New to Flyertalk. Need info on ATL and parking
 

Hi everyone. I will be flying out of ATL in Sept. for the first time. Domestic flight. I have never flown out of ATL before. Have flown out of JAX for the last 32 years. Where is the best place to park? From the time i park how much time should i alot to get through security and to my gate? I will be flying on Southwest. Any other info about ATL would be helpful. Departing flight will be on a Saturday around 8am. How busy will ATL be at that time?

Again thanks for any information.
TMJAX

I can only speak for myself, as everybody will have their own routine, when it comes to going to the Atlanta airport.

I just retired after using the airport for 30 years. I know that airport pretty well, and I now how to make the trip to the airport very stress free, which is the name of the game.

There is on-site and off-site parking. In most cases, the off-site is cheaper, however you have to wait for the shuttle bus when you get back to Atlanta, which is not always super fast. That is why I always used on-site parking, so I could walk to my car, and not have to wait for a shuttle bus.

I mainly flew Delta, but I ALWAYS parked in the North (yes North), parking deck, so my car was under cover. Yes, I know Delta is on the south side of the airport, but parking in the North deck parking usually (not always), was less crowded, and a lot less of a hassle. (note...there is also on-site economy parking, which is cheaper than deck parking. Just an FYI).

As what time to get to the airport, I always tried to get there around 2 hours ahead of time. Yes, in most cases, I was early, but you absolutely never know how bad security will be. In matter of fact, one time when I was leaving on a Saturday morning, the security line was the worse I had ever seen it, and yes, that was in the summer. If you do get through security fast, look at the bright side. There is a lot less stress, and there are plenty of places in the airport to sit down and get breakfast.

Once you start using the Atlanta airport on a regular basis, you will develop your own routine, however, this is how I did it. Other people will have their routine, but this was mine, and it worked.

PS...one final thing, give yourself PLENTY of time to actually drive to the airport. You never know, (even on a Saturday morning), when there will be a problem on the interstates, that could slow you down. Again, an FYI.

Are you going to be flying out of ATL a lot or just this time?
I have been using Park n Fly off-site parking for the last 10 years.

Personally I like to be at my gate 2 hrs before departure. I live about 50 mins away from the airport. Going thru downtown ATL may be ok at that time. 285 is under construction and there is always delays.

You can also check domestic luggage at Intl if your airline also operates out of there and has a check in desk (DL most notably). But isn't international a park n ride lot only?

OP, what are your priorities here? Cheapest possible? Least stress? Less walking? There are many options at ATL so the best one for you will depend on what is important to you.

Lots at ATL can get extremely full at times. This is unlikely to happen on a Saturday morning, but I arrived just after lunch yesterday (a Tuesday) and literally all the on-site lots/decks were full. There were lines out of South Daily as they only let in a handful of cars at a time. I like to cut my commute times close, but if I had not planned for this, the 10 mins I spent waiting to be let in (or driving around to an off site lot) could have meant the difference in missing my flight.

TBH, a lot of times these days I will just use Uber. With the recent increase in parking rates, it doesn't cost that much more than 2-3 days of parking and you get curbside dropoff/pickup.

Welcome to Flyertalk, TMJAX
I know that you will find valuable information on this outstanding forum.
Obscure2k
Delta Moderator

Airport traffic is hellacious. Use a remote parking lot. Last time I checked, Parking Spot 2 was about the cheapest--you can almost always find discount coupons in the airline magazines. It is also probably the furthest from the airport, and right off off 285, so conveniently located. Unless you return late at night, there are always vans waiting. You MIGHT wait about 10 minutes occasionally, either in the van, or for one to come. Nighttime can be hit or miss. You can also sometimes find Groupons for Peachy Airport parking, but their service has deteriorated a lot. They often now require prepayment, then make you back out of the lot and go to an adjacent one without a gate. They can also be surly. (Not the drivers--the cashiers.) Its location is probably also not as convenient for someone driving in from out of town.

Thanks for all the valuable info! :)

question is how long are you going for?
short trip use the airport parking, like others have said North terminal parking is better then south, beware they are updating the N terminal looks, but you can walk directly from the parking to the airport,
Long trip, use off site parking, and yes the shuttles do take time, and upon arrival the walk to the shuttle area can be quite a hall,
also keep in mind, due to the construction in the North terminal, the shuttle buses now are only dropping passengers off at the South terminal.
hope that helps

Thanks Eddie98. I will be flying out of ATL from here on.I only fly a few times a year. My wife and i are moving to somewhere yet to be determined in and around Senoia to be closer to my oldest daughter who lives there.

Thanks for any further info.
TMJAX

Thank you!

Thanks for your information. I will not be returning late at night. Return around 4pm. on a Wed.

I always check Google Maps to see time to the airport for any unforeseen traffic and construction. I also check the security wait times online before I head out too.

Though I agree that the International terminal can be a good choice, it can have issues, particularly for those that are not familiar with the airport..

. Some remote parking sites will not go there.
. Pick up could be slower.
. If parked on Camp Creek, it can take an extra 15 minutes to circle the airport during rush hour
. If IROPS, better make sure the airline airline has an open counter there

I would recommend against it for the OP for now.

Works great when uber'ing on a DL flight though.