Best check in at ATL
May 9, 2022, 8:33 pm
#16
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 118
ATL Flyer
Greetings, My son and I will be taking a 9:40am flight from ATL to SEA on a Monday. We will have to check bags including a bike. We will be staying at a Hilton property by the airport the night before and taking an airport shuttle. Although I have connected through ATL tons I have never originated from there. Read horror stories about lines in ATL. What time should we get there and are there any tips on where to check in or where to get through security. I am Diamind and he is Platinum...both pre-check...I have clear but he does not. Thanks in advance.
May 10, 2022, 8:56 am
#17
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: ATL
Programs: SPG, DL
Posts: 307
To OP, international is your best bet for speed, although I'm not sure how they handle oversized luggage (i'm sure they can, just haven't personally done it). You'll be at the tail end of the morning rush--still bad but better than an 8a flight. I'd plan on an hour to check bag and clear security. Arrive at 8a and go to the sky club when you make it through by 8:30.
May 10, 2022, 12:43 pm
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
Programs: DL DM, Former AA EXP now AY Plat, AC 75K, NW Plat, Former CO Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 27,042
IME, you can walk to any open lane once you are identity verified. In fact I'm often directed to other lanes when the lane dedicated to Clear fills up.
To OP, international is your best bet for speed, although I'm not sure how they handle oversized luggage (i'm sure they can, just haven't personally done it). You'll be at the tail end of the morning rush--still bad but better than an 8a flight. I'd plan on an hour to check bag and clear security. Arrive at 8a and go to the sky club when you make it through by 8:30.
To OP, international is your best bet for speed, although I'm not sure how they handle oversized luggage (i'm sure they can, just haven't personally done it). You'll be at the tail end of the morning rush--still bad but better than an 8a flight. I'd plan on an hour to check bag and clear security. Arrive at 8a and go to the sky club when you make it through by 8:30.
May 10, 2022, 6:30 pm
#19
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 3,461
I would sign Junior up for Clear now. Otherwise, the advice is spot on. Shame there is the oversized item. That is going to cost you some time and trouble.
But two travelers with pre-check and Clear would virtually eliminate the odds of a long security line delay situation for you.
But two travelers with pre-check and Clear would virtually eliminate the odds of a long security line delay situation for you.
I would not waste money signing Junior up for Clear because of a flight in Atlanta. Because the clear line is often longer than the pre-check line. I timed it. I checked what the guy getting in the clear line was wearing and I turned around to see where he was when I got to id check at precheck. Nowhere near check in
Clear is a huge waste of money in Atlanta. If I didn’t use it at other airports I would’ve canceled it
May 13, 2022, 3:06 pm
#20
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: Delta DM
Posts: 552
Yeah, this was the case about a month ago. A lot has changed since than. Longer Clear lines and it only as 2 or 3 lanes. And no, they weren't directing us to any open lanes. What's the point of having Clear?
May 15, 2022, 12:16 pm
#21
Join Date: May 2006
Location: GA
Programs: VA-PLT, QF-GLD, DL-GM, UA-ex1K, AA-exPLT, HH-DM, IHG-PLT, MR-GLD
Posts: 8,242
Funny enough, I arrived after my coworker for an ATL flight and he has Clear. I saw him as I worked my way through the TSA PreCheck maze, and there were quite a few people behind him (maybe 20-30?) when I was just walking up. This was around 9a on Thursday morning.
I got through security about 30 seconds after he did. So Clear was definitely slower on that day...
I got through security about 30 seconds after he did. So Clear was definitely slower on that day...
May 15, 2022, 7:34 pm
#22
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: PHX
Programs: Delta DM, Marriott Lifetime Titanium, HHonrs Diamond
Posts: 1,336
Guess I am the 0.1%.
May 15, 2022, 9:09 pm
#23
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Atlanta Metro
Programs: DL , AC, BA, Hhonors Diamond, IH Platinum, Bonvoy Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 2,352
Last Thursday about 5:45, the Clear Precheck line was to the entrance, and not moving. The regular Precheck line was winding around several stanchions, but moving steadily. After waiting about 10 minutes in the Clear line and seeing only a handful of people move forward, I switched lines. In the past, the PreCheck line has been much shorter.
May 16, 2022, 7:56 am
#24
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Auckland, NZ/New York, NY/ATL
Programs: DL DM MM, BIS 2.4MM, EK Gold, SQ Gold, Marriott Gold, HH Gold,
Posts: 5,218
All these programs are only succesful/quicker until every single person gets them. Its been this way since they started this BS. Just like global entry. Every single thing is "special" until everyone is "special". Its a one way street; the more people that sign up for the services, the worse they will get. I remember when TSA pre-check was new and you had 1-2 people in that line at most.
May 16, 2022, 8:02 am
#25
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Hotlanta.
Programs: I've gone underground!
Posts: 4,601
A challenge in this thread at this point is we are debating anecdotes and unpublished data. The GREAT news for all is you can make a spot decision on which line you want to be in: Pre or Pre/Clear. Just be aware if you go Pre/Clear is that there are 2-3 dedicated scanners (YMMV if you can use the others) and there are frequently >6 scanners for the PRE line.
Aug 31, 2022, 9:20 pm
#27
Join Date: May 2016
Location: ATL
Programs: DL GM, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,240
Though I will say that in my experience the fancy “new” bag scanners at the ATL Pre/Clear lanes take a lot longer to process bags than the older style machines. Usually with the old machines my bag is out pretty quickly, but with the new ones there’s a bunch of us waiting a long time for bags to come through.
Sep 1, 2022, 5:20 am
#28
Join Date: Dec 2007
Programs: DL, Hilton, National
Posts: 841
Arrived at 0355 at ATL on a Thursday morning for a 0520 flight. Neither Clear Pre nor regular Pre had opened yet (both open at 0430). General security line looked like it would be at least 90 minutes and I might miss my flight. Waited in general line until 0425, left that line and Pre was at least already 100 people deep (people had queued waiting for it to open). Walked up to Clear Pre and was #4 in line, breezed through.
Sep 1, 2022, 7:29 am
#29
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
Programs: DL DM, Former AA EXP now AY Plat, AC 75K, NW Plat, Former CO Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 27,042
SEA, SFO, and LAX (the last 2 particularly) are set up with multiple checkpoints across the airport, which probably helps spread out passenger traffic and avoid some of the bottlenecks that ATL has.
Though I will say that in my experience the fancy “new” bag scanners at the ATL Pre/Clear lanes take a lot longer to process bags than the older style machines. Usually with the old machines my bag is out pretty quickly, but with the new ones there’s a bunch of us waiting a long time for bags to come through.
Though I will say that in my experience the fancy “new” bag scanners at the ATL Pre/Clear lanes take a lot longer to process bags than the older style machines. Usually with the old machines my bag is out pretty quickly, but with the new ones there’s a bunch of us waiting a long time for bags to come through.
Clear passengers are now allowed to use any open lane.. Previous they were only letting you use the lanes by clear equipment.