Indirect with Delta via Atlanta

[mrsminniemouse]

Hi everyone

Next Tuesday we are flying from Gatwick to Atlanta (South Terminal), then Atlanta (again South) to Orlando. We have booked with Delta but it seems that our first flight is now operated by NorthWest.

Does anyone know if South Terminal at Atlanta is massive? Will we be legging it through the airport to make our connection? We have just 100 minutes for the connection but there is another flight an hour later which we might be able to get on if we do miss the connection.

Also are the Delta planes better/worse than the NWA ones? Or are they similar?

Would really appreciate input from anyone who has flown this route before.

Thanks
Mandy

 

[ford family]

There is no South Terminal at Atlanta.
There are six terminals called Concourses, T then A,B,C,D and E. They are all in a line with a very fast train connecting them. All international flights land at the E terminal. You first go through immigration then go down to the floor below to collect your bags. Then go through customs, about 50 yards after which you deposit your bags (which are already tagged for Orlando) onto a conveyor belt. You then go through security like at Gatwick before you head off to your connecting flight.
Looking at today's Atlanta/Orlando flights they are nearly all from the A Concourse with just one from the T Concourse The trains are every few minutes and get from E to A in five minutes. You should have plenty of time for all of the above in the 100 minutes available and still have time for a comfort break and a Starbucks!
We are doing a similar trip on Thursday except the second leg is to Tampa.
Delta planes are much the same as Northwest on domestic routes but the Northwest ones used on the transatlantic leg are more modern.

ford family

 

[taylor3297]

There is a South terminal at Atlanta, just planes don't leave from there. The south terminal is where Deltas check in counters are and if you were staying in Atlanta then you would pick up your baggage at the baggage claim area in the south terminal.

All flights leave from the different concourses listed by the other poster.

 

[karentan]

mandy, would you mind popping back in when you get back and let me know how you get on, we're doing the same route in september

 

[SimonV]

It will definitely be a Delta flight from Gatwick (Northwest operate ONLY from Heathrow these days, to Detroit and Minneapolis). Delta actually merged with NWA earlier this year, hence many of their flights now show both airlines.

As already pointed out, Atlanta is an easy airport to navigate (albeit it is VERY big and busy these days) and you should be in plenty of time.

We have done the ATL-MCO flight a number of times (with AirTran, Spirit and Northwest) and it is very straightforward (and much nicer to arrive in Orlando with all the immigration taken care of!).

 

[ford family]

It will definitely be a Delta flight from Gatwick (Northwest operate ONLY from Heathrow these days, to Detroit and Minneapolis). Delta actually merged with NWA earlier this year, hence many of their flights now show both airlines.

The times they are a changin'.
Some Delta flights from Gatwick including ours on Thursday (DL811) are using Northwest A330's either with or without new Delta paint jobs.

ford family

 

[dolphingirl47]

We are flying from Manchester with Delta via Atlanta at the end of September so I am curious on how you got on as well. We have 115 minutes so that should hopefully be plenty.

Corinna

 

[Cochise]

(albeit it is VERY big and busy these days)

still the worlds busiest by passengers i think (Heard Heathrow mentioned loads but i think that is by international flights only)

 

[disneyholic family]

the northwest A330 airplanes are very nice..
northwest considered them their showcase planes....

i am so sad to see northwest biting the dust.....i began flying them when i was very very young (7 years old) - when we used to fly back and forth to the Tokyo....and they were called Northwest Orient Airlines - and i'm singing that as i write it... they had a lovely jingle to match...

the times they really are a-changing...and given my opinion of delta, not necessarily for the better...

i'm coming back to edit my post - i searched for that jingle...
i only found an early bad rendition:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7D6F8Awbek
the very last part of this commercial is what was ultimately used for many years....
the Northwest Orient (gong sound) air---lines....
i wish i could find a slightly later version of it..
but they used it for years and years on the radio....i can hear them singing and that gong...

everything changes....another airline of my childhood bites the dust...
to europe and the mideast we flew pan am, then TWA....to the orient (as it was called then, though now it's considered not PC) we flew northwest orient.....
so many millions of miles we flew with northwest....millions and millions....and millions...

and i'm originally from detroit....for the past so many years, detroit has been completely owned by NWA....you pretty much had to fly northwest to get in or out of detroit by air....i cursed them, but now i'm sad.....

i don't particularly like change.....one would hope this is change for the better, but i fear that it's just change...(hopefully not change that will only make things worse)....

 

[mrsminniemouse]

Thanks everyone for your input. I have a better idea of what to expect now. We have always avoided flying indirect in the past but it sounds fine!

Not long to wait now!

Will definitely report back for those of you making this journey in the future.


Mandy