planepics Loc: St. Louis burbs, but originally Chicago burbs

I'm going to France next summer (tour booked) and haven't gotten my flight yet, but one airline shows a 42-minute stopover at EWR. Is that enough time to deplane, change terminals (?) and board a different plane? I've never been to EWR. I'd leave from any number of airports on the east coast for my flight as long as I can get to it from STL.

Tigger1 Loc: Surrey, BC Canada

If you board your International Flight at EWR, you may be glad you allowed yourself more time to board the International Flight. Suggest you call EWR and ask them how much time you should allow. It would be a shame to miss your flight if you did not have sufficient time for all the International Flight protocols to be completed before being allowed to board.
Have a great trip and enjoy your tour.

planepics Loc: St. Louis burbs, but originally Chicago burbs

I just looked up info for EWR and found out the airline in question (United) owns one of the terminals and it hosts both domestic and international flights. It's been 5 yrs since I've gone anywhere on a plane (Israel) and left out of JFK for the first and only time...that place is HUGE (and had like a 5-hour wait)!!! Since my last two trips were either cancelled by the tour company or myself due to COVID concerns, I'm doing a "revenge" trip next summer. After a 13-day tour in France (spending my birthday in Paris) I'm going next door to Switzerland for another nine days. Searching for flights, it seems like United almost has the corner on the market on flights leaving STL. Them and Southwest. I'll give EWR a call or e-mail about IFP's.

cosmo54 Loc: Easton, PA but will travel for photos

I travel from Newark all the time and I would definitely leave at least 1 hour between flights. The international flights are from 1 terminal but your other flight may be from a different terminal. I wouldn't trust it to 42 minutes

Dannj

42 minutes is pushing it. EWR has an efficient tram system between terminals…all int’l flights leave from the same terminal…and in perfect conditions, you could do it. But we all know perfect conditions are not common: gate delays, slow deplaning, etc..
For an overseas flight connection, I’d want more than an hour. If there are delays you’ll have a cushion; if everything’s smooth and you have time to kill there are plenty of shops, restaurants to occupy yourself. Just make sure you take whatever you’ll need for a couple of days in your carry on. There’s not a good chance your luggage will make it.

joehel2 Loc: Cherry Hill, NJ

I have flown internationally from Newark several times. 42 minutes gives you a 50/50 chance of making your flight and a 40% chance of your luggage making it.

wireloose

I’d agree and that’s assuming your incoming flight is on time and you’re sitting near the front. If there is an earlier option take that

traderjohn Loc: New York City

A lot depends. Where on the incoming flight you are in. Business is an advantage. Coach is not so. Everybody has carry on. That takes time. Personally, I would ban carry-on. Now you have deplaned you have to get to the International terminal. How far is that from where you landed? There is transportation between terminals. Do you have to clear any security clearance or is that taken care of where you left from? I have only flown from JFK direct to what country we are going to. Based on what I have heard about Newark it might be then again maybe not. Is it possible to book a different time that would allow you more time between transfers? I believe that is cutting it pretty close.

ghill42 Loc: Colorado

My personal policy for a domestic to intl flight connection time is two hours minimum, no exceptions. If that's not possible, I get a hotel the night before.

Jimmy T Loc: Virginia

NEVER allow less than one and a half hours between flights.
I once had a connecting flight at LAX.
My flight arrived at gate 2 (late) and I was scheduled to depart from gate 100+.
I arrived in Hawaii late and my luggage arrived three days later.
Of all my travels, air travel remains the worst of the worst, and it does NOT make me . . .
Smile,
JimmyT Sends

PS: "You gotta ask yourself, do you feel lucky punk, well do you?"

planepics Loc: St. Louis burbs, but originally Chicago burbs

Thanks for the variety of responses. One thing I'll probably do is fly in and out of the same airport and use one airline. When I went to Israel in 2016 (last time I flew anywhere) O took southwest from STL-LGA and took a bus to JFK (with luggage in tow) and flew Delta. On the way back I had to try to sleep in LGA's food court because I couldn't get a flight back to STL the same night I returned from TLV (security wouldn't let me lay down on a dark hallway floor). What a mess. I'm also considering having the tour company arrange the flights, but I don't know how much extra that would cost me vs. setting fare alerts and checking at random. I had a similar experience on my first and only trip to Hawaii (except I didn't lose my luggage). I flew America West out of ORD, but it was delayed leaving because of a maintenance issue. I missed my connecting flight and got a different one, arriving in Honolulu several hours late. One bright spot was that my hotel room wasn't ready so I get upgraded to a suite on the top floor :) I've never been to LAX, but JFK was probably the biggest airport I'd seen in decades. Not sure how it compares to ORD, near where I grew up.

planepics Loc: St. Louis burbs, but originally Chicago burbs

Business may be an advantage, but somehow a fare came up on my search from Delta. A Delta One fare (first class) R/T JFK-CDG-ZRH-JFK was a bit over $16k. That's more than I make in a year!!

JBRIII

Only flew from there once, so no real knowledge, but my wife would go nuts at 42 minutes for any airport. As stated, being at little late, different terminal, back of coach, you're toast. From our experience, airline will say you're fine after all they set it up. Have had same, very bad experiences at LAX and Miami. We now fly to departing city a few days early, go site seeing, then return for the international flight if possible. Even if at same terminal would not do 42 minutes, longer layovers are no fun, but better than missing tour group at other end. We also try to arrive at final destination a few days earlier.
My wife once got a hotel room in Lima Peru for a six hour layover. Mid-night to 6 a.m., though it was dumb as *"=, time for shower, maybe 2 hrs sleep, but boy was she RIGHT!
Even before Covid flights were filled so missing one could be a real problem, adding time here and there, a great stress reliever for us. We often go to nearby National Parks for a few days. Coming home only worry about layovers, including time for customs, if changing terminals in the airports.

Good luck;

JBRIII

International and non-Inter terminals in two different buildings within Walking! distance, once security line was half a block long to get into building. We avoid it, or leave days between arriving and leaving, go see CA.

JBRIII

At work, if flight was over 16 hrs you could fly non-coach, but your reasrch budget for the year would be toast assuming the trip would be approved ( NEVER! ), business is cheaper, maybe $5000, probably more like $8000. Some airlines were auctioning them off before Covid.