Last edit by: LoganFlyer
Navigating the ATL: Despite its size, ATL has a very functional layout that makes transfers quite straightforward. The airside complex is shaped like a rib cage, with the ribs (the concourses) branching off from the spine (the underground plane train)
Minimum Connect Time in ATL if connecting from a Delta flight to a Delta flight, per ExpertFlyer:
Domestic flight - domestic flight: 35 minutes
Exceptions:
If your inbound flight is on a 330 or 767, then the minimum connection time is 50 minutes for a domestic-domestic connection.
Domestic flight - international flight: 40 minutes
Exceptions:
International flight - domestic flight: 1 hour, 25 minutes
Exceptions:
International flight - international flight: 1 hour, 25 minutes
Exceptions:
- There is one common airside area for all carriers and all departures both domestic and international
- You do NOT need to re-clear security when making a domestic to domestic or domestic to international connection (international-domestic and international-international are the usual border fuss)
- The concourses are names T (for terminal) A B C D E F. TABCD are usually short and medium haul gates; E and F are usually long haul/international. The plane train connects all concourses.
- If your flight documents say 'North Terminal' or South Terminal', ignore that while connecting. That refers to land side check-in desks, and you won't see any references to those while on the air side of the airport.
- If you wish to stretch your legs, a pedestrian tunnel runs parallel to the plane train from the T to E terminals. There is an additional pedestrian tunnel between E and F unconnected to the other tunnel that requires going aboveground at E and poking around to find it.
- If you do not have club access, the E and F concourse areas tend to be quieter and less crowded places to wait
Minimum Connect Time in ATL if connecting from a Delta flight to a Delta flight, per ExpertFlyer:
Domestic flight - domestic flight: 35 minutes
Exceptions:
If your inbound flight is on a 330 or 767, then the minimum connection time is 50 minutes for a domestic-domestic connection.
Domestic flight - international flight: 40 minutes
Exceptions:
- If your inbound flight is on a 330 or 767, then the minimum connection time is 50 minutes for a domestic-international connection.
- The minimum domestic-YYC connection time is 45 minutes.
- The minimum domestic-HAV connection time is 55 minutes.
International flight - domestic flight: 1 hour, 25 minutes
Exceptions:
- If you are coming from a Canadian airport with preclearance other than YYC, then the minimum connection time is 35 minutes for an international-domestic connection.
- If you are coming from AUA, BDA, FPO, NAS, or YYC, then the minimum connection time is 45 minutes for an international-domestic connection.
- If you are coming from Ireland, then the minimum connection time is 1 hour for an international-domestic connection.
- If you are coming from LOS, then the minimum connection time is 1 hour, 30 minutes for an international-domestic connection.
- If you are coming from HAV, then the minimum connection time is 1 hour, 55 minutes for an international-domestic connection.
International flight - international flight: 1 hour, 25 minutes
Exceptions:
- If you are coming from a Canadian airport with preclearance other than YYC, then the minimum connection time is 40 minutes for an international-international connection.
- If you are coming from YYC, then the minimum connection time is 45 minutes for an international-international connection.
- If you are coming from AUA, BDA, FPO, or NAS, then the minimum connection time is 50 minutes for an international-international connection.
- If you are coming from Ireland, then the minimum connection time is 1 hour for an international-international connection.
- If you are coming from LOS, then the minimum connection time is 1 hour, 30 minutes for an international-international connection.
Minimum Connection Transfer Time at Atlanta (ATL): The Definitive Thread
#2311
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International flights land in E or F. You can look on FlightAware a few days before to see where your ATL-RDU flight has been operating but on the day of I think it could theoretically be anywhere. You can walk instead of taking the plane train if you want; walking the length of the airport from F<->T is roughly 2 miles (this does not include the distance to/from the centerline of the airport from/to your arrival/departure gate).
#2312
Join Date: Apr 2008
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International flights land in E or F. You can look on FlightAware a few days before to see where your ATL-RDU flight has been operating but on the day of I think it could theoretically be anywhere. You can walk instead of taking the plane train if you want; walking the length of the airport from F<->T is roughly 2 miles (this does not include the distance to/from the centerline of the airport from/to your arrival/departure gate).
#2313
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My recent RDU - ATL and vice versa flights have mostly been from A for 757s and jumped around for the others (my two most recent were a 738 out of D and an MD88 out of A).
No real rhyme or reason as far as I can tell (with the exception of the 752 and now 763 for the summer which are likely more consistent because they are international configs) but 3 hours shouldn't be an issue for any terminal even with the long security / baggage wait that can occur.
#2314
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There are escalators from the concourse level down to the underground train level. If you follow the arrows for the concourse you want to go to and use the escalators in that direction, it is pretty difficult to get on a train going the "wrong" way because the stations are staggered. There's also TVs over the doors showing which concourses are in that direction.
If you end up with a bunch of time after clearing customs and immigration, some of the underground connections have exhibits along the walkways
Between T/A, an exhibit of African sculptures:
https://anewyorkerspointofview.com/2...tion-in-stone/
Between A/B, a sort of nature/forest installation:
http://airport.blog.ajc.com/2016/06/...oming-to-life/
Between B/C, exhibits showing a timeline of the history of Atlanta
#2316
Join Date: Oct 2010
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Connection Viable?
Flight 1: CTG-ATL DL 984 (scheduled to land 6:58pm)
Flight 2: ATL-LAX AA 1249 (departs 7:43pm), from North Terminal
Have Global Entry so not worried about immigration, as well as TSA pre-check but from what I remember the physical distance between the two is going to be a problem? As of now not checking a bag.
Assuming I can get approval to fly the (not even that much more expensive) DL ATL-LAX, do you guys think DL 2255 (departs 8:26pm) would be fine given both would be in the South Terminal?
Flight 2: ATL-LAX AA 1249 (departs 7:43pm), from North Terminal
Have Global Entry so not worried about immigration, as well as TSA pre-check but from what I remember the physical distance between the two is going to be a problem? As of now not checking a bag.
Assuming I can get approval to fly the (not even that much more expensive) DL ATL-LAX, do you guys think DL 2255 (departs 8:26pm) would be fine given both would be in the South Terminal?
#2317
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Flight 1: CTG-ATL DL 984 (scheduled to land 6:58pm)
Flight 2: ATL-LAX AA 1249 (departs 7:43pm), from North Terminal
Have Global Entry so not worried about immigration, as well as TSA pre-check but from what I remember the physical distance between the two is going to be a problem? As of now not checking a bag.
Assuming I can get approval to fly the (not even that much more expensive) DL ATL-LAX, do you guys think DL 2255 (departs 8:26pm) would be fine given both would be in the South Terminal?
Flight 2: ATL-LAX AA 1249 (departs 7:43pm), from North Terminal
Have Global Entry so not worried about immigration, as well as TSA pre-check but from what I remember the physical distance between the two is going to be a problem? As of now not checking a bag.
Assuming I can get approval to fly the (not even that much more expensive) DL ATL-LAX, do you guys think DL 2255 (departs 8:26pm) would be fine given both would be in the South Terminal?
#2318
Join Date: Sep 2005
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This has to be two separate tickets given the short connection time, and there's no way I'd try this on two separate tickets. If the first flight is late, AA isn't obligated to help you. Even if they do, they might not get you out until the next day and the hotel would be on your own dime. I'd take the later DL flight you mentioned and buy it as a single ticket.
#2319
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This has to be two separate tickets given the short connection time, and there's no way I'd try this on two separate tickets. If the first flight is late, AA isn't obligated to help you. Even if they do, they might not get you out until the next day and the hotel would be on your own dime. I'd take the later DL flight you mentioned and buy it as a single ticket.
#2320
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That being said, I still wouldn't try the proposed itinerary, as others have said.
[I forget what the previous discussions have concluded about whether exit-to-PreCheck is viable when you land in E but ISTR if it is even possible it involves a long walk in which case OP is still hosed]
#2321
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: ATL
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Posts: 6,365
If you arrive in F, when you exit customs instead of turning left to go through the re-clearing lanes past the bag drop, you can turn right instead and exit into the arrivals area, then go upstairs and use PreCheck there as if you were originating in Atlanta.
That being said, I still wouldn't try the proposed itinerary, as others have said.
[I forget what the previous discussions have concluded about whether exit-to-PreCheck is viable when you land in E but ISTR if it is even possible it involves a long walk in which case OP is still hosed]
That being said, I still wouldn't try the proposed itinerary, as others have said.
[I forget what the previous discussions have concluded about whether exit-to-PreCheck is viable when you land in E but ISTR if it is even possible it involves a long walk in which case OP is still hosed]
I would book the DL flight. The earlier AA flight could easily missconnect even with all flights on time.
The DL flight is no certainty, but the odds on that connection are fairly good. And as said, DL will be easier to deal with in case of a missed connection due to DL (not a slam on AA, just saying DL-DL vs DL-AA).
Also, if it does go "south" , I think DL runs a few more ATL<>LAX flights than AA.
#2322
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I'll pile on with others in recommending the later DL flight on a single ticket. I'm usually one of the short-connections-at-ATL cheerleaders, but even for me, 45 min on a separately-ticketed I>D connection is way too likely to go sideways.
#2323
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 616
I just got another schedule change email from Delta. My 84 minute connection in ATL is now 45 minutes. I'm flying from my regional airport to ATL to LHR in late August. I'll be coming in on a CRJ200 so I'll probably be in concourse C or D. I see that is still greater than the MCT but I'm concerned that won't give me much room for error. There is one more flight to LHR after this one but I would prefer not to take that one. Should I be worried about the short connection? I was already a little concerned about the 84 minute connection.
Also, this is the third schedule change on my flights. The first one reduced my connection in ATL to 12 minutes so they changed a flight. Will Delta be willing to change my flights even though I'm above the MCT? There are earlier flights to Atlanta and routing through DTW but they all result in layovers of a few hours.
Also, this is the third schedule change on my flights. The first one reduced my connection in ATL to 12 minutes so they changed a flight. Will Delta be willing to change my flights even though I'm above the MCT? There are earlier flights to Atlanta and routing through DTW but they all result in layovers of a few hours.
#2325
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Tell them its way to short for you. Could have issues walking, if summer storms, etc. Know what flights you want regardless of price. Give thrm those flight details. Theyll generally be willing. If not HUACA, but be polite and not pushy.