ATL Airport working towards 6th runway
 

OK, not strictly DL, but DL=ATL=DL.

ATL is purchasing the Sheraton, which will close later this summer. Part of the preparation for the 6th runway.

https://atlanta.curbed.com/2017/5/15...sheraton-hotel

Also for a real blast from the past, check out this flashback to when the current terminal was built and opened.

http://www.sunshineskies.com/atlanta...-terminal.html

Planned capacity with additions was 75 million pax per year. ATL handled 104 million last year.

Wow. Enjoy!

Interesting, so judging by google maps, this 6th RWY would be just North of current RWY 10/28. I hope they'll make better TWY options to get way down there. Currently SJ/SC are only mid RWY and require either crossing 9L/27R and 9R/27L or going all the way around them, then back to the middle to get down there. I think to get best use out of them they need TWY's at/near each end, then have wrap arounds (i.e. TWY V) to route traffic around the actives.

IMO, the biggest issue for ATL's capacity isn't the RWY capacity, it's the size of the terminals. They're already way too crowded...

http://www.atl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/ATL_ExecSumm_2015_101415_Spreads.pdf

ATL Master Plan

No matter how much we all might "..... and complain" about ATL, it's amazing that an airport designed in the 70's is still quite functional and expandable some 40+ years later.

I imagine Delta disagrees....more runway means more flights at peak times. I never really had a problem with the terminal and it wasn't all that long ago they went from one to two.

I'm just glad they're taking out that Sheraton. Stayed there once a few months ago and it was well short of Sheraton standards. Actually fell short of most Motel 6 standards, IMO.

^^

Other than thunderstorms, I really haven't had an issue with ATL. It's a decent facility that is easy to move around. It's much nicer than LAX, LGA, JFK, and MSP as far as DL hubs are concerned.

It's also nicer than EWR, ORD, IAH, DFW, or PHL (as competitor hubs are concerned).

Am I the only one who doesn't see how this really helps anything?

It is too close to runway 10-28 and 27L-9R to be used as an arrival runway. So I guess it becomes a third departure runway?

This is more for the SPG forum but it:

- is a full service airport hotel, with pool, restaurant (and lounge per brand standards)

- has a 24-hr shuttle service

- has low rates (on average)

- is only SPG Cat2 for award redemptions (reflecting the low avg room rate)

It's not my favorite SPG property but it surely has offered utility for me.

Could just be YMMV, but this property does show up a couple times on the SPG Hall of Shame thread, which I've just added to: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starw...tay-again.html

From a functional standpoint, ATL does indeed work. Aircraft land & take off, people transfer planes, etc. Unfortunately ATL does it with no personality whatsoever.

I normally find myself stuck in Concourses A & B, which are pretty nasty. Ceilings are filthy, it's always crowded and loud, the rancid greasy smell of the fast food concessions permeates the terminal. And...there's almost NO windows!!! Is this an airport or a bunker?

Fortunately, things do get MUCH better once you reach the international terminal, but the rest of it really should be dozed/overhauled. Yes, I know they're "renovating" things, which means the Plane Train lobbies haven't had proper ceilings for 8+ months.

I also do wonder how ATL would handle a Plane Train failure. There's only one system between terminals. MCO (Orlando) has had a series of failures with theirs lately, but fortunately they have 4 separate systems, so the outages haven't taken out the entire airport. At ATL this could be pretty ugly.

I also have a strong distaste for the corruption/cronyism which goes on at ATL, especially with the concessions.

I do marvel at how well it works, but wish they'd place a little more emphasis on the passenger experience rather than moving metal & bodies.

Re: ATL Sheraton -- it's pretty rough. Just looking over the Tripadvisor reviews/photos would be enough to make me look for alternative accommodation. That said, I've found that many of the 'limited service' airport hotels to be superior to the full-service ones. They're usually newer buildings, newer layouts, sometimes even nicer rooms. No parking fees, free breakfast, free WiFi, free shuttles to the airport. No on-site restaurant, no bellhop, but I'd much rather take an Uber to a nearby restaurant or do delivery than eat at a lonely hotel restaurant.

LOL at all this "no personality" talk that's been had for years. Whoopie...I'd rather have an airport that works incredibly well, has adequate amenities, and accessible usable facilities than something that wows in the looks department (has "personality") but fails where it really matters. The condition of ceilings mid-renovation or the number of windows (which I don't even think is that bad, especially with club access) is about as low on the list of things I care about as it gets. Different strokes for different folks, but I just don't see those as relevant or important.

ATL offers an insane range of concessions, with two seriously good sit-down eateries, and fast and fast casual restaurants that can satisfy literally anyone, walkable concourses, a train system that runs more frequently than the Yamanote line during rush hour, a world-class international terminal and associated facilities, constant renovations, a perfectly situated mid-field concourse set-up with five and soon to be six runways. The cargo and GA facilities are perfectly situated for their needs, and the airport also has a public transit link that connects one with the downtown area for $2.50 in fifteen minutes.

I can't really think of another airport of anything close to a similar scale that accomplishes all that. Maybe I'm missing something, but IMO ATL is one of, if not the, most efficient airports in the world and accomplishes this while being perfectly adequate in what it offers users, both connecting, originating, and terminating. Off-site and on-site parking options are plentiful and affordable, the rental car facility is top-notch and accessed via a simple, elevated train. My one complaint about ATL is the way terminating internationally dumps you at the landside of the international terminal which is not very convenient for much and forces you on a long-ish shuttle to basically everywhere (except FastPark or the international on-site parking facilities).

ATL is practically a second home for me. I am surprised they don't charge me rent. I have to connect a few times every week either through ATL, DTW or MSP. MSP is the least of my favorites just because you need a sherpa to get from A to F. Also, I can only get CRJ 200 service to MSP(another thread;))

ATL is shockingly efficient for its size and volume. I have gone from E to T in about 10 minutes. Some of the Skyclubs are better than others but none are really that bad. E and F are my favorites.

I rarely eat at any of the restaurants so cant comment on those. I may be in the minority but I kind of like the boarding process in B. It seems to work. Yes, its Southwest-ish but it appears to be efficient.

The best thing ATL has going for it? its not ORD!!!

side note: favorite hub/focus city in the Delta system is DTW as long as the train is working.

ATL is very functional, so a lot of us can overlook how it looks. Plus, I think in the late 1970's, buildings tended to be more functional anyway.

If the train has a failure, you just walk from concourse to concourse. It's really no biggie. I've been there when the train was not functional.

There is no reason to bulldoze the current airport. It suits its purpose just fine. Unlike LGA, LAX, JFK, EWR, and many other airports, this one is actually in pretty good shape.

yeah but that garish orange color on the outside.

See also: every conversation about how Delta One is basically a concentration camp because their wine selection is so mundane