Those with experience in ATL

[h-sar]

Four of us will be flying Edmonton-Toronto-Atlanta-Fort L on Dec 22. The ATL to FLL leg is on Delta, while the first part is on WestJet. These are two completely different bookings (insane prices even back in Feb when I booked led to this two airline booking, something I don’t like to do). One in the party does not have a Nexus card, the other three do. We have a 2 and 1/2 hr layover in ATL. Will that be enough time to  get bags, deposit them with Delta, go through security (I’m assuming these are all the steps we’d have to go through), and get to the gate? If not, we may have to consider doing a carryon only for the non Nexus person. Does ATL have Nexus entry at security? 

 

Anyone have information on the time it might take to get from one terminal to the other? I’m assuming we are arriving in ATL at an intl terminal and then departing out of domestic? 

 

The next Delta flight from ATL after ours isn’t until the next morning, the 23rd, at 7:00 AM. Cruise is on the 23rd.

 

Hoping those of you with experience in ATL can advise. Thank you.

Edited December 6, 2018 by h-sar

[FlyerTalker]

Since you don't describe what the "two different bookings" means, it's tough to give you a good answer.

 

What are the actual ticketed flights?  What are you trying to accomplish?

[waterbug123]

8 hours ago, h-sar said:

Four of us will be flying Edmonton-Toronto-Atlanta-Fort L on Dec 22. The ATL to FLL leg is on Delta, while the first part is on WestJet. These are two completely different bookings (insane prices even back in Feb when I booked led to this two airline booking, something I don’t like to do). One in the party does not have a Nexus card, the other three do. We have a 2 and 1/2 hr layover in ATL. Will that be enough time to  get bags, deposit them with Delta, go through security (I’m assuming these are all the steps we’d have to go through), and get to the gate? If not, we may have to consider doing a carryon only for the non Nexus person. Does ATL have Nexus entry at security? 

 

Anyone have information on the time it might take to get from one terminal to the other? I’m assuming we are arriving in ATL at an intl terminal and then departing out of domestic? 

 

The next Delta flight from ATL after ours isn’t until the next morning, the 23rd, at 7:00 AM. Cruise is on the 23rd.

 

Hoping those of you with experience in ATL can advise. Thank you.

 

I connect through ATL very frequently, but as it's not my origination point, I can't advise on special security lines there.

 

If you are on two completely separate bookings, meaning you have two completely different ticket numbers*, then yes you are correct on the procedure:  deplane, go to baggage claim and get bags, proceed to airline check-in and check-in at the Delta counter to check bags, go through security, and then proceed to your gate.

*Ticket number = 13 digit numeric code.   Don't confuse this with your PRN, or record locator number, which is a 6 digit alphanumeric code.  You will generally have a separate PRN for each airline, even if the entire trip is booked on one ticket.

 

As for the time between terminals:  Since flights from Canada to the US have US immigration/customs pre-clearance at departure in Canada, your inbound flight to ATL will arrive as though it were a regular domestic flight, meaning no immigration/customs procedures upon arrival.  However, I'm not sure if bags would be delivered to baggage claim in Terminal F (international terminal) or Terminal T (domestic terminal.). I think it's T but I'm not positive.  Flyertalker may know for sure??

 

Either way, all concourses are connected airside (post-security) by either foot or the plane train.  This includes concourse F which is in Terminal F, concourses E, D, C, B, A, and finally concourse T which is inside Terminal T.  The plane train runs frequently and quickly.  To go all the way from F to T or vice versa is probably a total of 15 minutes.  Should you choose to walk, it is one long continuous walk at the below-ground train level from T to E.  To walk from E to F, you will go up the escalator to the E concourse, walk across the concourse, and back down the escalator on the far side of the concourse, and continue the walk to F; just keep following the signs.  Reverse course if walking from F to E.  Most able-bodied folks can walk the entire length in anywhere from 30-45 minutes.  If I have time, I usually choose to walk, just to get some exercise in between all the sitting on flights.  The walkways include some moving walkways.

[h-sar]

7 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

Since you don't describe what the "two different bookings" means, it's tough to give you a good answer.

 

What are the actual ticketed flights?  What are you trying to accomplish?

 

Sorry, meant two completely different tickets with two different airlines. WestJet from Edm to Toronto to ATL and then Delta from ATL to FLL. Just wondering if the 2 and 1/2 hr layover in ATL will be sufficient. I know that all sorts of circumstances on the day of are hard to anticipate, but just generally speaking, given others experiences there...

 

Also, does anyone know if ATL does Nexus? Was in SEA this summer and they don’t accept it there.

[fbgd]

I know there is some cross over with Global Entry (which I have) and NEXUS (which I don't). Don't you get a KTN with NEXUS that you put in your booking which allows you to get TSA Pre-Check? If so, and if your boarding passes have TSA Pre-Check notations on them (NEXUS and GE are no guarantees of getting TSA Pre-Check) then you can use the TSA Pre-Check security lines. 

 

I doubt whether anyone working security lines at ATL has a clue what NEXUS is given it's a US/Canadian border thing.

[h-sar]

Waterbug123, thank you for all the details! Good to have confirmation that US immigration will be done in TO. I’d forgotten that.

[h-sar]

I had first posted this query on the general board and someone suggested I post it here instead. Received a suggestion earlier today from paul929207 on the other board who thought I should see if Westjet and Delta would agree to link the tickets in some way and move my bags all the way to FLL.

 

I called both Westjet and Delta and this was my response on the other board to Paul:

 

As usual, Paul, you're a genius! Did what you suggested and it turns out that, because Westjet is a partner with Delta,  our Westjet flight from Toronto to ATL is actually on Delta even though we booked with Westjet.  Delta said they would move our bags from Toronto to FLL as the ATL to FLL ticket is also with Delta. They also think it's a strong possibility that we will be coming into and leaving out of the same terminal in ATL as both flights are Delta and we might then be able to bypass exiting and doing security all over again. Keeping my fingers crossed this all happens the way they said. One of the biggest concerns was having to wait for bags in ATL and possibly missing the connection. Now I just have to worry about weather! I'm also hoping that, should we miss the connection from ATL due to a delay out of Toronto, that Delta will be more accommodating for us as the  flight out of TO is their's as well. 

[zqvol]

1 hour ago, h-sar said:

I had first posted this query on the general board and someone suggested I post it here instead. Received a suggestion earlier today from paul929207 on the other board who thought I should see if Westjet and Delta would agree to link the tickets in some way and move my bags all the way to FLL.

 

I called both Westjet and Delta and this was my response on the other board to Paul:

 

As usual, Paul, you're a genius! Did what you suggested and it turns out that, because Westjet is a partner with Delta,  our Westjet flight from Toronto to ATL is actually on Delta even though we booked with Westjet.  Delta said they would move our bags from Toronto to FLL as the ATL to FLL ticket is also with Delta. They also think it's a strong possibility that we will be coming into and leaving out of the same terminal in ATL as both flights are Delta and we might then be able to bypass exiting and doing security all over again. Keeping my fingers crossed this all happens the way they said. One of the biggest concerns was having to wait for bags in ATL and possibly missing the connection. Now I just have to worry about weather! I'm also hoping that, should we miss the connection from ATL due to a delay out of Toronto, that Delta will be more accommodating for us as the  flight out of TO is their's as well. 

 

You will not have to clear security in Atlanta even if you are in different terminals. That is the least of your concerns.

[Flymia]

So long as the bags go to the plane directly you won't have any issues with security because all the terminals are connect post security. So you are good to go and 2.5/hr is tons of time to connect in Atlanta. Atlanta, while a massive airport (busiest airport in the world!) is a breeze to connect through in my experiences. 

 

Connecting your luggage was the key. Now that you have done that you have a very normal and doable connection. There are tons of flights to FLL and MIA from ATL if for some reason you had some issue the day to get in the next day. About 24-flights a day on Delta airlines alone. 

Edited December 7, 2018 by Flymia

[alcpa1]

h-sar,

There is absolutely no way to predict where your arrival and departure gates will be. Don't count on both flights on the same concourse. It would be a fluke if this were so. You could arrive and/or depart from any of the 7 parallel concourses. The elevators and escalators in each concourse are about midpoint and the signage to the plane trains is overhead. In most of the concourses these areas are congested not only with passengers but eateries so look up as you approach gates 20 from one direction (higher gate numbers) or 18 (lower gate numbers.) This will make sense if you study the  Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport layout.

The term "terminals" basically applies to the North and South terminals for ATL check-ins only. Use the term parallel concourses and you will avoid confusion.

[h-sar]

Thanks, everyone, for your advice and first hand knowledge of ATL. Much appreciated! Looking forward to Christmas and New Yrs on the Regal Princess - for the 4th year in a row 😀. Happy sailing to you all. 

[waterbug123]

15 hours ago, h-sar said:

 They also think it's a strong possibility that we will be coming into and leaving out of the same terminal in ATL as both flights are Delta and we might then be able to bypass exiting and doing security all over again.

 

Whomever you talked to at Delta has apparently never actually been in the ATL airport.  First, there are 7 concourses at ATL and Delta uses all 7.   Sometimes people will think well, at least you know you won't go out of E or F since those are mainly for international flights but that's not true either.  My last domestic connection left from F.  Also, it doesn't matter if you have to change concourses; they are all connected airside, meaning post-security. 

 

13 hours ago, zqvol said:

 

You will not have to clear security in Atlanta even if you are in different terminals. That is the least of your concerns.

 

Correct.  The OP original was worried about having to do so on account of having to collect and re-check baggage.  Once that was determined not to be necessary, it's a shame the Delta rep on the phone gave him the impression that his flights would also need to be to/from the same concourse in order to avoid security.

 

6 hours ago, alcpa1 said: