changing planes in Atlants on Delta Airlines
#2
Join Date: Aug 2007
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 1,079
Super easy. Once you get off the first flight, check the TV screens for gate info on your connecting flight. Head over to the next gate... if on a different concourse, there is an underground train that connects all the concourses.
#4
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: DAY
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Posts: 4,944
#5
Join Date: Sep 2011
Programs: Delta DM, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,495
Exactly right. There is no way of predicting what will happen on a particular day in the future. Most times you'll make the connection, but sometimes you won't. I generally wouldn't book this tight a connection, but I would in certain circumstances (e.g., not critical I arrive on time, later flights available that same day, significant time savings vs. the next flight, etc.).
#6
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: HSV
Programs: DL SkyMiles PM/1.2MM, UA Premier gold/1MM, Choice diamond, Marriott gold
Posts: 1,374
It will be easy only assuming that your original flight into ATL is on time or early. For future reference, I would never schedule a 37 minute connection in ATL, or any airport for that matter, if at all possible. That said, ATL is very logically laid out and transportation between concourses is fast and readily available. You should have no problems if your inbound flight is on time. Even if you're on time coming in, though, your flight to FLL will likely already be boarding when your inbound flight has landed.
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Back in Reds Country (DAY/CVG). Previously: SEA & SAT.
Programs: DL PM 1MM, AA PLAT, UA Silver, Marriott Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 10,345
Now, depending on how far out your trip is, Delta frequently makes minor (to major) schedule adjustments, with most schedule changes finalizing about 30-60 days out. If the schedule changes to shorten the connection by even 3 minutes, you'll be violating minimum connection time and thus will be eligible for a schedule change that will allow you to either 1) get a new itinerary with a longer layover or if you're lucky 2) get DL to rebook you on a DTW-FLL nonstop.
Additional note to ease some of the burden: DL usually pads its schedules a bit. There is a good chance that if you depart DTW on-time, you may arrive in ATL a little early, providing a little more cushion. There is no guarantee of this happening day of, however.
#8
Join Date: Feb 2017
Programs: DL DM, UA Gold, Alaska MVP, Bonvoy (lol) Ambassador
Posts: 2,994
Quite right. Even if the plane is on time, it is possible that the OP will miss the flight. For example, if you are in the last row of a full 739, it will take roughly 15-20 minutes from the parking gate being set to when you step off the plane based on my experience. So, even best case, you're down to T-22 before you even step off the plane. If you get in at T1 and need to go to some far off gate in E, you won't make it before T-10 when they might close the boarding doors.
I realize most FT'ers have the benefit of sitting closer to the front and may not realize this, but as a lowly DM I am relegated to seat 36C so I am well aware of the time it takes to get off the plane. Sitting in the back turns a comfortable (but tight) connection into a "scramble and hope" (the hope being an early arrival and/or not having gates across the airport).
#9
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: DAY
Programs: Rapid Rewards, Skymiles, Hilton HHonors, SPG/Marriott Rewards
Posts: 4,944
Quite right. Even if the plane is on time, it is possible that the OP will miss the flight. For example, if you are in the last row of a full 739, it will take roughly 15-20 minutes from the parking gate being set to when you step off the plane based on my experience. So, even best case, you're down to T-22 before you even step off the plane. If you get in at T1 and need to go to some far off gate in E, you won't make it before T-10 when they might close the boarding doors.
I realize most FT'ers have the benefit of sitting closer to the front and may not realize this, but as a lowly DM I am relegated to seat 36C so I am well aware of the time it takes to get off the plane. Sitting in the back turns a comfortable (but tight) connection into a "scramble and hope" (the hope being an early arrival and/or not having gates across the airport).
#10
Join Date: Feb 2017
Programs: DL DM, UA Gold, Alaska MVP, Bonvoy (lol) Ambassador
Posts: 2,994
Delta seems to target an average delay of about 0 minutes if you look at their on-time stats (some months they are on average 1 minute early, some they are on average 1 minute late, but it's roughly 0 minutes).
Since delays have a long tail (i.e., many planes are delayed by many hours) whereas arrivals have a firm lower bound (obviously no flight can be less than 0 minutes, but even beyond that, a plane still has to fly from point A to point B with some variation due to winds). This means that, statistically, the median Delta flight arrives early - and probably something like 60-75% of them do if I had to guess. Then there are 10% that arrive "on time" per the DoT (0-14 min delay) but are delayed, and then the remaining 10-15% that are actually delayed per DoT stats.
#11
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: DAY
Programs: Rapid Rewards, Skymiles, Hilton HHonors, SPG/Marriott Rewards
Posts: 4,944
37 minutes is only 2 minutes above the Minimum Connection Time of 35 minutes. This will be very tight if you arrive on time and your connection is departing on time. That said, both DTW-ATL and ATL-FLL run pretty frequently so unless you're on one of the last flights of the night, you'll have back-up options to get to FLL, as well as plenty of flights to PBI or MIA that you could be rebooked on.
Now, depending on how far out your trip is, Delta frequently makes minor (to major) schedule adjustments, with most schedule changes finalizing about 30-60 days out. If the schedule changes to shorten the connection by even 3 minutes, you'll be violating minimum connection time and thus will be eligible for a schedule change that will allow you to either 1) get a new itinerary with a longer layover or if you're lucky 2) get DL to rebook you on a DTW-FLL nonstop.
Additional note to ease some of the burden: DL usually pads its schedules a bit. There is a good chance that if you depart DTW on-time, you may arrive in ATL a little early, providing a little more cushion. There is no guarantee of this happening day of, however.
Now, depending on how far out your trip is, Delta frequently makes minor (to major) schedule adjustments, with most schedule changes finalizing about 30-60 days out. If the schedule changes to shorten the connection by even 3 minutes, you'll be violating minimum connection time and thus will be eligible for a schedule change that will allow you to either 1) get a new itinerary with a longer layover or if you're lucky 2) get DL to rebook you on a DTW-FLL nonstop.
Additional note to ease some of the burden: DL usually pads its schedules a bit. There is a good chance that if you depart DTW on-time, you may arrive in ATL a little early, providing a little more cushion. There is no guarantee of this happening day of, however.
#12
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Formerly at PIT, now planted near MSP.
Programs: No flights since April 2019 (Medical Issues). Lost all my status.
Posts: 1,483
I’ve booked 100+ sub-50 minute connections through ATL, DTW or MSP. Only once did I miss a connection that had an on-time arrival. So... I do know that 99+% of the time you will have no problems....if your arrival is on-time. As for a late arrival, hope for the best.
#13
Join Date: Feb 2017
Programs: DL DM, UA Gold, Alaska MVP, Bonvoy (lol) Ambassador
Posts: 2,994
An on-time flight does not guarantee a successful connection at Atlanta with a 37 minute connection window. That's all I'm saying.
I would agree that 50 minutes would have a 100% successful connect rate at Atlanta if the inbound is on time (and no shenanigans like a jetway not working) for an individual that has no mobility issues. That 13 minute covers contingencies on gate location, inbound flight seat, and boarding door close time.
#14
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: DAY
Programs: Rapid Rewards, Skymiles, Hilton HHonors, SPG/Marriott Rewards
Posts: 4,944
This is true, but I am talking about a true on-time arrival.
Delta seems to target an average delay of about 0 minutes if you look at their on-time stats (some months they are on average 1 minute early, some they are on average 1 minute late, but it's roughly 0 minutes).
Since delays have a long tail (i.e., many planes are delayed by many hours) whereas arrivals have a firm lower bound (obviously no flight can be less than 0 minutes, but even beyond that, a plane still has to fly from point A to point B with some variation due to winds). This means that, statistically, the median Delta flight arrives early - and probably something like 60-75% of them do if I had to guess. Then there are 10% that arrive "on time" per the DoT (0-14 min delay) but are delayed, and then the remaining 10-15% that are actually delayed per DoT stats.
Delta seems to target an average delay of about 0 minutes if you look at their on-time stats (some months they are on average 1 minute early, some they are on average 1 minute late, but it's roughly 0 minutes).
Since delays have a long tail (i.e., many planes are delayed by many hours) whereas arrivals have a firm lower bound (obviously no flight can be less than 0 minutes, but even beyond that, a plane still has to fly from point A to point B with some variation due to winds). This means that, statistically, the median Delta flight arrives early - and probably something like 60-75% of them do if I had to guess. Then there are 10% that arrive "on time" per the DoT (0-14 min delay) but are delayed, and then the remaining 10-15% that are actually delayed per DoT stats.