Anxious Traveler :-)

[SV24]

Hi everyone!

I'm new to these boards and had a question for those familiar with the Atlanta airport. We traveled to Disney last year on a non-stop flight through Jet Blue. It was pure magic but we weren't so lucky this time. We got saddled with a layover of about 1 hour in Atlanta. I didn't realize Atlanta was the biggest airport in the United States until after I booked. We are traveling from Portland, Maine so we will quite possibly be going from the smallest airport to the biggest My questions are as follows:

1. Is 59 minutes enough time to switch planes even if our seats are pretty far back in our plane (MD-88) and our gate is far away?
2. What are the odds of our arrival gate and departure gate being in the same concourse? Our airline is Delta if that makes any difference.
3. Will FA's do anything to help expedite our journey if our flight is running late? Will they allow folks with short layovers off the plane first? That seems like one really efficient way to help people but they may not do it that way.
4. How likely is a delay for an early morning flight going from Northern United States to Southern? Generally speaking, of course.
5. Lastly, what happens if we do indeed miss our connecting flight? My understanding is that agents will get us on another flight if the delay was their fault. I've already searched out my options. We fly out on a Saturday so many Florida flights at this point are nearly booked for the entire day. This is two months prior to our trip. What then?

I appreciate the help so much!!!

S.V.

 

[goofy4tink]

I've yet to connect in Atlanta so can't give you much advice. But, your best bet is to check with your gate agent in Portland. They should be able to tell you what gate you'll be arriving at, and what gate your connecting flight is departing from and then give you an idea as to how best to get to that gate quickly.
Oh, and Welcome to the DIS boards!!

 

[Telcogirl]

Some people will disagree, but I am not a fan of flying Delta to Disney via Atlanta unless you have at least a two hour connection window. I have taken two trips on Delta because they were the lowest fares available when we needed to book. Both times, we have missed our connecting flight in Atlanta.

That said, Delta keeps pretty good track of you during your flying process and they will already have you re-booked on the next available flight should you miss your connection. We have been lucky that both times, the next available flight was within and hour or so.

As a frequent Southwest Airlines traveler, it amazes me how long it takes to de-plane on Delta. If you are sitting at the back of the aircraft, you should make yourself comfortable when the plane gets to the gate because it is not a quick process.

If the traveling gods are with you that day, you may find your connection in the same terminal, but it is unlikely to count on that. And even if it shows that it is, you can't count on that because there are gate changes all the time.

You may have much better luck that us, and I hope that you do. I just wanted to share what our experiences have been.

 

[msmayor]

My daughter flies Delta everytime she travels home from college through Atlanta, and her connection times are consistently 50-60 minutes. Only once did she really have to sprint to make the connection because of a late arrival, but the passengers and flight attendants on her inbound were very cooperative and got her off first.

All other times she's been able to walk 'normally', and even has had time to grab a bottle of water or a quick snack (if the lines aren't too long).

 

[goofy4tink]

You know...I did fly into Atlanta on Airtran last year....forgot about that. That terminal is huge!! But, I think I had about 90 mins and found myself wandering around, just checking things out. I had plenty of time with just under that 90 mins. But, again, can't say for sure with just 60 mins.

 

[Big Willie]

Here's a quick Tip. Go to the Delta website and check today's flight status for the flight numbers you are scheduled to take (use today's date or best yet the same day of the week you are traveling). You will see the departure and arrival gates for your flights. This will give you an idea of what gate your flight will arrive at in Atlanta and what gate your Orlando bound flight will depart from. Now, this info can change but the majority of the time it stays close to the same.

I avoid Atlanta. My personal experience involves a 12 hr wait for a connection to Hawaii (Delta). A 9 hour wait for a connection to Norfolk (Airtran) (its a 9 hr drive )

1. 59 minutes is enough time if you arrive on time and go straight to your gate without casual stop.

2. Same above for an estimate

3. Absolutely not Its every man/woman for himself.

4. Hard to predict but the earlier the flight the less likely the delay We fly 6:30am from our home airport as its the first flight of the day. Gets us to Disney early but it avoids the delay.

5. If you miss the connection you are routinely rebooked. Depending on your group size it can be fun.

 

[prncess674]

ATL is a big airport, but don't sit here sweating about something that you can't change. It would be nice if people would allow those with tight connections off first, but frankly every time I have ever heard that announcement it falls on deaf ears. As soon as the seat belt light is turned off everyone jumps up and clogs the aisle. 60 minutes is doable and a legal connection.

If you have an internet enabled phone be sure to bookmark
http://mobile.delta.com so that as soon as you touch down you can check the status of your connecting flight and the departure gate. The FA will usually make an announcement as to what gate you will be arriving so you will know how far you need to walk/tram.

Here is a basic layout of the airport. There is an underground tram that runs between the concourses which makes it quick to move around.

http://www.atlanta-airport.com/docs/terminal/Hartsfield-Jackson Map2009.pdf

You should also have a plan of attack for deplaning. If traveling with kiddos have them use the lavatory in flight and have your bags packed and ready. Everyone should know what bags they should be carrying off the plane. If you are using a stroller for kids, know how to break it down and set it up quickly.

 

[SV24]

Thanks everyone!

One suggestion I've read in other threads was to request closer seats. I don't think we will be able to do that as there are no two-seaters left. Will it slow us down terribly if we are near the back? It's not the way way back but more than halfway in. Chances are that the FA wouldn't help us exit ahead of others so it's a little scary. People tend to dawdle when they aren't in a rush and getting off a plane generally takes time. I can't imagine it taking more than 15 minutes to empty an MD-88 plane but I'm not a seasoned flyer. Nor do I even know what an MD-88 is. I'm just trying to impress you guys with knowlege :0)

Is 15 minutes a reasonable guesstimate for how long it takes for all passengers to disembark? (I hate that word but couldn't think of another... heehee) Does it take more than 30 minutes to get from one end of the airport to the other?

Okay I think that concludes my line of questioning. I'm trying to study this airport as much as I can