Arriving/Departing Hartsfield Jackson International Airport ( ATL )
This airport, which has frequently named the busiest in the country (a distinction it has shared with Chicago’s O’Hare), is quite large but is fairly user friendly. There are six concourses: T, A, B, C, D, and E, in addition to the Ticketing/Baggage Claim area. An underground train runs between the concourses and Ticketing/baggage claim. There is also a moving sidewalk on the underground level, which you might want to take if you want to get some exercise or if the trains are full or not operating. Entrances to the downstairs trains/sidewalks are in the middle of the concourse, usually around gate 19. Generally speaking, very high (>30) and very low (<3) gate numbers are the furthest away from the trains.
If you are connecting and have less than an hour between flights, you should proceed directly to your new gate, as transit between concourses can take some time (not that big of a deal to go between A-B, but significant if you have to go from T to E).
There are concessions located at most centerpoints of the concourses, and some are scattered throughout. There are also concessions located in the atrium of the Ticketing/Baggage claim area outside of security. There are more restaurants in Concourse A and E.
E is the international concourse, so international flights are primarily operated out of there (but some domestic, too). International arrivals require that you get your bags from international baggage claim, go through customs, and then re-check your bags before connecting to your next flight.
T-Gates: If you are going to/from the T-Gates you will walk, not take the underground train. If you arrive on AA or UA and do NOT have checked-baggage, DO NOT follow the signs to "Baggage Claim". Rather, after deplaning take a left and head to the main terminal
Transportation is located just outside of the baggage claim area, where you will find taxis and shuttle buses for the various rental car companies, as well as MARTA (mass transit train, stops at the airport and goes into the city). If you have come to the city without accomodations, there is a bank of phones near baggage claim for various hotels in the area.
Please allow yourself plenty of time for departing flights out of ATL. Traffic in the city can be a major factor, and it’s good to use MARTA if you can. Rental car shuttles/parking lot shuttles can also be stuck in traffic at the airport, so cutting it close is not a good idea.
Check-in lines can be long, so it’s best to use the kiosks if you can, or print out your boarding pass before arriving at the airport.
Security times vary at ATL, but are usually moving along fairly well. You can consult the airport’s website to find out specific wait times: http://www.atlanta-airport.com There are two dedicated lines for "elite" passengers/first class for North and South terminals.
