Our Review of Atlanta Airport

Table of contents: Our Review of Atlanta Airport Pros and Cons of Atlanta Airport Mini-Guide of the Airport (2' Guide) How we calculate On Time Performance Some Stats

Our Review of Atlanta Airport

At Plan Your Trips, we have analyzed hundreds of airports around the world, gaining a clear understanding of what users expect when visiting an airport. With this know-how, we have created this guide, placing passengers at the forefront of everything, aiming to simplify and enhance the airport experience.

In this guide, our goal is to present information in a manner that is both quick and reliable. Recognizing that passengers often have limited time and may be in a hurry, we strive to ensure that they do not waste time unnecessarily.

Another key focus of our guide is to highlight the strengths of the airport and also the weaknesses, and in some cases, offer recommendations to travelers. In alignment with this approach, we provide users with aggregated information on delays and on-time performance, analyzing both airlines and individual flights.

Pros and Cons of Atlanta Airport

PROS

Location: Atlanta Airport is located 7 miles (11 km) south of the business district of Atlanta, in Georgia, US. Easy and quick to get there.

Major Hub for Flights in United States: ATL Airport is the primary hub of Delta Air Lines (and Partners), and is a focus city for Frontier, Southwest and Spirit Airlines. The five busiest domestic routes from Atlanta Airport are Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, New York, Los Angeles and Tampa in Florida.

Modern Amenities: The airport has a variety of modern amenities, such as stores, eateries, lounges, and business services. With features like complimentary Wi-Fi, charging stations, and kid-friendly play spaces, it meets the demands of a wide range of travelers.

Ground Transportation: This airport offers various transportation options including rental cars, shuttles, taxis, ride-sharing services, and direct access to the MARTA rail system, facilitating easy and convenient travel to and from the airport.

Runways and Terminals: The airport’s seven concourses (T, A, B, C, D, E, and F) and five parallel runways facilitate efficient operations and reduce delays.

CONS

Increased Traffic: Being among the busiest airports globally, ATL can experience heavy delays, particularly during peak travel periods, resulting in extended waiting periods.

Parking Issues: During peak times, parking might be difficult to find, and drop-off locations may get crowded, which can make traveling more stressful.

International Arrivals: Especially during rush hours, travelers arriving from international flights may have to wait longer at immigration.

Navigational Complexity: First-time visitors may find it difficult to navigate the airport due to its large size and several concourses.

Mini-Guide of the Airport (2' Guide)

There are two terminals: The Domestic Terminal (West Side) and the International Terminal (MAYNARD H. JACKSON JR.) also known as East Side. Passengers can use the Plane Train to travel between concourses quickly. Be sure to check which terminal your flight departs from, as walking between terminals is not feasible.

Transportation to and from Atlanta: The Domestic Terminal includes a MARTA rail station, providing convenient access from the airport to downtown Atlanta. Taxis, shuttle services, ride-sharing services and rental cars are other choices.

Check-in Areas:

Domestic Terminal: Separate checkpoints are located on the left (T9-T15) and on the right (T1-T8) of the concourse.
International Terminal: Check-in area is located on the departure level or level 2.

Eating & Shopping: There are many different places to eat and shop in the airport, ranging full-service restaurants and a large selection of retail outlets.

Lounges: A number of lounges are provided, such as The Club at ATL and Delta Sky Clubs, which provide business services, complimentary beverages, and cozy seats.

Additional Tips:

Free Wi-Fi: The airport offers free Wi-Fi all around it. Establish a network connection to "ATL Free Wi-Fi".
Ground Transportation: Take the ATL SkyTrain to the Rental Car Center for quick access to rental automobiles.

How we calculate On Time Performance

On various pages of our website, you will encounter a metric widely utilized in aviation and other forms of transportation known as OTP (On Time Performance). We believe that providing this metric assists passengers in planning their trips and exploring alternatives before purchasing their flight tickets.

We calculate the On Time Performance for all flights and airlines, when we have enough data to do so. In certain instances, it may not be feasible to accurately compute the On-Time Performance for a specific flight or airline due to inadequate or non-representative data, which could result in misleading conclusions.

Our calculation of On Time Performance and delay information solely relies on arrival times. This approach is chosen over calculating departure delays, as we consider arrival punctuality to be of primary concern to passengers.

The On Time Performance displayed on our website is calculated as follows:

On Time: Flights that arrive within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival time, or earlier. In the absence of data for a specific flight, we assume the flight arrives on time, to avoid penalizing airlines for data unavailability.
Moderate Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay of 15 to 30 minutes.
Significant Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay of 30 to 60 minutes.
Major Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay exceeding 60 minutes.
Average Delay: The average delay is calculated by considering flights that arrive early as having a delay of 0 minutes. Early arrivals do not contribute to reducing the average delay calculation