Aug 19, 2016, 8:19 pm
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
Sep 27, 2001, 10:15 am
#1
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Minimum Connection Transfer Time at Atlanta (ATL): The Definitive Thread
I've been re-routed in BE from Atlanta to Dublin rather than JFK. I know this works with other airlines, but never heard this about DL -- does a connecting intl. BE ticket get one into a CRC at a non-gateway point of origin (LGA)?
Sep 27, 2001, 10:20 am
#2
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: ATL, DL GM
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Feb 7, 2002, 3:24 pm
#5
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Location: Palm Springs, CA (via MDT, DAB, MSP & ATL)
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I'd tend to agree that 30min won't be enough time to make a connection @ ATL. However, it all depends on what gate your DL flight will depart from. NW uses gates near the centerpoint of Concourse D, something like D 14-18. DL also has several gates at the end of D which are used for domestic arrivals/departures and a few Comair flights. However, the lions share of their gates are in Concourses A & B, which are two and three stops, respectively, on the underground train system from D. I don't hold out much hope that you can do it successfully unless your NW flight is early or your DL flight is late. DL has so many flts between ATL-SAV (10 daily, I think) that you should be able to catch the next one, unless you're on the last one of the day.
AtlMan
AtlMan
Feb 7, 2002, 3:42 pm
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by FLL2002:
30 mins wouldn't be enough even if you were on DL. Yes, there is a train and terminals can be as much as 15 mins apart with walking and waiting for train, etc. </font>
30 mins wouldn't be enough even if you were on DL. Yes, there is a train and terminals can be as much as 15 mins apart with walking and waiting for train, etc. </font>
Unless you have 2 separate tickets, are checking no luggage and have wings to fly on, I wouldn't be too hopeful of making this connection.
Check the Delta website for your flight as if it was flying today to see what gate and time it departed. Try this several times randomly over the coming weeks to get an idea of what gate you will be leaving out of and how on-time the flight is.
My recollection of SAV flights is they tend to leave out of A or B concourses.
Feb 7, 2002, 5:21 pm
#7
Join Date: Jan 2002
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Thanks all. It looks like NW arrives via D terminal. I checked Delta and the SAV flight has been departing out of E17. Could be worse. And yep, I did book two separate tickets so I could save $$ and fly NW. Looks like I'll have to make sure I get the upgrade on NW and then run like a madman! 
Feb 7, 2002, 9:15 pm
#9
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More often than not I made that connection with less time. Atlanta terminal is easy and one of the best airports to get around in. They have airport maps on the www.delta.com site for Atlanta.
Feb 7, 2002, 11:06 pm
#10
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: USA
Posts: 161
When booking two separate airline tickets, either between the same or different airlines, check the minimum connection times at the airport first. This will allow you enough time to change planes and allow room for some irregularities. If you miss a flight due to a flight booked on a separate ticket, the other airline is under no obligation to change your ticket without a change fee. There may also be checked baggage issues as well.
I did a quick search on google and found the following chart which seems to show minimum conecting times between domestic flights at various airports and the dominate carrier at that airport. Delta also lists the minimum connection times for our hub/major airports in the front of our paper timetable.
<http://airtravel.about.com/library/tips/bltipconnectiontimes.htm>
Delta Agent
edited for grammer - not sure how to post a link.
[This message has been edited by DeltaAgent (edited 02-07-2002).]
I did a quick search on google and found the following chart which seems to show minimum conecting times between domestic flights at various airports and the dominate carrier at that airport. Delta also lists the minimum connection times for our hub/major airports in the front of our paper timetable.
<http://airtravel.about.com/library/tips/bltipconnectiontimes.htm>
Delta Agent
edited for grammer - not sure how to post a link.
[This message has been edited by DeltaAgent (edited 02-07-2002).]
Feb 8, 2002, 8:20 am
#11
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: atlanta, GA
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I disagree a little with NoStress. ATL is huge. If you are in D, you need to find the center (around D20) to get to the escalator, then go underground to a train or walkway to get to the next terminal such as E. If your plane comes in at D21 its a snap. If it comes in at d1 or d20 you have a very long walk.
Also, don't even think about making it from D to baggage and then back to E.
Also, don't even think about making it from D to baggage and then back to E.
Feb 8, 2002, 8:40 am
#12
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You need only two minutes from the NW gates down the escalator to the train, but it is perhaps faster to walk to the E Gates.
Even if you walk all the way, you should not need more than 10 minutes from the NW gates to E 17.
If the flights are on time, you should have no trouble !!
Even if you walk all the way, you should not need more than 10 minutes from the NW gates to E 17.
If the flights are on time, you should have no trouble !!
Feb 8, 2002, 9:02 am
#13
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According to the chart Delta Agent references, you have an illegal connection. Minimum connecting time on that interline combination is 55 minutes. Even if both flights were Delta, it would be 35.
But I suspect that chart is out of date--they still think there is an AA hub in Nashville! (Not to mention RDU being a major and CLT not...)
But I suspect that chart is out of date--they still think there is an AA hub in Nashville! (Not to mention RDU being a major and CLT not...)
Feb 8, 2002, 9:26 am
#14
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The domestc MCT on Delta is still 35 minutes, according to the most recent schedule. So there is no way a 30 minute connection can be a legal connection.
Feb 9, 2002, 8:08 am
#15
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If the flights are on time, 30 minutes in more than enough.
Today, the flights have been rescheduled and there's more time between them, but I commonly connected an international arrival (from MAD landing at 3:35) to a 4:05 departure to SAN. Although not legal, I never mis-connected.
The reality is, as big as Hartsfield is, other than the end of the T gates the longest walk is barely over ten minutes if you keep moving briskly.
Today, the flights have been rescheduled and there's more time between them, but I commonly connected an international arrival (from MAD landing at 3:35) to a 4:05 departure to SAN. Although not legal, I never mis-connected.
The reality is, as big as Hartsfield is, other than the end of the T gates the longest walk is barely over ten minutes if you keep moving briskly.