As of October 3, 2022, Newark Liberty International Airport has lost its NYC status. The news broke from a memo orbiting the Twitterverse in early September from Lufthansa Group. Apparently the International Air Transport Association (IATA) decided to make certain city code changes to some “Multi-Airport Cities,” cities with multiple airports or other modes of transportation, in order to properly reflect fare pricing.
Destinations such as Izmir (IZM-ADB), Basel (EAP-BSL), Mpumalanga, Kruger National Park (NLP-MQP), Monrovia (MLW-ROB) and Newark (NYC-EWR) are affected by the new standard.
NYC will not include EWR
CC @WandrMe @AirlineFlyer @crankyflier pic.twitter.com/phhehWQpKJ— CH (@tdh18ny) September 7, 2022
Though Newark Airport is geographically in New Jersey, it’s just over 10 miles outside of Lower Manhattan. Whereas JFK Airport in Queens is over 20 miles from Lower Manhattan.
According to the memo, “Separate fares will be filed for EWR. Therefore, to see the correct price for flights to Newark, the fare query must be for EWR. Fares for New York (NYC or JFK) may differ.”
What this means for fliers is a possible limitation to “freely change flights,” Scott Keyes, founder of Scott’s Cheap Flights told Travel+Leisure. “Currently, many airlines allow travelers to switch flights within a city code — say, from arriving in JFK to arriving in LGA — without a penalty. Removing EWR from the NYC city code could restrict that option for many passengers.”
To clarify, city codes differ from airport codes. Airport codes are how the IATA identifies airports around the world. However, city codes are broader and can reflect larger regions with multiple airports in said region. For example, LGA and JFK both are under the NYC code.
Even though Newark Airport now has its own city code, flights to and from Newark will still appear when travelers search “NYC” online, assures the IATA in a statement to Travel+Leisure. “Metropolitan Areas will continue to be used for schedules and availability – for example, here EWR will remain in the Metropolitan Area of NYC” further explained an IATA representative to AeroTime. However, it will operate under a new pricing structure.
Curious to see the price differences? Try searching for your next vacation and find out! Unsure where to? Well, this airline is offering flights from NYC to London for under $200.