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This just goes to show that everyone has a different opinion. We hate ATL it is always the worst coming back to the states. Last trip.they used the excuse "sorry folks we just had 13 planes land so we are overwelmed" WTF? So these planes magically appeared and landed? And this was not our firsf experience with ATL but according to wifey it will be our last. Ymmv. Bill
Personally, I would not put it that way. ATL is certainly very efficient, has excellent connections and so a great hub airport but is also the busiest airport in the world. It is vast and negotiating flight connections through it takes time. With its complicated twice in-out luggage procedure on arrival, it is certainly not the place for tight flight connections but good if one is staying overnight nearby.
If the hotel shuttle service insists they cannot take your husband to the International terminal, then it would indeed be less hassle to take a cab from the hotel directly to the International terminal ("F"). Otherwise, if the shuttle were to drop him off at the Domestic terminal, he would have to take yet another (infuriatingly slow) shuttle that runs between the Domestic and International terminals.
All nonstop flights departing from Atlanta for international destinations (that is, with no intervening domestic connection) depart from the International terminal. Passengers on these flights are not permitted to check in at the Domestic terminal (hence the free shuttle between Domestic and International). Rather, they must check in by entering the International terminal directly from the outside.
You might logically think that because there is an underground train that ferries passengers among various gates along the entire route (over a mile) between the Domestic and International terminals that they would simply let you arrive at the airport at either end--Domestic or International--and then board the train and take it all the way to the opposite end, but that is not the case.
The system especially sucks for us Atlantans. The MARTA light rail system ("subway" or whatever) that I can take from where I live to the airport serves only Domestic and not International. So when I leave for Bonaire via the MARTA, I arrive at Domestic and then immediately walk outside and take the shuttle to International. Ditto on the return trip. On the return, when I land at International and exit Immigration/Customs, I am not permitted to board the train that could very easily take me to Domestic where I could catch the MARTA. Rather, since I don't have an onward boarding pass, they wouldn't let me through. So I need to go outside the International terminal and take the infuriatingly slow shuttle bus back to the Domestic terminal.
I hope this clears it up for y'all!
I know that this is a Bonaire thread but we took Delta from Chicago through Atlanta to the Caymans last fall and it was excrutiating and we will avoid that airline and airport in the future if possible. I'd rather fly with Klingons!
Coming home, we had to travel from Cayman Brac to Grand Cayman on Cayman Air early in the morning and collect our bags, exit and re-enter the airport in order to check in with Delta. The check-in counters for every US airline were open except Delta. So we were stuck waiting with our bags, and other Delta customers, for hours until the Delta agents arrived. When they finally showed up it took them ages to open and check everyone in.
Then our flight was delayed and we waited hours in the GC departure lounge with no information. After finally getting a flight and arriving in Atlanta, it was a nightmare to get through the packed customs and immigration areas so of course we missed our connecting flight. Then we had to wait forever to get rebooked and recheck our bags.
Next it was a real challenge to get to a distant domestic terminal/concourse to catch the last flight to Chicago. We almost missed the plane, they were closing the doors when we arrived out-of-breath. We had left CB early in the morning and didn't get home to very late at night thanks to Delta and ALT.
If the hotel shuttle service insists they cannot take your husband to the International terminal, then it would indeed be less hassle to take a cab from the hotel directly to the International terminal ("F"). Otherwise, if the shuttle were to drop him off at the Domestic terminal, he would have to take yet another (infuriatingly slow) shuttle that runs between the Domestic and International terminals.
All nonstop flights departing from Atlanta for international destinations (that is, with no intervening domestic connection) depart from the International terminal. Passengers on these flights are not permitted to check in at the Domestic terminal (hence the free shuttle between Domestic and International). Rather, they must check in by entering the International terminal directly from the outside.
You might logically think that because there is an underground train that ferries passengers among various gates along the entire route (over a mile) between the Domestic and International terminals that they would simply let you arrive at the airport at either end--Domestic or International--and then board the train and take it all the way to the opposite end, but that is not the case.
The system especially sucks for us Atlantans. The MARTA light rail system ("subway" or whatever) that I can take from where I live to the airport serves only Domestic and not International. So when I leave for Bonaire via the MARTA, I arrive at Domestic and then immediately walk outside and take the shuttle to International. Ditto on the return trip. On the return, when I land at International and exit Immigration/Customs, I am not permitted to board the train that could very easily take me to Domestic where I could catch the MARTA. Rather, since I don't have an onward boarding pass, they wouldn't let me through. So I need to go outside the International terminal and take the infuriatingly slow shuttle bus back to the Domestic terminal.
I hope this clears it up for y'all!
