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ATLANTA HARTSFIELD AIRPORT customer review :  16 July 2010 by S Koenig   (Brazil)

Customer Rating :  4/5

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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.

ATLANTA HARTSFIELD AIRPORT customer review :  15 July 2010 by L Enticknap   (UK)

Customer Rating :  4/5

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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.

ATLANTA HARTSFIELD AIRPORT customer review :  14 July 2010 by B Coe   (USA)

Customer Rating :  1/5

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We will avoid using this airport on future trips. They continuously move your departure gate, and may or may not notify the passengers. Then, when you are late because you did not know, they take no responsibility for it. We ran all over that place due to constant changes. It is very poorly run, although I have to say the staff are friendly and helpful for the most part. We missed our connecting flight because they changed the gate and we did not know, and then they left early. We were, however put on standby for the next flight, 2 hrs later, and got on it. We saw this happen to others when we were returning home, and spoke to a lot of people who had the same frustrating experience. I felt the problem was totally the airport, and others said they always have problems with Delta.

ATLANTA HARTSFIELD AIRPORT customer review :  12 April 2010 by Glenn Barnes   (UK)

Customer Rating :  1/5

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The security process from arriving off an international flight is the worse I have ever used or seen. It took 45 minutes to clear security then another 30 minutes for the baggage to be transferred to arrivals. I will never use this airport again if I can avoid it.

ATLANTA HARTSFIELD AIRPORT customer review :  8 January 2010 by Rich Jenkins   (USA)

Customer Rating :  2/5

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ATL's major function is providing domestic connections for Delta passengers and it does this fairly well, with an efficient train system between concourses. OTOH, the concourses are long and Delta customer service (such as it is) has been greatly cut back. Earlier this year, I encountered a situation where the wrong type of aircraft had been provided (after a long delay and cancellation of flights before and after ours) and the ticket staff were less than gracious in dealing with the fallout. The food selection remains relatively unhealthy and the largest food court (outside of the main terminal) tends to be crowded. The selection of reading material is generally pretty awful, but typical of Atlanta in general. CNN is loud and inescapable and the airport generally provides even less opportunity for peace and quiet than the average. Departure security is centralized and unpredictable, but not quite as timeconsuming as it was 2-3 years ago. The "secret" North terminal alternative to the main terminal security has been closed--this had provided much faster screening because it was known only to people using the T terminal and carriers other than Delta. Baggage areas have been remodeled, but there no longer is security to check tags. Beware of taxi operators who approach you in the baggage claim as they charge more than the ones in the queue outside. Expect taxi drivers to not know anything other than major hotels - bring mapquest-type directions to your destination. Long time Atlantans don't know much of the area either. Marta rapid transit service has gotten slightly better although the process of paying for fares with cards is cumbersome compared with the old token system. Marta is the best way to reach major hotels downtown, in Midtown, and Buckhead. Customer service is generally horrible in the airport although better with carriers other than Delta. Despite many years of living in ATL and much international travel, I always cleared customs elsewhere (my int'l travel was mostly to Asia and on United, so ATL was rarely feasible), my understanding is that international arrivals are variable and often unpleasant. The international terminal, which used to be dismal is apparently being redone. Delays are common at this airport - the weather in the Atlanta area is volatile, with downpours and thunder storms being quite common in Spring and summer, plus Atlanta gets the back end of hurricanes in the fall. Often things will seem mild or only drizzly at the airport, but will be violent somewhere in an nearby flight path and this will cause delays. Some delays occur because of problems elsewhere in an airline's hub/spoke system and this is particularly true of Delta which dominates the airport. Morning departures are more predictable and less prone to delay than afternoon or evening flights.

ATLANTA HARTSFIELD AIRPORT customer review :  30 December 2009 by E Jensen   (USA)

Customer Rating :  2/5

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I was wondering if what I experienced was a one of a kind or a bad day. Apparently not. In Atlanta, US Immigration Officials just get up and walk away when there are huge lines, and don't come back for a long time and say nothing. One official yelled at a passenger for standing in line the wrong way and pointed at her like she was a dog. After about 200 people deep in line, they finally opened some more windows to move us through. Then there is the re- screening to get out of the airport. I was screened three times to get on the plane, and now I have to go to get Xrayed when I am getting ready to go home. The random selection is also pathetic.

ATLANTA HARTSFIELD AIRPORT customer review :  16 December 2009 by Melissa Pace   (Malta)

Customer Rating :  2/5

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Arrived after a 12 hour flight from Malta/London feeling nauseous and not that good. Little did we realise that it would take another 2 hours to get out of the airport! The usual interrogation at immigration, then the inexplicable procedure of collecting your baggage, only to have it taken away again with no explanation of how to collect it. Then another 45 minutes standing in line to go through security just to leave the airport. Can someone please explain why this is necessary as no-one seemed to have a good explanation as to why we had to suffer this ordeal. Then we were directed to a tube-train crammed with people and when we eventually arrived at the baggage reclaim, there was our daughter and son-in-law (who live in the States and had come to meet us) standing with all our bags which they had collected for us!!! Some security - anyone could have walked off with it. I will never go there again - it was a nightmare and I still see no reason for it.

ATLANTA HARTSFIELD AIRPORT customer review :  6 October 2009 by Alex Greig   (UK)

Customer Rating :  1/5

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What a nightmare place! Immigration officials who suddenly leave their desks to go on a break without a word leaving a bewildered queue. Your luggage snatched away from you within seconds of retrieving it without any clear idea given of where or when you will ever see it again. Having to go through full security just to get out of the airport. Officials barking orders left right and centre. Never again if I can help it.

ATLANTA HARTSFIELD AIRPORT customer review :  28 September 2009 by Richard Martin   (USA)

Customer Rating :  3/5

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I have traveled through many airports over the years, and employees of Hartsfield Airport are the rudest I have seen. They act as if they hate their jobs, and bark orders at people. Customer service is not part of the job skill. It's a shame because the rest of the south have warm and welcoming people with great attitudes. I would not recommend going through this airport unless there is no other choice.

ATLANTA HARTSFIELD AIRPORT customer review :  24 September 2009 by Jorg Ludewig   (Germany)

Customer Rating :  4/5

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Went thru Atlanta from Frankfurt to San Diego. Customs was empty, thus pretty fast, though the USA treats its visitors like potential threats. Hand screen, iris screen, what is next? Footprints? Getting the checked in luggage took quite a while, checking back was fast. Only downpart is the security check right after. Did not we just got off a plane? Anyway, all facilities decent, ground transportation is efficient and layover can be rather short without being afraid to miss connection.

ATLANTA HARTSFIELD AIRPORT customer review :  15 September 2009 by J Leong   (UK)

Customer Rating :  1/5

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Southern hospitality it was not at Atlanta Jackson-Hartsfield airport! Upon arrival from Amsterdam, we reclaimed our baggage - and then told we had to queue and go through security again Plus we had our baggage screened and taken away from us , to be reclaimed a second time around! What was the point? Were they afraid that passengers who got off after a safe flight might hijack the bus or something? I am all for security but this was craziness banking on paranoia. As far as I know, no other US international airport does that. The staff at security and customs were also rude and unwelcoming shouting and ordering at passengers like badly-trained prison officers. I will avoid Atlanta Jackson-Hartsfield like the plague. The airport does not know how to make visitors feel welcome.

ATLANTA HARTSFIELD AIRPORT customer review :  5 July 2009 by L Drabik   (USA)

Customer Rating :  4/5

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I have used this airport for over 20 years to catch connecting flights to PA. Only once did I use it for outbound international travel, so have not experienced the inbound international travel situation as described by others (I re-entered the US via EWR). I have always encountered courteous employees throughout the airport, and I think the layout of the airport was well-planned, I especially like the subway that connects the terminal and all the concourses together. And I really like how you can go from concourse to concourse withOUT having to go through security again, like I experienced at a major European airport. Also, I like the many dining options available in every concourse. Rarely have I experienced any flight delays, as I normally fly in the early morning hours to avoid any weather-related issues like those that usually occur in summer afternoons! Last month I chose to travel in the afternoon, and sure enough, our inbound flight was put into a holding pattern for approx. 15 mins, and the outbound flight sat at the gate for 20 mins before backing out, due to the local weather situation. Now with all that said, the only real drawback I can find is the lack of moving sidewalks in the concourses. I do realize there are moving sidewalks parallel to the subway line, but I think with the length of the concourses, moving sidewalks would have been included as well!

ATLANTA HARTSFIELD AIRPORT customer review : 26 May 2009 : by Bill Atkins

Customer Rating : 4/5

Atlanta is one of the rare airports where someone seems to keep evaluating how to make things better for travellers. It is very crowded sometimes and seating in the Food Court pre-security can be short at peak times. However the whole check-in/security/transportation deal is well- organized and most people involved are polite and friendly.

ATLANTA HARTSFIELD AIRPORT customer review : 25 May 2009 : by Ralf Klein

Customer Rating : 4/5

Considered that ATL is a very large and busy airport I think it is amazing how fast one actually gets through immigration, baggage claim, customs, baggage recheck and security screening. I really appreciated that the last few times I used ATL as a port-of-entry when travelling to the US. I also like the airport lounges in Concourse E and the food court. Another plus is the quick train connecting all concourses.

ATLANTA HARTSFIELD AIRPORT customer review : 25 May 2009 : by M Steinfeld

Customer Rating : 4/5

Hartsfield seems to be kind of a hit-or-miss deal. If you're connecting, leave plenty of time (don't take a 30-45min layover, because it won't be enough if things start going wrong). When arriving/ departing from Atlanta (ie. not connecting through), I have never had a problem. Sometimes it takes bags a while to display in the terminal, but other than that, the ground is usually as efficient as possible. However, for connecting flights, the major issue seems to be weather. On a good-weather day, I never have problems. But once bad weather hits, everything starts to break down. Delta has always been good to me if I needed to rebook, but again, all we can do as passengers is to give ourselves a decent layover time to account for the possible delay. Overall, the facilities are pretty good compared to other US airports. Especially Terminal E. There's plenty of food options, as well as decent shopping. The airport staff is usually extremely nice and always helpful - just be polite. But as with all airports, I've found that those passengers who plan ahead and know what to do if there's an unexpected delay, etc. are the same people that are least impacted by that delay.