DLvsWN wrote:2travel2know2 wrote:Polot wrote:What ATL hasn’t really figured-out is the bus transfer between Car Rental Centre and the International terminal (F gates).ATL is normal now after F opened. Destination pax just walk out of F after going through customs no need to go through a security checkpoint. It was also like that before E opened in the 90s, when T was the international concourse.
At times, to go between International Terminal and Car Rental Centre is actually better to change @ Domestic Terminal for the ATL rail to Car Rental Center.
They haven't figured out the busses between International and Domestic in general. I often take the rental car bus and then the Skytrain over to domestic/MARTA--it all depends on the wait and traffic situation once I arrive at F.
F is the big "airport mistake" at ATL:
- A more permanent solution to get between International and Domestic while staying landside is needed. Above, through, around, or under: there needs to be something better than a pathetic little shuttle bus that gets stuck in traffic. My first time (I suspect) getting Covid was on that silly little bus the day before Thanksgiving--we were stuck in holiday traffic for almost an hour. I took the bus to retrieve the car, and nobody else from my family (who stayed behind at F with the luggage) caught Covid.
- Further, the International terminal isn't up to snuff in general: traffic was backed up probably 500' to get to the curb and drop off my wife at Departures at 6:30 this morning, which is a very slow time of day for international departures. In the evenings, the Arrivals area can have easily a 30 minute wait to get to the curb for pick up.
- The walk from E is also hellacious. I'm surprised Delta hasn't raised more of a fuss about this. If you're flying into ATL on BA/LH/QR/AC etc you'll almost certainly fly into F and have a very short walk to customs. On Delta, it's about 80% that you'll wind up in E and walk the better part of a mile. Frontier pax actually get shafted even worse but nobody really cares about them, including Frontier.
- Fixing this is extremely difficult, given the sunk cost of investment and facility layout already made. They really need landside access between Domestic, E, and F. Not gonna happen (although the most clever idea I've heard for this is a cable car between the terminals, like a ski resort).
Instead, a "Terminal 2" like MSP for all non-Skyteam airlines with separate customs facilities, south of the main airport area, seems like the solution. Extend the Skytrain from Domestic down to Terminal 2 then back up to International as part of the project. Solves all problems in one fell swoop...except the walk from E to F. At least more DL flights would arrive in F after that.
What would really work for ATL, but I’ll be cost $$, is a 2nd ATL rail line between Domestic Terminal and International Terminal with stops at Delta HQ (N Inner Loop with Delta Blvd) and International Park-n-Drive. Trains would go between Car Rental Centre and International Terminal with stop at Domestic terminal.