The short answer (based on my own personal experience) is that the minimum connection time for domestic flights in Atlanta is 35 minutes. It doesn't matter what terminal you arrive at and what terminal you're departing from. 35 minutes is doable. Anything less than that, not so much.
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The recommended layover time for international flights is generally longer, as you will have to go through customs and immigration before boarding your next flight. In most cases, a 30-minute layover for domestic flights and an hour for international flights is considered a minimum, or short, layover.
40 minutes is almost never enough time for a layover in Atlanta. Even if you arrive right on time, and your next flight is one gate over from your incoming flight, the Atlanta airport's ability to transfer baggage from one plane to another very often exceeds 40 minutes.
The bus ride between the terminals takes about 15 minutes. In addition, the International Terminal Connector provides service between the International Terminal and the Car Rental Center and runs approximately every 15 minutes.
It varies. They will often wait a little while, especially if it's the last flight of the day and even moreso if there are multiple passengers making the same connection. I've had Delta wait for me after inbound connection delays on several occasions.
If you missed your connecting flight due to a short layover, the airline will book you on the next flight free of charge as long as the connecting flight is part of the same ticket.
What happens if a flight is delayed and you miss your connection? If you miss your connection due to a delay, usually the airline is responsible for providing you with a replacement flight to your destination. They will have to book you on the earliest possible flight available.
But many travel advisers say those guidelines result in itineraries that don't always work for passengers. “On average, 35 minutes is what they consider a legal connection,” said Loulu Lima founder of the Texas-based travel agency Book Here Give Here.
Delta Air Lines occupies the South Terminal with its own curbside check-in and baggage claim area. Other domestic airlines, such as Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and JetBlue Airways, operate out of the North Terminal with a baggage claim area and check-in facilities.
Delta: 30-minute minimum connection time. Southwest: At least 30 minutes if you have checked bags. United: 30-minute minimum for domestic, 60 minutes for international.
This average wait time is based on the current time (Pacific Standard Time). Please expect to wait up to at least (13 mins) on average to go through security checkpoints at ATL.
Two hours. Mayers recommends two hours as a standard buffer between flights to be safe. This gives you a cushion in case things go wrong during your journey. You'll definitely want at least a two-hour window if you've booked a “hacker fare,” as opposed to flying with the same airline your entire trip.
Most airlines don't charge an outright fee for missed flights. Of course, that doesn't say anything about the lost value of your unused ticket. But you don't have to worry about additional fees on top of the original cost of your flight.
In a passenger context, MCT is defined as the shortest time interval required in order to transfer a passenger and his luggage from one flight to a connecting flight, in a specific location or metropolitan area.
As a rule of thumb, on domestic routes, you need a minimum of 45 minutes between flights. That's because you don't have to go through security, customs, and immigration. This question has been answered many times before.
If your flights were booked under one ticket, your bags will be checked through to your final destination. If your flights were booked under separate tickets, you will need to collect your bags and recheck them before your connecting flight.