Atlanta Hartsfield Airport

I agree with an earlier reviewer. The return flight out of Atlanta was smooth few queues and comfortable sized gates with lots of amenities. Really very slick. By contrast the arrival is baffling despite the Delta flight trying to explain the inexplicable before landing. In short you clear immigration (I had no problems) and you reclaim your bag from security. This would normally be it. However you need to go through the usual outward bound security checks (shoes/belts etc) all over again. Before you can do that you need to pop your case on a carousel which the sign says will arrive at a similar carousel in the Terminal South/North building. So half an hour for the security check down to the shuttle train which loops round the 5 main buildings and the final Terminal/exit before picking up the bag. I have every sympathy with those who had to wait for their bags although I was just as concerned that anyone could have walked off with them. Not a good way for the city to introduce itself although it seemed to work (just)

This airport has it's good and it's bad points. From the point of view of arriving at this airport it is mediocre at best. Once off the plane you frantically search for the baggage claim signs. This could be improved upon greatly. Once getting downstairs to the shuttles between concourses you are rushed to the baggage claim efficiently. The rental car facilities are well maintained and usually staffed. Leaving the rental car facility is simple then you enter and head directly into the hell that is baggage check-in. If you are fortunate carry-on you are in luck not much waiting. Typically we travel with odd engineering tools which can be a hassel to explain to TSA "agents" who apparently moonlight as Walmart employees. So a carry-on is usually in favor. When you approach the desk and I've only struggled with Delta check-in agents are often discourteous. Many stand around under signs which indicate that terminal is open and when you approach them they are quick to inform you to choose another line. The lines are long because only one person usually checks bags per every 25 people standing in line. Once through this heading for security is simple. There are many places to chop and eat both inside and outside security. The frustration here is their "expert traveler" security point. Located at the end of the hall quite often you get stragglers who miss the main security gate. I have no problem spending a few minutes in security if means I get home safely. My frustration is with those who are completely unprepared and think the world has to wait on them. Once through heading to your gate is simple - at the gate the shops and eateries throughout the concourses. But there isn't enough seating in the gate area for those on each plane. Often crowds and lines form into the main aisle putting you harms way of being run over with impatient shuttle (golf cart) drivers chauffeuring loads of elderly and morbidly obese people. Grab something to eat if there's room and if you have time to stand in line. Do some shopping or find a seat four gates away. People watching is always a good way to pass the time.

What a terrible airport I have never seen such a stupid setup in all my life. After arriving from London on a delta flight we thought we were free of the US security apparatus but no! Post customs we walked into an abusive storm from airport and security officials complaining that we had not bothered to read the signs. Despite not knowing what was going on (there are no signs explaining this ridiculously stupid process) our bags were ripped from us and we were shoved into a long TSA security line. No one else does this so who were we to know. After clearing security and picking our way through an airport that has multiple signs in the terminal for existing (all pointing in several different directions including the wrong direction) we were forced to wait 2 hours for our bags to re-appear. I note that we were greeted with the option of picking from 3 carousels in a luggage lucky dip. 15 International flights and 3 carousels - 3 hours after arriving we were free.

Taking into account that Atlanta is one of the most crowded airports in the world I think it does a great job. I am an American that works out of the country so I spend a fair amount of time going through customs everywhere. While Atlanta's could certainly be improved it is not as bad as many places. Once the new international terminal opens it will further help alleviate the current headache. The rest of the offerings in Atlanta are great however if you aren't flying Delta or Airtran I can see there could be some difficulties with gate changes.

In my long experience of travelling from the UK to the US Atlanta is the worst most inconvenient airport to arrive at. The whole business of having to recheck you luggage after picking it up is a farce. What makes it worse is that if you have any duty free alcohol in your carry on luggage it has to be transferred to you checked luggage at this point - only the floor is available to do this transfer! Then you have to go through aggressive security checks with your hand luggage - even though you have just come off of an international flight where you have been thoroughly checked. Is this because US officials do not trust 'foreign' security(?) - even though London is distinctly more thorough than when you leave Atlanta (eg. where were the checks on liquids carried onto planes?). When you finally get your luggage in the terminal you now have to haul it up onto another train to reach the rental car desks - it took us an unacceptable 2 hours from landing to reach this point. I suspect that the basic problem with the airport is that it was never designed to cater for international passengers - which it doesn't.

This is a crazy airport departing out of Atlanta was fine but arriving from overseas was ridiculous. Once you have waited for an age at immigration and then waited for your baggage you start to think you are home free but no. The signage and information is very poor and before you know it you have security personnel shouting at you as they take your checked baggage off you and it disappears. Then for you it's shoes off x ray the full routine as they do another full security screening. Then it's on a train that takes for ever to get back to the main terminal and another wait for your bags to appear. But don't believe the carousel number it's a lucky dip at this stage. We arrived on a Thursday afternoon at 3pm from Europe. It took 2 and half hours before we got out of the terminal. We shall avoid in the future.

We have used ATL for a dozen years or so flying Delta to international destinations as well as to the East coast. The operation works quite well. We have found ATL Immigration to be efficient and our luggage is delivered to us promptly; security rescreening back into the US at ATL can get crowded but we've found that it moves along and gets us to our connection in a timely fashion. The international terminal is great. Many shops and restaurant options; duty free shopping has everything you need. The trains between terminals are quick and efficient.

The only airport that security screens you after you land. Shoes off x ray the full routine and forces you to wait for your bags twice. Once from the plane and then a second time at the terminal. All liquids are confiscated as you pass through security to get into the country. This includes duty free - perfume alcohol and shower gel. What do the authorities think you can do with these items since they are freely available in the terminal. It's blatant job protection for the sake of pointless tasks. The final issue is that the baggage claim is in a public area so anyone can walk in off the airport and pick up bags that don't belong to them.

Big and seemingly always crowded but with lots of facilities including many many shops and eateries. We were fortunate enough to be traveling international Business Class so got free use of the Delta Sky Clubs. There are several in the airport but only the one in Terminal E (I believe) has showers and there are only two so there can be a wait. The train between terminals can get crowded but they are frequent. Lines for Immigration moved quickly though they didn't open until 5:30 a.m. so when our flight from Brazil arrived early (about 5:15) we had to wait on the plane until 5:30 until we could even disembark (and then there was the long walk to actually get to Immigration). On our return (again for a connection) we could not find our flight leaving 2 hours later on the departures board and the agent at the airline customer service desk said that sometimes flights don't make it onto all boards at the same time.

Arrival and transfer on July 2 - no queue for immigration.! I was ushered straight up and the immigration officer was polite and welcoming. However that very positive start was then offset slightly by a 30-minute wait for my suitcase to arrive on the carousel. You've got to faff about with a tube train getting between terminals - it's not all under one roof like Minneapolis or Memphis is - but with a four hour transfer window that was no problem. The range of eateries and shops was all pretty much what you'd expect. The only downside I'd flag up with ATL as a transfer airport is the absence of free wi-fi.