Avoiding Intl. Shuttle at ATL--strategies?
 

I guess this is the appropriate area for this question (although I suspect I'd get more responses in Delta or TravelBuzz).

I typically arrive at ATL from either MARTA or a parking lot that does not serve the Intl. Terminal. That bus ride can be heinous, and I've stood in line as long as 30-45 minutes at Terminal F after an long international flight to get back to the main airport.

I've learned that for Skyteam flights, I can check in at the main terminal without a problem.

I have a Turkish flight coming up next week. Can I print out a boarding pass to use at security, then get my passport checked afterwards at the gate? Or will the TSA scanner ding me if I haven't had the documents check? (I'm not checking bags.)

And on the return: my last trip, I arrived on a DL flight at E and started on The Long March to Intl Arrivals. I passed the passport control for connecting passengers, and asked if I could use that one and just take the Plane Train back. The worker bee looked very exasperated, but reluctantly admitted, yes, I could do that, but I would have to go through security again. I actually believe that would be preferable, because it takes another 10 minutes or so to walk to F, then a wait of 10 minutes for the shuttle, then a 15-20 minute ride. But when I return on Turkish, I won't have that option, will I (because it arrives at F)? I'll have to resign myself to the dreaded Intl Shuttle.

Any advice appreciated.

I'm not sure about your departure questions, but I think when you exit the baggage and customs hall in F, you can just take a left instead of a right. That's how you go for connecting flights but I cannot remember if you have to show a boarding pass or anything. I don't think so but I'm always so out of it after long flights. So instead of taking the right and walking out into the terminal, just go left as if you were connecting and then hop on the train. It's all the same passport control, the decision to connect or leave is the last step.

Well, I can now offer the answer to this question.

My return flight from Rome arrived in E, as expected. I quickly arrived at the Customs & Immigration area. But NOW, they've put a bunch of Global Entry kiosks there. They were yelling at people to check in there if you had Global Entry, so I did. But there were no signs re: transfer passengers this way, or Atlanta passengers that way. Don't know what happened to those. So I asked one of the yelling women: "I have no checked bags. Can I just go through immigration here so I can avoid the international shuttle? I don't mind going through security again." The answer: "NO! Atlanta passengers this way!!" I pressed somewhat, and she continued to insist that they would not let me through. Do they check boarding passes or something?

So I head the direction she says in order to start The Long March. Except--there are no signs where she told me to go, and in fact, there were stanchions set up BLOCKING the passage. I went back and asked. She bellows, "Just go over there! There's someone standing there and she'll let you through?" Oh, really? I had her escort me over and show me exactly what she meant. This is a new thing--I've never had to do this before, and it was really confusing for everyone. The Global Entry people literally have to backtrack to get to this small, blocked-off passage.

So international arrivals at ATL will continue to be even more of a cluster-f*** than they used to be. Hard to believe that's even possible, but it is.