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ATLANTA HARTSFIELD AIRPORT Passenger Reviews and Opinions |
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ATLANTA HARTSFIELD AIRPORT customer review : 8 January 2010 by Rich Jenkins (USA)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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
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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
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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
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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.
ATLANTA HARTSFIELD AIRPORT customer review : 18 February 2009 : by J Walton
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Customer Rating : 1/5 |  |
So much for southern hospitality! I live in the Atlanta area and I hate and avoid this airport
like a plague! If you have to pick up anyone from an arriving flight bring plenty of patience
with you. The patrolmen directing traffic are the rudest I have encountered. They do not
know how to relay what they want you to do, they only want you moving - people in the
crosswalks? Run over them - that is what I was directed to do on 3 separate occasions! When
I did not listen to the officers demand to continue on through the pedestrians he demanded I
fight my way to the curb in my car, to give me a tongue lashing threatening to give me a
ticket for holding up traffic - what a joke! I am not amused by this airport at all. Rarely is
anyone helpful. Thank God for Birmingham. It is worth the extra hour I have to drive to get
there. The people are nice and helpful and they have a wonderful idea - the cell lot! This is
a place you can sit waiting on arriving planes in your car. An information board is set up so
you can see arriving flights and you can wait there to receive a call from your passengers
without driving around the airport making more traffic.
ATLANTA HARTSFIELD AIRPORT customer review : 27 January 2009 : by Roy Manry
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Customer Rating : 2/5 |  |
This should be a warning to anyone arriving Atlanta Hartsfield concourse E that has to clear
customs. Two things are needed, patience and a xanax! If it's busy, hang it up. After arriving
from France and clearing customs, they took us apart again at security even confiscating small
bottles of water Delta had given us prior to landing. Also saw wine and duty free confiscated.
Really stupid. When will the US get over this paranoia complex?
ATLANTA HARTSFIELD AIRPORT customer review : 19
January 2009 : by S Koenig
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Customer Rating : 3/5 |  |
Arriving on an international flight, the usual procedures are followed: go through
Immigration, pick up check bags at a baggage carousel, then go through Customs. At many
airports one would then simply go to a transit desk (if taking a connecting flight) or leave
the airport (if not taking a connecting flight). However, even if departing the Atlanta
airport (we were staying at a nearby hotel and taking a connecting flight the following
morning), one has to take their bags to an attendant to be shipped on the intra-airport train,
and then go through security before boarding the train, then ride the train to the main
terminal and wait for one's bags at the baggage carousels. Confusing. This is a very big and
very busy airport.
ATLANTA HARTSFIELD AIRPORT customer review : 20
December 2008 : by M Anderson
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Customer Rating : 4/5 |  |
Landing and clearing immigration at Concourse E I have always found to be quite quick compared to
other major US airports. At least for Delta your luggage for international flights usually pops out
on the carousel about 20 to 25 minutes after your flight begins disembarking. Immigration officials
here are quite courteous and efficient in my opinion. After picking up luggage, tyhen handing a
customs official your customs declaration Delta has it's own luggage handling checkin for ongoing
connections which is quite nice. But as noted in some other posts the security personnel with TSA
here in Atlanta are the rudest I have experienced on many occasions. Don't get far from your
belongings as when things drop from the Xray transfer belts they even have laughed at times. All in
all clearing immigration and transfers to ongoing flights is quite easy in Atlanta. Any veteran
traveller should have no problems, but then again actually reading signs where to go helps wonders.
ATLANTA HARTSFIELD AIRPORT customer review : 26
November 2008 : by E Eriksen
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Customer Rating : 2/5 |  |
ATL is deplorable because it has such a record of delays and congestion. Why don't they construct a
second airport and relieve some of the horrible congestion at ATL? I avoid ATL at all costs. Of
course, part of this is that Delta has so significantly declined in its quality.
ATLANTA HARTSFIELD AIRPORT customer review : 9
October 2008 : by G McGowan
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Customer Rating : 2/5 |  |
I avoid ATL like the plague. The only thing keeping me from giving it one star is the terminals are
not run down like old DTW or MSY. However there are frequent delays and because of the layout of
the runways it is possible to spend 30 minutes or more taxiing to the gate, which can be a serious
problem if you have a tight connection. Once inside, the concourses themselves are extremely
crowded and since there are no moving sidewalks it seems like you are at the running of the bulls in
Pamplona - except there are no bulls, just many harried travelers rushing to make their connections.
ATLANTA HARTSFIELD AIRPORT customer review : 27 August 2008 : by D Iles
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Customer Rating : 2/5 |  |
Have used Atlanta on number of occasions as entry point to USA, starting holiday and this year saw a
marked downturn in service. Upon arrival at immigration waited approx. 45 mins and whilst familiar
with need to recheck bags was surprised to see several hundred suitcases waiting to make the journey
to their final collection point. Having waited some 30 mins for the bags to arrive I spoke with a
staff member in the baggage hall and whilst very polite he indicated I could wait up to 90mins for
the cases to make the 1800m journey from the international terminal, E, to the main collection area.
Appreciate Atlanta is busy but they really must look at their inbound baggage handling systems as
this surely cannot be the best they can do? Return trip yesterday to LGW was very easy though no
queues at checkin nor security so it can be done
ATLANTA HARTSFIELD AIRPORT customer review : 27 August 2008 : by L Moulton
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Customer Rating : 3/5 |  |
I have flown through this airport 20 or 30 times and had different experiences. There are a few good
things about this airport one being you can almost always make a connection no matter how short your
layover is (I once had a 20 minute layover for a flight to London-made the flight and luggage made
it as well) due to lots of frequent transport between the terminals. There are also plenty of
restrooms throughout the terminals (something I've found lacking in a few nicer airports). Now-on to
the bad. The airconditioning system is a hit or miss, not a good thing for Northern Georgia, The
restaurants are usually very crowded and many times I've had to wait 20 minutes for a table. The
passport control and customs area is a nightmare - especially on a day the aircon isn't working.
Overall this is an ok airport but I'd recommend another such as JFK, Detroit, Washington.
ATLANTA HARTSFIELD AIRPORT customer review : 21 August 2008 : by M Brown
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Customer Rating : 5/5 |  |
One of the best airports I have used. Staff were extremely helpful and friendly. Facilities were
excellent and included places to recharge electrical items and free wifi in certain areas. The
quality of food was excellent (not just the usual fast food junk) and this was the case after
security as well which is often not the case. The airport was easy to get around and was very clean.
Departures were prompt. A really enjoyable experience.
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