Is an hour layover enough time in Atlanta?

A one hour layover is never enough at any airport. The slightest delay on your first flight endangers your right to board your second flight. I would accept a one and a half hour layover but prefer two hours for peace of mind.



An hour layover at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) is technically "legal" according to airline standards, but it is extremely tight and leaves very little room for error. ATL is one of the busiest airports in the world, featuring seven parallel concourses connected by an underground "Plane Train." If your arrival gate is at Concourse A and your departure is at Concourse F, it can take 15-20 minutes just to transit between them. If your first flight is delayed even by 15 minutes, you risk missing your connection, especially since boarding usually closes 15 minutes before the scheduled departure time. If you are flying domestically on the same airline (like Delta) and both gates happen to be in the same concourse, an hour is doable. However, for international connections requiring customs or if you are changing airlines, an hour is almost certainly insufficient. Most frequent flyers recommend a minimum of 90 minutes in Atlanta to account for the sheer physical scale of the airport and potential taxiing delays on the runway.

People Also Ask

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.

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The recommended layover time for domestic flights is normally one hour. However, as previously stated, you may require longer if your flights are booked with two different airlines, if you are traveling to a very busy airport or if you require special assistance.

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Recommended minimum connection times
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.

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We will rebook you on the next available flight on Delta at no additional cost. If a Delta flight is unavailable, we will arrange an alternative flight operated by another airline with which we have a ticketing agreement at no additional cost.

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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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45 minutes in Atlanta is not something I would like to do. 40 minutes is the minimum connection time in Atlanta domestic to international.

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Thirty-five minute layover in Atlanta's Hartsfield International airport is sufficient if your flight arrives on time, your not sitting in the rear of the aircraft, your connecting flight is not in another terminal and you don't need a bathroom visit.

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In general, if you are on board, they will hold for late passengers. If you are dashing for it, they won't hold it. Anybody who is persistently anxious about tight connections shouldn't ticket them.

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Generally speaking, most airlines will make some kind of efforts to wait for delayed passengers on a connecting flight, though this is not necessarily guaranteed. In some cases, airlines may be able to hold a connecting flight for a period of time, but it is not something that is typically guaranteed by any airline.

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If a delay in your first flight is the reason you're missing your connection, don't worry too much. Usually, most airlines will rebook you on the next flight, and that too for free. Although, you might have to fly on standby depending on seat availability.

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One hour is VERY TIGHT for a domestic to international connection (it's even tight for domestic to domestic, but much less risky).

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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.

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Flight Connections at ATL
Regardless of where you are traveling to or from, all passengers must pass through Passport Control upon arrival at ATL, and this will be processed within the concourse that you arrive at. All passengers also have to proceed to the baggage claim area to pass through customs.

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Atlanta has a domestic and international terminal with concourses A to F and T. To help you make your connection, once you arrive you will need to clear immigration, collect your bags, check in with the next airline, clear security and head back to the departure area.

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You do not go through customs departing the US. On your return, I would count on it taking 2 hours if you do not have Global Entry or even Mobile Passport. We usually recommend 3 hours for such a connection. It might be shorter, but that builds in a pad for delays or unusually long lines.

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For most domestic layovers, you won't have to go through security again. However, some airports have separate security checkpoints for each terminal, so if you land in one terminal and your next flight is in another, you would have to go through security again.

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Federal Aviation Administration Rule 240 mandated that an airline with a delayed or canceled flight had to transfer passengers to another carrier if the second carrier could get passengers to the destination more quickly than the original airline.

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