First-half goals from Kevin Nolan and Ryan Taylor were enough to give Chris Hughton's side a comfortable victory.
Eagles goalkeeper Julian Speroni was a surprise omission from the starting line-up and was replaced by Darryl Flahavan.
And Palace's second-choice shot-stopper's first job was to pick the ball out of the net after the Toon stunned the home side by taking a second-minute lead.
Jonas Gutierrez cut in from the left before playing a delicate chipped pass into the path of Nolan, who coolly slotted past Flahavan to give United a dream start.
Flahavan had to make an instinctive block from Ryan Taylor's wicked inswinging free-kick before the Eagles keeper was forced into another save, this time from Nolan's looping back post header.
Darren Ambrose missed Palace's first real chance of the game, firing his volley from 12 yards straight at Steve Harper.
And Ryan Taylor made Neil Warnock's men pay for that missed chances after doubling the visitors' lead with a sublime left-footed curler that flew beyond the outstretched Flahavan in the 22nd minute.
Alan Lee missed a glorious opportunity to put Palace back in the game in the 25th minute as his looping header from Ambrose's pinpoint cross arrowed agonisingly wide of Harper's far post.
Paddy McCarthy nearly gifted the Magpies a third just a minute later when his sloppy pass was cut out by Nolan, but the Eagles defender recovered to make a timely block.
Lee was denied again in moments later after his close-range effort from Alassane N'Diaye's pass was well saved from Harper.
N'Diaye should have halved the deficit four minutes into the second period but his stooping header flew just wide of Harper's right-hand post.
The young French midfielder then had a strong appeal for a penalty turned down after being hauled down in the box by Alan Smith.
N'Diaye had another chance to drag Palace back into the encounter on the hour mark after Lee's superb reverse pass put the teenager clean through, but Fabricio Coloccini made a brilliant block to thwart the youngster.
Shola Ameobi was presented with a glorious chance after superb work from Danny Guthrie down the right but with just the keeper to beat, the lanky striker blazed wildly over the bar from 10 yards.
Neil Warnock introduced Sean Scannell and Victor Moses midway through the second period and the former sent a free header wide from Ambrose's chipped cross with 10 minutes left as the Magpies ran out easy winners.