I've booked a flight with Delta to Orlando via Atlanta and the time between connecting flights is only 1hr 45mins. Is this enough time to collect baggage, go through customs and check-in again? It seems a bit tight to me!! I've never done an indirect flight before or flown with Delta so any information would be great.
You might get away with it, but it always worries me with anything less than 2 hours and 30 mins. Atlanta is a fairly busy and confusing airport, you might find yourself pushed for time. With all the new formalities, one cannot take the chance. IMHO, you should try for a later flight out of Atlanta to Orlando; if not, explain your predicament to the stewardess on board the first flight and try to be one of the first to get off the plane so that you can run to the head of the immigration queue.
Also, even a 15 minute delay in the first flight will take a sizeable chunk out of your time.
Nostromo
Ray flies into the US quite regularly and then catches another plane for somewhere else, he has managed to do this in an hour because his first flight was late but wouldn't recommend it. Ideally he likes to have a 2 hour gap to prevent having to make a run for it. He says Atlanta is a big airport and you have to catch a train between the terminals so you might be pushing it to get through immigration and to the next gate.[msnsmile2]
Sarah
As Nostromo says,it will be tight and would be better if you had at least 2.5 hours in-between flights,but if your stuck with this one then at least be sure your at the front of the plane so you can get to immigration near the front of the line,cause if your behind 300 plus people you have no chance of making the connection.
John.
I flew Christmas before last to Tampa via Atlanta had a similar connection gap. There were so many people missing from the plane held in the queues for security they held the plane. I would not go via Atlanta again. It is a large airport and the security seemed slower than several of the other airports.
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Jill
I flew Christmas before last to Tampa via Atlanta had a similar connection gap. There were so many people missing from the plane held in the queues for security they held the plane. I would not go via Atlanta again. It is a large airport and the security seemed slower than several of the other airports.[/quote]
Same here. Among US International Airports that I have been through (and there are quite a few of those) Atlanta ranks way down, only marginally better than the worst two - LA and Detroit.
Nostromo
We've done it before . It will be tight so don't hang about. Make sure you don't need a toilet stop before you reach immigration , or you will be at the back of the queue - that was our big mistake.[msneek]
While on the plane work out the layout of the airport , from the seat back magazines, so that you don't have to think about it when time is short.
Hopefully , it'll all work out for you.[msnsmile2]
Jo
I'm sorry to say, but we had the same type of flight and missed our connection. We had to stay overnight in Atlanta and catch the next flight in the morning.
Debbie
I'm going to go against the flow a little here but I don't think that you will have a problem provided there aren't any unforseen circumstances (I accept that that is a possibilty!)
If you are referring to the MAN-ATL daily flight with a connection to MCO exactly 1 hour and 45 minutes later, I have done that both pre and post 9/11 without problems. Let's face it, if Delta felt that the connection time wasn't sufficient then they would surely have stopped selling the ticket.
I agree Atlanta is a busy airport but remember that you are staying within the Delta terminal airside so no new security checks other than the obvious ticket checks. Yes, you probably will have to take the 'train' but it runs every few minutes and goes from 1 end of the terminal to the other in less than 5 minutes.
On an optomistic note I think you will probably be OK.
Firstly Delta should not have booked you on that connecting flight if they felt there were going to be problems; especially as you can bet there will be a bunch of Brits on the plane who are off to see Donald Duck and they will probably hold the plane if there are several people booked on it.
My brother has flown several times recently through Atlanta from Gatwick and have cleared everything within an hour.
Anyway its not a big deal - if you miss the flight you get on the next available one.
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