Flying from Ohio to ATL, then to FLL

How many have been on a flight with a major carrier into Atlanta (HUB), then have only 1/2 hr till connecting flight leaves for FLL? Sometimes in ATL you have to go down escalator, get the tram, find gate, etc. Hopefully DELTA now has all their gates in the same area? Think we will be ok, or running shoes definitely a must?

How many have been on a flight with a major carrier into Atlanta (HUB), then have only 1/2 hr till connecting flight leaves for FLL? Sometimes in ATL you have to go down escalator, get the tram, find gate, etc. Hopefully DELTA now has all their gates in the same area? Think we will be ok, or running shoes definitely a must?

We fly through Atlanta all the time when we go to Florida. Unless the arrival gate is practically next to the departure gate, then no way would I try that - and if I'm not mistaken, I don't believe that is a legal connection that an airline can make - I'm pretty sure there has to be more time than that between flights.

That's a pretty tight connection. I've never been a fan of the Atlanta airport. I would try to reschedule.

I've had Delta book me on a 37 min connection in Atlanta. Unless everything goes perfect that's an absurd amount of time. Delta is spread over several concourses and you must take the train to the next one. I fly Delta weekly and transit Atlanta way more than I care to do. Call Delta and tell them this is an unacceptable connection time. They should re book you to a more doable schedule with out fees. If you you get an answer you don't like hanf up and call back. You'll get another agent. Perhaps, tell that agent you or someone in your party has a mobility issue and you need the time.

Also, I've found the Delta Assist on Twitter to be really easy for changes like this!

Good luck!

Last November, we flew through ATL on our way to Miami. Had a 55 minute connection time but was delayed getting in due to "fog". Got in 20 minutes before our scheduled departure to MIA. Somehow the MIA flight made it out in the "fog". We didn't.

See if you can give yourself some more time.

35 minutes is the legal connection time between domestic flights in Atlanta on Delta.

Am I correct in assuming you are booked with an illegal connection? Have you had a schedule change that placed you within the connection conundrum?

If so, please contact Delta.

There are 6 parallel concourses and one international terminal connected by the underground train. And domestic flights do use F, the international terminal. Delta's home is Hartsfield-Jackson airport and Delta uses every concourse. Regional jets generally dock in concourse C or D. They use the farthermost gates for these planes. That's not to say that you wouldn't dock in another concourse. The larger jets can dock anywhere.

I hope you are not flying down on the same day your cruise leaves. You may be out of luck. There are hourly flights to FLL but during cruise season they are particularly full.

You can go to the airport's web site to view the concourses.

FYI, I am a Delta frequent flyer and rarely connect in any other city.

I hope this has helped...you do face a challenge.

I usually fly DL from LAX-FLL and also connect through ATL but love at least the 2 hour connection time..A favorite place we always eat at is the "BoarsHead" for great sandwiches and "A Piece Of Cake" yummy...so this makes ATL worth it to us ;):)..I agree, ask DL for a longer connection

Did you:

a) Book this reservation directly with DL with this connection, or

b) Book a reservation directly with DL and a schedule change resulted in this connection, or

c) Book with cruiseline air and this is the booking they gave you?

If a) it shouldn't have been booked in the first place, as it is below Minimum Connecting Time (MCT) for ATL

If b) contact Delta to be rebooked onto a legal connection. Do the AFTER you have researched your alternatives, so you are well prepared for your phone call. If they have changed schedules, then they have to get you a replacement itinerary that meets MCT limits. Perhaps this will result in not flying through ATL. Know your options, even if it means flying through DTW, MSP, JFK or LGA.

If c) I'd try to contact the cruiseline and complain. You may also contact DL, but they may just punt you back to the cruiseline. In this case, you may be the football, being tossed back and forth. Good luck.

According to the OAG (not the latest copy of the Official Airline Guide), the minimum connecting time at Atlanta for a domestic to domestic flight is 55 minutes.

According to the OAG (not the latest copy of the Official Airline Guide), the minimum connecting time at Atlanta for a domestic to domestic flight is 55 minutes.

Delta routinely offers connections on their website that are under 55 minutes @ ATL. For example, my colleague has a 41 minute connection in a few weeks, MCI-ATL-SAV. I wouldn't take a connection that short unless I were super elite (higher priority if you mis-connect, which he is) and doing carry-on only (which he is).

For my own comfort, not being elite with DL, I wouldn't take less than 80 minutes at ATL. But I don't like to stress or rush.

How many have been on a flight with a major carrier into Atlanta (HUB), then have only 1/2 hr till connecting flight leaves for FLL? Sometimes in ATL you have to go down escalator, get the tram, find gate, etc. Hopefully DELTA now has all their gates in the same area? Think we will be ok, or running shoes definitely a must?

I don't think you understand. ATL is Delta's main hub, and Delta uses every concourse in the airport. They have to, because of the sheer volume of flights they run through ATL. So no, they do not have all their gates in the same area; that would be impossible.

Others have already told you how to determine if you have a possibility to get rebooked without a change fee, i.e. if you originally booked a different itinerary and the schedule has since changed.

If you end up stuck with this itinerary, here are some tips:

• Running shoes? Not a bad idea. At the very least, no high heels, etc. Consolidate your carry on bags, wear your jacket instead of carrying it etc. In other words, make it as easy as possible to get yourself and your stuff from gate to gate.
  
• Check the monitor when you deplane at ATL; it will show your next flight and its gate number. There are also phone apps that can tell you this while you taxi to the gate. Know where you're going as soon as you get off the jetway.
  
• Try to get seats as close to the front of the plane as possible, so that you can deplane quickly.
  
• While it's likely that you'll have to take the escalator to the plane train, the plane train itself runs about every 60-90 seconds so if arrive as it's leaving, another will be along momentarily.
  
• If your incoming flight is late, or you get stuck at the back of the plane or for whatever reason you miss your connection, there are at least a dozen daily flights on DL from ATL to FLL, so unless you're coming in late at night, you have multiple opportunities to get a later flight. That's always dependent upon seats being available, but at least you know there are flights. Of course, I'm assuming you're not traveling the day of the cruise, right?
  

According to the OAG (not the latest copy of the Official Airline Guide), the minimum connecting time at Atlanta for a domestic to domestic flight is 55 minutes.

So....was the OP literal about "half an hour" or being general with a 35+ minute connection? Will we ever know? Time to bring back Kreskin?

Just because you might be able to sprint and make your connection your luggage probably won't. At least give the baggage folks a fighting chance to unload, sort, send to new gate and reload your bag on time. :)

Just because you might be able to sprint and make your connection your luggage probably won't. At least give the baggage folks a fighting chance to unload, sort, send to new gate and reload your bag on time. :)

No guarantees of course, but given the volume they handle the baggage folks at ATL are pretty efficient. I had a delay once on the inbound that left me with 20 min til my connecting flight departed. I made it, but assumed my bag didn't, so went straight to the baggage office upon arrival to arrange delivery. No need though- my bag actually made it.

In October we missed our connecting flight thru ATL to Aruba flying from Detroit due to mechanical failure delay. We ended up getting re-re-re-booked (long story, felt like the universe really didn't want us to go to Aruba), got to Aruba 11 hours late. Was a travel day from hell involving multiple carriers, 2 extra airports, economy seating vs we paid for first, but we finally got there WITH our bags.

Going on our first cruise in February, can't imagine flying connecting flight, especially thru ATL with that short amount of time to switch planes. Nervous enough of winter weather first week of February....Good luck!

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For those flying on DL, you can use the DL app for your smartphone to check your baggage status. It can scan the barcode on the tag stubs and will report on the status.

Every DL flight scans the tags as they get loaded onto the plane. So if it tracks it with a notation of planeside, that means it got loaded on board (and with a time stamp as well). When you're at your seat, just before departure, give it a check and you can know in advance rather than wait at the carousel.

In my experience, Delta flights can depart from more than one terminal. And these are subject to last minute changes.

Maybe I missed it, but I'm also not sure how you booked your flights, whether they were booked together, and whether you in fact have already bought the tickets or are still considering. If the last, I'd certainly want more than 30 mins. If, as I suspect, the tickets are purchased and you want to know whether to worry then, yes, the answer is worry. When you arrive, check the departure time, and if you missed the connection, to go a Delta customer service desk immediately and get in line.

The minimum connection time is not necessarily the same as feasible connection time. If you booked through the airline (and maybe 3rd parties), and it's more than the minimum connection, then if you miss your connection they'll put you on the next flight with available seats, but this may not be the very next flight. Even if you make the connection, your bags may not (or vice versa), but they should be delivered to your hotel when they do arrive.

Three days after posting and the OP hasn't been back to clarify.

Next real question....??