Atlanta Hartsfield Airport

The check in kiosks at the international terminal were very confusing but someone helped. Actual check in and security was very efficient however our flight to MBJ was leaving from terminal E so we had to take the train. Lots of restaurants in terminal E (considering that so many European airlines used to come here). When we came back we came into gate E36 (the northernmost gate in terminal E). Since our final destination was ATL we had to go to a separate immigration hall in terminal F (17 min walk). If there's a new international terminal why not use it! Fortunately the line at immigration was very short and all our bags were there. Overall I think terminal F needs more gates.

Upon arrival at the airport from an international flight I was shocked to learn that I would have to walk a mile to retrieve my luggage and go through customs. My husband is handicapped and was ushered in a wheelchair while I was on my own to try to keep up with the young woman pushing him at breakneck speed. Often she disappeared around a corner and I had to hurry to see which way to proceed. The people movers did not work and I was exhausted and finally ended up in a wheelchair myself. The design of this new terminal is grossly flawed in that the distance from gate to baggage and customs is at least a mile and there is no good way to get there! Customs is crammed into a small area with no place to put luggage for inspection. At almost 70 years old I was not thrilled with scattering my things on the floor while everyone gawked. Surely Atlanta isn't proud of this.

While it may not be the best airport in the world Atlanta Hartsfield is nonetheless possibly one of the best airports in the USA). It's a huge airport while some may think of this as a negative aspect Atlanta Hartsfield's simple yet effective design makes it an actually very walkable airport and going from one terminal to another is not that bad as it actually seems. The facilities and amenities are great! There is a nice offering of eateries and shops that should be able to please everyone. Finally staff are surprisingly friendly and courteous. Nevertheless Atlanta Hartsfield is quite dirty the signalling tends to be a little weak at times and the public transportation is kind of poor. All in all a great airport.

Just traveled to Atlanta for a week long trip. The airport is large and generally easy to find your way around but it can be crowded and loud at times. Finding a working pay phone both times I was there was impossible. The problems? In Concourse D one phone took my money twice. Another had the mouthpiece literally hanging out of the handset. Many were simply removed from the metal casings with no explanation. At baggage claim I found a payphone that allowed me to hear the other party but he could not hear me. If you have high roaming fees from your cell service or need to use a pay phone for some other reason at the Atlanta airport good luck! My flight was delayed yet I could not make the most of my time waiting due to this widespread problem.

Atlanta International is probably the one and only international airport worldwide without car rental return. Trying to get rid of the one-way rented car (to catch an international flight) I learned that there is no rental car return at all! There is no sign or indication what to do with the car. I left the international airport and drove to the domestic - there it is. Extremely upsetting if in a hurry - since I drove by the domestic first and it is quite a distance. (I wonder what the responsible person thought of such a concept I also wonder how many people are going to experience the same adventure every day and are then too late - because of course you then need a never-ending shuttle ride back to the international terminal). Unfriendly staff at the security screaming all the time what to do and what not - instead of informing the passengers silently with signs and/or short movies.

Being a frequent flyer I use this airport a lot. I've used ATL as my starting destination and layover airport and would say it is designed quite well to efficiently handle massive numbers of passengers. Considering its size and passenger traffic it is very easy to change terminals for domestic connections and has a good number of shopping/eating options. The "Plane Train" is large fast and very frequent and the new LED/LCD display inside the train cars looks great. I've had better results using "Plane Train" when changing terminals than trying to walk/run. I usually try to avoid having to go through security during peak hours on Monday mornings (even priority lanes get very long). Other times aren't bad but priority lanes sure do help a lot. "TSA pre" is also available in South Terminal which I heard is more faster and convenient than priority lanes ( haven't personally used that yet but colleagues of mine did). Baggage is also handled quite well. Never had a lost/delayed baggage when checked in at ATL. I've noticed many new exhibits/art works being displayed around the airport (not sure if it is to encourage local artists or anything but surely beats walking past lame advertisements or promotions). Overall its a nice clean huge airport that handles itself quite well. It has its share of issues (could use better signs long lines at security at-times) but which airport doesn't.

The new international terminal is very nice. However the airport does not permit regional shuttles to pick up passengers at the new international terminal (they are permitted to drop off passengers). When arriving if you need to catch a regional shuttle (Groome Transportation) to another city such as Columbus Ga. or Macon Ga. you must first get on a small airport bus that takes you to ground transportation located in the domestic terminal. It is very inconvenient especially with several suitcases. I have never seen an airport with such a system. Regional shuttles should be permitted to pick up passengers at the international terminal. Also when exiting the international terminal there are no signs indicating how to get to downtown Atlanta or other areas. The signs only say I-75 North I-75 South and I-285. This is confusing. There should be big signs showing directions to downtown Atlanta Macon and Montgomery (the domestic terminal has these directions/signage).

My biggest issue is when arriving from an international destination and terminating in ATL if you come in to an E gate you have to walk forever to be screened and pick up bags in the new F terminal. Also with the international terminal when dropping off passengers and then parking there is no place to make a u-turn to get to parking. A rather stupid over sight.

Nice new International Terminal but there is nothing here! I appreciate it's not finished but to have only takeaway options at the Food Court is not good. The price of wine and beer at the bar was blatant profiteering. To pay between $8 and $14.00 for a glass of supermarket wine and then to be served in plastic glasses is appalling. To be fair the Delta staff at check-in were lovely and the TSA staff were less surly than some I've met. Boarding was quick and efficient but I would not choose to fly to or from Atlanta in the future.

If you have to change planes here you feel like you're on a trek from gate to gate. There are trams available but first you have to figure out which one to take and then you have to hope that it's not full. The place is always packed because so many flights originate here (it makes no sense that flights from the midwest to points west are often routed east through Atlanta) and the signs are confusing. Very long and slow moving lines at security so plan to arrive even earlier than recommended by the airlines. Also it may just be our bad luck but every time we have had to change planes there the gates are changed at the last minute requiring a sprint from point A to point B. I can completely understand why there are so many complaints about missed connections here. The one saving grace is that our luggage has never been lost at this airport. We have learned that even if it means extra cost to avoid flights requiring the use of Hartsfield if at all possible.