. Philly wins here due to the presence of Southwest. Side note, if you are flying to Orlando, Tampa or a few other Florida destinations don’t overlook Frontiers flights from nearby Trenton and Spirits flights from Atlantic City both of which are super easy, small airports. Destinations are limited but if you are looking for affordable flights from easy airports these are a good option
- Route Options: Both airports offer extensive flights to most domestic markets. United’s Newark’s route network feels more extensive than Anerican’s offerings from Philly; for example there is a non-stop flight from Newark to Montrose Colorado or Bozeman Montana for you ski fans. Philly has no such non-stop service. Newark has a MUCH more extensive route network on international flights including flights to Europe, India, Singapore, Australia, the Middle and Far East. Don’t get me wrong, Philly offers a number of international flights, especially to the popular destinations in Europe (London, Paris, Rome etc) but the international network at PHL is not nearly as extensive as Newark and has not recovered post-pandemic. So if you are flying internationally Newark is almost always the better option. Newark is the clear winner here.
- Terminals. Until a few months ago Newark could be best be described as only slightly better than a third world airport. There were literally portable toilets for passengers to use in the terminal A building. The terminals were/are old and lacked modern amenities. However as of January 2023, Newark’s new terminal A has partially opened with modern amenities, bright light, tall ceilings, and actual working bathrooms. This is a huge improvement in the airports infrastructure. Terminal A is only partial open and once it is complete later this year it will offer 33 gates and will serve United, Delta, Jet Blue, Air Canada and will offer modern amenities that befit an airport 10 miles from NYC. However, Terminal B, which is the primary international terminal is still a poor excuse for an international airport. It is old, feels very outdated, has little natural light and minimal amenities compared to other large international airports. IN addition to international flights Terminal B is used by the low cost carriers and Delta (until Delta moves to the new terminal in the fall of 2023). Terminal C, which is used exclusively by United, is decent. There are modern amenities, restaurant offerings, bars and is overall not a terrible experience; however even it is starting to show its 25+ year age. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the absolute BIGGEST problem/downside at Newark is that the 3 terminals (A, B, and C) all not connected airside. To make matters worse, Terminal B still has 3 security checkpoints of its own, so if you arrive at Gate B49 but are connecting out of gate B59 you have to exit the secure area and go through security again just to get to your connecting flight in the same terminal. United recently started operating an airside bus that connects terminals A and C so passengers that land on a United flight in Terminal A can connect Airside to Terminal C; but having taken that bus it is a 20+ minutes process and is not easy if you have a tight connection. Other than United, the lounge situation at Newark is scarce. United has several nice lounges in Terminal C but other than that you are out of luck for the most part. (Note: this will change with the full opening of Terminal A in the next 2 months with a new AMEX Centurion Lounge, Chase Sapphire Lounge, and Delta Sky Club all scheduled to open in 2023/2024). Nonetheless, in my opinion, l Newark is still among the worst major airports in the world and pales in comparison to places like Vancouver or Toronto or even Atlanta. The new Terminal A will be a huge improvement, but until they replace Terminal B and design an efficient airside connection between all terminals Newark will remain second rate in my opinion.
Philly is significantly better than Newark, but still not great. Most importantly, the terminals (A-E) are all connected airside. This fact alone makes PHL significantly better than EWR. Security checkpoints are located at each terminal and you can go to any security checkpoint in the airport and still access your gate. There is also a little known, and under-utilized security checkpoint at Terminal C which is for pre-check members exclusively and it is almost always empty (another reason to have TSA Pre-Check). We often flt Delta from Philly which uses Terminal D but we typically go through security at C or A and go to the Amex Liounge at terminal A and then walk 7 minutes to our gate after our lounge visit (you cant do this at Newark). As mentioned, there is an American Express Centurion Lounge in Terminal A along with a small Delta Sky Club in D, a small and a large and very nice American Admiral Club. There are various restaurants in Philly including local favorite Chickie & Petes (and their famous crab-fries). Hands down Philly wins here. Once the new Terminal A is open in Newark we can reevalute.
- Parking: In our opinion the parking situation at PHL is easier and definitely less expensive than Newark. There is a large covered garage attached directly to the terminals at Philly for about $28 per day. There is also extensive off-site third party parking options. Our favorite is Wallypark because it is closest to the airport and has an efficient shuttle service that takes less than 5 minutes to get you to the terminal. Newark has parking at the terminal but other than Terminal C (United) there is no attached covered garage and the on-airport parking is ridiculously expensive if you want to be walking distance to a terminal. Newark has some other parking options that attach to the terminal by the outdated and slow Airtrain or by shuttle bus, but this is not ideal. If you use one of the third party off-site parking options at Newark all I can say is good luck. Philly wins here.
- Access to the airport: Newark is located directly off the New Jersey Turnpike; seemingly a short ride from Manhattan. Although you can see Manhattan from the airport, it will take you a solid 45 -60 minutes to get to the airport from city (by car or train). The roads around the airport are crowded and in overall poor condition, the signage is bad and the airport access roads can be confusing (oh and good luck finding the cell phone waiting lot). The drop off and pick up areas are overcrowded and the Port Authority police are very strict. Although there is a train to and from Manhattan, the train station is not at the airport. You have to get off the train and then get onto the Airtrain which is about a 10 minute ride to the terminal. Overall, it is not and easy process, especially if you are hauling large suitcases or kids with you. PHL is located off Interstate 95 about 10-12 minutes south of downtown Philly. Road access is fairly simple, the signage is goods, the cell phione lot is easy to find and the terminals easily accessible. The SEPTA train line stops directly at the airport so if you are staying in the City of Philadelphia you can take the train directly to and from the airport. PHL is the winner.
- Luggage deliver. Philly wins. No questions asked. In our experience Newark is one of the worst luggage delivery airports in the US. Expect to wait 30 + minutes for your bag. Our friends recently flew into Newark and waited or 75 minutes for the bags to arrive off of their United flight. Frankly, the luggage situation at Newark is a disaster.
If you ask us, Philadelphia International Airport is the winner in the head to head comparison but frankly, neither airport ranks high on the list of “nice” airports. When planning our trips, always use Google Flights to check prices and availability from both airports and then choose accordingly but all things being equal, we will choose PHL over EWR.
Enjoy your next flight, and don’t forget to try the crab-fries at Chickie & Petes if you fly from Philadelphia.