This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
I decided to take the subway and train to the airport as opposed to my usual taxi. (Funny how one's sense of financial preservation kicks in after renting an apartment in Manhattan!) With hindsight, I should have, at least, taken a taxi to Penn Station - lugging a suitcase around a total of three subway stations is not to be recommended in 28 degree heat with 90% humidity! The train (make sure you get a ticket for Newark Liberty - not Newark Penn) was fairly efficient - about 25 minutes. Then transferred to the airtrain (keep your New Jersey Transit ticket for this), which arrived within a minute of my getting to the platform.
Check in was very efficient - with the exception that the agent didn't remove the I94 form from my passport (I have a visa now, which requires one to fill an I94 on arrival and have it removed from the passport on departure.) Instructions to find the lounge were slightly confusing - I was tired so it might have been me - so I asked the first person I spotted downstairs with a security badge. Turns out I had unknowingly chosen to approach the lounge manager! He was very friendly and made a point of turning around, showing me to the lounge and introducing me to the desk staff. Very impressed.
This was my first time departing through EWR, so I hadn't visited the lounge before. It was slightly smaller than I imagined; I guess I'm too used to LHR! Very tidy and well presented and I was given the full tour. Slightly confused by the 'snug' - it was explained I could 'go in there to watch any DVDs that I wanted to watch privately!' Not sure what they thought I might want to watch!! A lot of the hot buffet food looked to be cream heavy (I'm allergic), so decided instead to hit the wine list and enjoyed a couple of glasses of the Chardonnay. The wifi, incidentally, is of a substantially better quality than both JFK and LHR. It even survived a video chat with a colleague. On the flip side, the cell signal is almost non-existent since the lounge is buried in the middle of the building.
Eventually left the lounge at around 8.50 against the advice of the desk staff - they recommended waiting another 10 minutes due to a slight delay. I had intended to have a look around but it turns out that there isn't much at Newark to look at! I should have listened and had another glass of wine!
Security was deserted - I got a special pat-down, I suspect, due to my inquiring if I had a choice of not going through the body scanner. Gate area was pretty crowded with several flights but boarding started within a couple of minutes.My seat (K2) was upstairs in the sleep zone. I'd been slightly concerned about the chance of noisy kids in the economy section of the bubble but the two cabins are actually very well separated. This was the quietest flight I have ever been on in terms of people noise. Service was excellent as usual. Push back was about 20 minutes delayed and the taxi was much quicker than JFK. Saw one aircraft on the way out surrounded by police cars with their light flashing away - not sure what that was about!
T/O to the north was very smooth with a few bumps during the climb - beautiful views of Manhattan. Never seen it so close from the air - you can see alternating streets full of red tail lights and white headlights! Amazing!
Cabin service was excellent as usual. Being the snooze zone, the lights were left off after take off. Having not eaten since lunch, I opted for the beef fillet which was served almost immediately after the seatbelt sign was turned off. Was beautifully cooked and really hit the spot! Not being tired yet, I settled down in the darkness to watch a movie. Very attentive service given the time of the night - I was asked several times if I needed anything. Finally feeling tired, so flipped the seat over and fell asleep straight away.
Landing and de-boarding was relatively smooth and efficient. I stopped off at revivals for a quick shower and the farmhouse breakfast. I do wish they still served it all stacked up on the slice of toast - that's the only reason I keep going in there!!
All the best with your relocation to New York.
