Standby in Newark Airport

I was on a business trip to Boston and New Jersey last week. Being away for a week, I was eager to return on Friday. I was on the earliest flight from Newark to San Francisco that leaves at 7:15 AM. Arriving at Terminal C, I was stunned to be in the middle of a packed terminal. It took me a while to figure out that my flight was canceled and I must be in a long line to be "re-accommodated."

The battle began and I've already lost. It took me a long time to figure out that the reaccomodation line was useless, and I need to get on the stand-by list of the next few flights. A few tricks that I realized on Friday:

1. Don't use the regular Continental web site. Use the mobile version: http://pda.continental.com/PDA20/default.aspx. You can check the current standby list with this mobile version only and see your place. As long as you are at top 10, you have a chance.
   
2. Try to get on the Elite status. Delta, NWA and continental are part of the Star Team, if you earned enough miles on any of the airlines you can get that status and be on shorter lines.
   
3. Avoid Continental airline; I have yet to be on a Continental flight that is NOT late by more than one hour. They upgraded me to first class on a flight to Mumbai once so I'm grateful to them, but they are always late.
   
4. Ask for Alma in the Elite customer service counter. She was so helpful and sympathetic to me. Without her help, I am still in Newark now: The customer support person on the phone told me that the next flight that I can get is on Tuesday.
   
5. Continental allows you to be on one standby list at a time. If you can be on a late one but a shorter list, you should take that.
   

Anyway, I thought that I got lucky and managed to get on the afternoon flight as a standby. The plane almost took off but returned to the terminal after nearly two hours. This flight was also canceled.

There was no more flight out of Newark after that. I have to find a hotel, competing with thousands of stranded travelers. All the good hotels near the airport were book. I was lucky to find a decent motel, small, cold, but a place to sleep.

Saturday morning I wait for the second flight out of Newark. The third time was a charm. I was number 6 on the standby list and got on the flight. Some late arrived travelers with tickets were met with hostile eyes from standby customers. The survival instinct was at display. I was proud of myself that I kept my compassion for fellow travelers in this difficult time.

It felt like leaving a battle field after the flight took off. I was wondering about the tens of thousands of travelers stranded at the Newark Airport: what are they doing and how can they get back from home.