NEWARK AIRPORT
Q – So pleased that our pediatrician told us about this site. But the lack of ads is scaring us. Won’t you go broke soon?
So here is my question: We are going on a wonderful Explora 1 Cruise next summer that begins in Athens and ends in Barcelona. I don’t worry about the return but my schedule is such that I will only have one day in Athens before we board. I don’t want anything to go wrong. Should we connect through Newark, JFK, or Boston Logan? Do you feel strongly that our chances for a hassle-free flight connection over are going to be better from one or the other? We would be looking at American or United most likely.
A – In this case, don’t worry about the airport. Ideally, we want you to have a two and a half hour connection and we would prefer if you left before midnight. You might also consider the type of aircraft on the East Coast to Athens segment. If you are flying Business you will want lie-flat seats. If possible, avoid flying the 767 as there are now roomier options. Consider adding Philadelphia to your list of options as American is turning it into a major international hub. If you want to go crazy, you might want to look up back-up flights – as in what can you fly if you miss your connection.
There is also arrival time. If you arrive in Athens at 7:00 am and get to your hotel by, say, 9:30, it is highly unlikely that your room will be ready.
As to our consumer-oriented, ad-free approach: No worries. We all have day jobs. We do this work out of a sincere desire to provide at least one source of truthful information for the intelligent traveler. It helps us sleep at night.
Just to cross our t’s on our response: Do consider shipping your luggage from home to your hotel. And please seriously consider using a reputable flight monitoring service so if there is a hiccup they will be by your side via app. to re-book you on the best available option. These are two specific things savvy travelers do when there are questionable connections on the horizon.
Please let us know how this all turns out including your time aboard Explora, the new, upscale division of MSC Cruises.
