Atlanta Airport

[clarky213]

Hi Folks,

 

I have asked in My Roll call and also the San Juan Board, but I think I may get a better response here.

 

Does anyone have experience flying from UK through Atlanta to San Juan.

I have a 2 hr 40 min stopover and want to know if this will be long enough to clear customs and get checked in for the second leg. I have read stories of problems getting from the International Terminal to the Domestic Terminal.

 

Thanks in advance.

[trojan3000]

Not done the flight through Atlanta but Manchester to San Juan through Philadelphia with US airways twice. 2hrs 40 mins is enough

Please contact if you need any help

Ian

Edited May 19, 2014 by trojan3000

[MADflyer]

Atlanta is one of the better airports for international arrivals, with airside people mover connections between all terminals and a more efficient and respectfull customs area, that almost always has sufficient staffing and open stations.

 

If you are on Delta they even have an automated system that issues your new boarding pass, if your incomming flight is severely delayed, by just scanning your current boarding pass.

 

If you have any mobility issues be sure your airline has notified ground staff and you are assisted through the entire process from gate to gate.

[welshrich]

Hi, have a look at the tripadvisor website, there is lots of great advice like this, I've changed at Atlanta on domestic flights and it was no problem, coming from the UK I always worry too about clearing immigration, worst one was Miami at 3 hours, best one ever was last year in boston, just 4 minutes waiting.

[clarky213]

Thanks everyone for the reply's, looks like this is the way to go.

 

Trojan3000, Looked at going through Philadelphia, but they don't do midweek flights in January.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

While I can't help with coming from the UK, we did take a family trip to Mexico in 2012 and returned via Atlanta (connecting to a domestic flight). We had just over 2 hours for our layover and didn't have a problem.

 

Going off memory... we got off the plane and followed the crowd to immigration. We were one of the last through immigration. There wasn't much of a line, we were just slow. lol. From there, we collected our luggage and went through customs. There was a moderate line there, but it was easy. Dropped our luggage back off, left the international terminal and went to the domestic terminals.

[ARCruisinNana]

I just came into ATL from the UK on Saturday. We landed at the new Int'l terminal F. I was at my new gate for my connecting flight (B13) in 45 minutes.

[kahcarre]

Atlanta native here! Here is some information for you on the steps you'll have from the official Atlanta airport website.

 

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2. International inbound connecting at Hartsfield-Jackson for U.S. domestic travel: These passengers are arriving in Atlanta from a city outside the United States to connect on a domestic flight for travel within the United States.

 

Passengers arriving at gates on Concourse F will process through immigration and customs at the Concourse F Federal Inspection Station (FIS). Passengers arriving at gates on Concourse E will process through immigration and customs at the Concourse E FIS.

After the immigration inspection, passengers pick up their checked baggage.

After the customs inspection, passengers’ checked baggage is rechecked and transferred to domestic connecting flights.

Passengers are required to pass through a security checkpoint.

To reach a connecting flight, passengers will follow signs to the Airport’s people mover system, The Plane Train, which connects the international concourses (E and F) to all other concourses and the domestic terminal.

 

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Once you get through customs, ATL typically has a quick security line (I've never waited more than 20 minutes), and it's very simple to take the Plane Train to your terminal.