Can I leave the airport?

[rcl1]

I have an 11 hour wait at Newark Airport between connecting flights.

Am I able to leave the airport?

I have tried looking on the Airport website but can't seem to find any thing on this matter.

TIA.

[andy-hughes]

I believe that you can, but obviously you need to remain within readh, allowing for traffic etc. to get back in time for your next flight.

You will have to be back in time to check in your your ongoing flight, so check what time that is - once you have checked in, then of course, you can't leave.

[Cathyhuns]

There's nothing to stop you checking in, ie getting your seat reservation and handing over your bags, and then leaving the airport. It's only once you've gone through security that you can't leave the airport without great difficulty.

The problems you may have are that you cannot check your bags through to your destination if you are transiting through US - you have to collect your bags and take them through customs when you first reach US. Then if the check in desk isn't open you'll have to keep them with you until you can hand them over or find a left luggage - which is generally easier in US than UK.

[loonytunes]

Not strictly true Cathy. You can get your bags, take them through customs and present them to a special point where they will take your bags, label them for your destination and put them through x ray. All you have to do then is get your boarding card, which some ariports will let you do at the admin/sales desk.. I have done this as JFK and Newark.

Newark is one of the best airports for facilities inside the terminals (not a patch on Changi but better than most US airports) so not so bad for a lengthy wait but getting street side is easy.

[rcl1]

Thanks for your answers but I left ouyt some info from my original post that may make some difference (sorry):

I am flying from Las vegas to Cleveland then cleveland to Newark then newark to uk.

This means that i fly into newark from a US airport. I am with the same airline for the whole journey.

I would presume that my baggage will automatically go through at each stop without me having to collect it.

Thanks again for your responses and any additionl info you may be able to offer.

[sqad617]

If you are checking your bags through for the whole trip, then you will not be allowed to leave the airport....you will be in transit.

[rcl1]

I was worried that might have been the case. I have had connecting flights before but there has only been a short stop over time and i couldn't leave the airport.

I wasn't sure if it was different for a long (11hr) stop over.

Thanks for your responses, i will make sure a take a big book with me.

[cc1]

I've left O'Hare, Chicago, during a long stop-over, with my bags in transist.
Pity more airlines who subject passengers to long lay-overs don't take a leaf out of SIngapore Airlines book, they offered a trip round the city sight-seeing , and I think it was free of charge.
I suppost they want you in the airport spending exorbitant amounts of money on excruciatingly bad food!

[rcl1]

If only cc1. Its gonna be tough knowing I am so close to New York, but can't go out to see it.

Only saving grace is that I have been there before.

It would have been nice to have a look round New Jersey as well, even if ony for an hour or 2.

[sqad617]

cc1....I think it is more about terrorism.

If you checked your bags through to the end of yopur journey, if one could leave the airport, then one could just disappear and the plane would blow up on the next stage of the journey, with you miles away.

Just a thought.

[Rollo]

Surely if you fail to board the flight they offload your checked baggage.

That's the same whether you are in transit or if you are just on a single flight.

[knobbler]

sqad617
Mon 01/06/09
20:09


If you are checking your bags through for the whole trip, then you will not be allowed to leave the airport....you will be in transit.

______________________________________________


You will be in transit

I thought rcl1 was going on a plane, not a bloody van sqad

[sqad617]

Rollo....I take your point, but how does the flight know that you have left the airport?.....they would assume that you were in transit and you wouldn't have to check in.

[Rollo]

Whether you are "in transit" or not, they still check everybody onto the flight at the boarding gate. That was what I was referring to.

There is nothing to stop you checking in a bag for a single flight and then just leaving the airport - if you really wanted to.