pubuse

I'm flying from a small local airport to Europe and have the choice of connecting flights through ATL, PHL, ORD, or IAD. Which one would be my best bet?

Also, will I have to go through security again at these connecting airports because the connecting flight is International?

A family friend just connected through ATL on a flight to Europe and said that he did not have to go through security again. However, I see posted here that there are MMW in the Concourse E (After Customs), is this on the way back into the country or something?

Finally, do we have any information about returning through MUC?

From what I've read I'm prob leaning towards ATL or PHL. Any tips are appreciated.

barbell

Welcome to FT!

You shouldn't have to reclear security on your outbound to Europe flight, regardless of the connecting airport*, though there is always the possibility that there will be some sort of nonsense on your gate. However, the further your gate is away from the security playhouse, the less likely you are to encounter security shenanigans because TS"o"s generally don't walk very far.

On your flight back, you will have to reclear "security" once you've been through customs. At ATL, from what I've heard, everyone, and I mean everyone is sent through the whole body imaging scanner.

I have not personally recleared at PHL, but there are multiple checkpoints and at last count Terminal D does not have scanners. At PHL, you may access any concourse through any checkpoint. However, the walk from A (your arrival) to D will be a hike, so be sure to build a long enough connection.

An excellent resource is tsastatus.net, and you can look up the cities you are considering. It looks like international connections through PHL A concourse (that will be your arrival concourse) are spotty. Best to scope it out and hike to D if necessary. A word of caution, if the line is long when you get in it, there is a good possibility that they will turn on a scanner that was off when you approached it. Don't think that just because it's off when you get in queue it will stay off.

Good luck!

*Depending on your originating city, you may arrive into PHL Terminal F. It is easy to get confused and leave the concourse on a connection, meaning you will have to reclear. Just make certain to take the bus from inside F to the other terminals and you will be fine.

N965VJ

There is a Nude-O-Scope in every lane at the checkpoint after customs in ATL but I've never seen them all being used at once, so a self-directed opt-out is possible.

barbell

Sure, but if I were choosing between PHL and ATL based on the security process, I'd take PHL over ATL for the completely NoS free Checkpoint D at PHL, then SDOO isn't even necessary.

I don't know about ATL E, but even though regular WTMD-only lanes are often open at the main checkpoints, self-selecting isn't always an option.

cordelli

Welcome to Flyertalk.

You will not clear security on the connection on the flight to Europe, you will just go to the gate and catch your plane.

On the way back, no matter which airline you go through, you will have to reclear security once you clear immigration and customs. As soon as you have access to your checked bags, you need to clear security before entering the sterile area again.

As to which airport, everything else being equal, if it's winter I would take Atlanta, much less of a snow or ice related delay.

Atlanta is a unique design that is only shared by a few other airports. International arriving passengers can not just leave the airport, they have to re-enter the sterile area. At most airports, if you are not connecting to another flight, you just walk out of the airport once you clear customs and immigration. In Atlanta because you have to enter the terminal to get to the airport exit, everybody, not just those taking connecting flights, has to reclear security. That's probably what you heard about Atlanta.

Make sure no matter which you choose to leave plenty of time on the return trip, the lines at any airport for international arrivals can be pretty long.

323power

I've never had any international connections at ATL, but PHL is my home major airport. The D/E checkpoint is one of the more painless major airport TSA experiences (as much as it pains me to say). It's not too far of a walk over to A, but worth it to avoid a possible scope and grope.

I'd take PHL over ORDs insanely long lines, long train ride, and then clearing security in B, assuming you're flying UA.

SDF_Traveler

TSA has a NoS at every security lane, but I've only seen a couple of them running and have always been able to self-opt out at ATL "E".

During peak hours, the passenger flow is just too great for them to use the NoS machines and most pax go thru the WTMD's. The big choke point is getting to the Immigration booth.

As to airport for the OP, I personally would lean towards ATL. It's all under one roof and easy to navigate. ATL doesn't have the ATC flow control delays I commonly face with east coast airports in the DC/NYC area, unless there is bad weather at ATL (and then everything goes downhill).

After ATL, I'd look at ORD. Unless you're on a carrier that departs from Terminal 5, everything is under one roof. Returning to the US, all Intl flights arrive T5 and if connecting you must take the tram to your terminal and re-clear security in the main T1-T2-T3 complex.

Should note when you arrive back into the US, everyone with a connecting flight has to go through TSA again regardless of airport.

Edit to Add: Munich is a nice airport & airport security is reasonable. If on a US carrier, you'll probably be subjected to the ICTS treatment (interview at check-in and again at gate), but that goes for a trans-Atlantic on any US carrier from most European airports.

SDF

Dovster

If you are a smoker, ATL has the advantage of having lounges in each terminal where you can light up -- this is a big thing for someone who has just spend 9 or 10 hours in a plane and has a 2 hour wait to connect to another.

Critic

+1; I've actually switched most of my flying from EWR to PHL because the D/E checkpoint & the D terminal are so much more pleasant than the circus that is Terminal C at EWR. I don't think I've ever had to wait more than 2 minutes from entering the line to clearing the WTMD - and not a single NoS to be found. (And there's a Peet's Coffee right after the checkpoint!)

MDtR-Chicago

Hang on, at ORD it IS possible to need to reclear security on the outbound when boarding an international flight. Terminal 5 is not connected to the others airside. So if you arrive on a domestic carrier and connect to (primarily) an international carrier departing from Terminal 5, you have to reclear.

hjime223

No, all concourses in ATL are connected to each other airside without having to go through security so if you are connecting from domestic to domestic or domestic to international you do not have to go through security in ATL.

Yes, if you are arriving in ATL on an international flight then you will have to go through security in Concourse E after Customs but as others have said it is usually possible to avoid the nude machines by paying attention and choosing the security lanes which are not using them at that time.