Originally Posted by
DiverDave
I would counter that you are underestimating how much time it takes to navigate the crowded concourses. And for older folks such as myself, I just don't walk that rapidly.
The trains take more time when they are full. (Doors are open longer, especially as folks try to get on as the doors close.)
And if you are at the back of the plane, the clock is ticking while you wait to get off.
This. ATL is my home airport and I could just about walk around it blindfolded, EXCEPT for all the other people there. Also, T is one of the smaller concourses - A1 is further from the train than T1.
So yes, it's possible to walk/train/walk from one end of the airport to the other with nobody/nothing in the way and a train waiting for you when you get downstairs. But it's also possible for me to get from my house to downtown Atlanta in 10 minutes when there are no other cars on the road and all of our major highways are fully functional.
Originally Posted by
indufan
T and F are both terminals but not really relevant to this discussion.
No, they're not.
Originally Posted by
davetravels
Well, for THAT matter, there are also <technically> North and South Terminals!
. . . . . EQUALLY as irrelevant to this discussion!
I think T & F would be considered concourses. Domestic Terminal & Int'l, Terminal maybe, going by the road signage.
The confusion between concourses and terminals at ATL is one of my pet peeves, though I absolutely understand the confusion.
At ATL, and I think many other airports, a "Terminal" is usually defined by an exterior set of doors where you can access the street (good litmus test - can you walk outside and get into a taxi). There are three terminalsat ATL: North, South, and International. By comparison "Concourse" is a set of gates on the airside part of the airport - we have seven Concourses: T, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Other airports might use the term "Pier" or "Hall" for what ATL calls Concourses. ATL is a bit unique in that all three of our terminals provide access to all seven of our concourses once airside. You can walk in from any landside door, go through any security checkpoint, and access any departure gate.
This is quite different from most other airports - for example LGA where you must enter Terminal B to access piers/gates A/B/C/D, but you cannot get from Terminal B to Terminal C (where there are more C gates) without exiting and re-entering security, but you *can* get to the C gates in Terminal C or the D gates in Terminal D by entering either Terminals C or D. You can also go to Terminal A, aka the MAT, if you happen to be leaving from an A gate that is not in Terminal B, but you must take a bus to get there.
But....I dunno. You guys tell me which one is more or less confusing.
Originally Posted by
StayingHomeIsBetter
Look at tomorrow's afternoon and evening flights from BOS to ATL.
...
But, nearly 3 hours in a middle seat, separated from my travel companion (let's assume, significant other), seems like a heavy penalty for lack of foresight.
If OP misses the connection, they would need to rebook on ATL-TYS, which is maybe a 30 min flight.
