Programs: UA lifetime 1K-Decade of 1K, MM; AA X Decade EXP, Lifetime Pt; CO Lifetime Pt; DL Ag; AS Au, BA
Posts: 785
Delta's disgraceful walk for International arrivals at ATL
This must appear in a thread somewhere but I can't find it. I arrived today off an intl flight at Delta's Terminal E and to get to the street I had to walk to the International terminal to get my bags. If it was not 3/4 mile then I'd be surprised. I am lucky to be fit and now a lot fitter but my mother for one would be dead from this experience. I have never in my life experienced such a disgraceful walk from the plane to the final exit. For sure anyone arriving in and finishing their journey in ATL needs to avoid DL. I wonder if Richard Anderson personally has it in for passengers who arrive on DL international flights. Sure as heck he is not the slightest caring about them. The first part of the arrival process is an incredibly long walk that ends up at an elevator. But getting out at the bottom the nightmare continues with an escalator thrown in somewhere. This is just abuse by DL and yet another example of how customer service in the US has gone to heck.
Last edited by UAAAPeter; Dec 12, 12 at 10:59 pm..
Reason: typo
Programs: UA lifetime 1K-Decade of 1K, MM; AA X Decade EXP, Lifetime Pt; CO Lifetime Pt; DL Ag; AS Au, BA
Posts: 785
Troll/joke
Quote:
Originally Posted by HongKonger
This is what the wheelchair/cart service is for. It's free, if you need it use it.
I'm sure Richard Anderson designed the ATL airport specifically to inconvenience you.
Congratulations on having lived such a charmed life that this seemed like a serious negative experience to you.
(Just in case this isn't a troll/joke.)
I will assume this reply is indeed a joke. Do you have any idea from personal experience how long this walk is? And it was not that serious an experience for me as I am lucky enough to be fit and a walk like this is actually a chance to exercise off the junk food I received on the plane. But a lot of people are not as fit as I am lucky enough to be. And they don't know to expect an arduous walk like this, and would have no idea of the need to order a cart, if indeed they exist. And the average unfit traveler would hardly contemplate a wheel chair. As it happened there were a couple of carts - that immediately filled - for about 200 trivial yards of the total distance. I suggest you fly into ATL and experience this issue before exercising your excellent skills in sarcasm at fellow FTers who are only trying to bring attention to a very real problem. And trust me, it is a serious negative experience that needs fixing.
Programs: Delta SkyMiles PM, United Mileage Plus, AsiaMiles
Posts: 4,233
Quote:
Originally Posted by UAAAPeter
Quote:
Originally Posted by HongKonger
This is what the wheelchair/cart service is for. It's free, if you need it use it.
I'm sure Richard Anderson designed the ATL airport specifically to inconvenience you.
Congratulations on having lived such a charmed life that this seemed like a serious negative experience to you.
(Just in case this isn't a troll/joke.)
I will assume this reply is indeed a joke. Do you have any idea from personal experience how long this walk is? And it was not that serious an experience for me as I am lucky enough to be fit and a walk like this is actually a chance to exercise off the junk food I received on the plane. But a lot of people are not as fit as I am lucky enough to be. And they don't know to expect an arduous walk like this, and would have no idea of the need to order a cart, if indeed they exist. And the average unfit traveler would hardly contemplate a wheel chair. As it happened there were a couple of carts - that immediately filled - for about 200 trivial yards of the total distance. I suggest you fly into ATL and experience this issue before exercising your excellent skills in sarcasm at fellow FTers who are only trying to bring attention to a very real problem. And trust me, it is a serious negative experience that needs fixing.
Not a joke at all. A response in words since there is no facepalm emoticon on FT.
I've flown int'l into ATL before and it is no longer of a walk than one usually must do in HKG my home airport which is considered one of the best designed airports in the world.
At an airport there is always someone you can ask if you have a problem. Life will be more pleasant if you don't sweat the small stuff.
Location: In the process of moving from Dubai back to Tokyo because I didn't like it there. Temporarily in rural Malaysia.
Programs: EY Gold, AA Gold, DL Gold
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I've flown into and out of ATL on int'l flights sevral times with DL and I don't recall the walk being worse than anywhere else..............maybe this was the OP's first flight or something.
Next time, just pass a message to the FA's requesting landing at a closer gate.
I understand the OPs rant, but sadly it's same in many of the worlds international airports. Many require a 1/2 to 3/4 mile walk from the plane to the passport control, and I've never seen any electric carts available there, so at least ATL does offer service above and beyond most other airports.
(What I've NEVER understood is why my plane always seems to park right at the very end of the mile long terminal while all the other gates closer to immigration are empty. I think the airlines are trying to make us fitter.)
Also, when you fly from LHR to CDG on AF I always seem to walk half the way there! The gate is a very long distance from the terminal at both ends!
I understand the OPs rant, but sadly it's same in many of the worlds international airports. Many require a 1/2 to 3/4 mile walk from the plane to the passport control, and I've never seen any electric carts available there, so at least ATL does offer service above and beyond most other airports.
(What I've NEVER understood is why my plane always seems to park right at the very end of the mile long terminal while all the other gates closer to immigration are empty. I think the airlines are trying to make us fitter.)
Also, when you fly from LHR to CDG on AF I always seem to walk half the way there! The gate is a very long distance from the terminal at both ends!
The walk will not hurt most and, if it does (barring some sort of physical limitation), perhaps that's saying something. I've done the schlep through LHR many times...T3 and T4 can be quite a walk when coming from some gates...even with a moving sidewalk!
__________________ 2013 TATL/TPAC: DL: 12; AA: 6 U/G: DL: 5/7 AA: 3/3 Have you seen Floyd the Flamingo?!
I take a picture of wherever I land as the maps show distance to the checkpoints. It does feel like a longer walk than other airports with similar walks but I think that's because of the long hallways. There are moving walkways for at least 40% of it though so you're really not walking that far... And as others have said there are always carts (though usually not until connecting customs.
I take a picture of wherever I land as the maps show distance to the checkpoints. It does feel like a longer walk than other airports with similar walks but I think that's because of the long hallways. There are moving walkways for at least 40% of it though so you're really not walking that far... And as others have said there are always carts (though usually not until connecting customs.
If people need a card upon deplaning in most cases, perhaps they've carried to much on to the plane to begin with?!
__________________ 2013 TATL/TPAC: DL: 12; AA: 6 U/G: DL: 5/7 AA: 3/3 Have you seen Floyd the Flamingo?!
Delta had extensive input into the design of the international terminal.
I think T to D in ATL is actually 4000 feet. I can't imagine E to F is that same distance.
