In this edition, we will spotlight the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
In 2017 the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was one of the busiest airports in the world with over 100 million passengers each year. In fact, it’s been granted that designation for 20 consecutive years. Since many of our clients traverse this airport, we thought it would be helpful to give you some insight into the airport itself.
First, a little history. Completed in 1980, the airport calls home Atlanta, Georgia and is named after two of Atlanta’s mayors; William B Hartsfield and Maynard Jackson. The land was originally an abandoned auto racktrack called The Atlanta Speedway and later rebranded Candler Field after its former owner, Coca-Cola tycoon and former Atlanta mayor, Asa Candler. In May 1928, Pitcairn Aviation began service to Atlanta, followed in June 1930 by Delta Air Service. Later those two airlines, now known as Eastern Air Lines and Delta Air Lines, respectively, would both use Atlanta as their chief hub.
Currently, the airport has seven concourses between the domestic terminal on the west end and the international terminal on the east end. The concourses are:
- Concourse T (adjacent to the domestic terminal)
- Concourses A-D run closest to farthest from the domestic to the international terminal
- Concourse F (inside the international terminal)
While the airport is a major hub for Delta Air Lines, you can fly on seven domestic and seven international carriers with access to more than 150 U.S. locations non-stop.
To get where you need to go you can use the Plane Train that runs underground in the Transportation Mall which connects not only the concourses and terminals but to baggage claim as well. If you need to get from the domestic terminal to the international terminal, you can also use the terminal-to-terminal bus at no cost.
The Atlanta airport has four main checkpoints: International, Domestic South, Domestic Main and Domestic North. Additionally, there are over 15 airlines servicing the airport that offer TSA PreCheck. If you don’t have TSA PreCheck and have time, you can coordinate a time with one of the two enrollment centers in the Terminal South ticketing area or in Concourse A next to gate A19. Find operational times and more information here.
Have a little time? If you have time to spare you can catch a little shut-eye at the Minute Suites in Concourse B (inside security), schedule a behind-the-scenes tour of the airport, or walk your pooch at one of two dog parks located in the airport. If you are looking to dine, a great article that gives you a summary of all that the airport has to offer can be found here.
Since Atlanta is a hub for Delta Air Lines you’ll find no shortage of Sky Clubs – if fact there’s one in each concourse. American and United each have a club in the T Concourse. If you are not a status member on a major airline, you can access a common-use lounge called The Club at ATL in Concourse F for a fee. Find out more here.
If you are planning (or are forced to spend the night), there are several hotel options that are connected to the airport via the SkyTrain. They are: the Renaissance, Marriott, and Springhill Suites. The SkyTrain also runs from the airport to the Georgia International Convention Center and to the airport rental car center where you can rent from one of ten different rental car companies. Going further afoot? The MARTA station is located nearby the baggage claim area.
Technology is at your fingertips in ATL. WiFi at the airport is free and you can connect in three simple steps – find out how here. We would be remiss if we didn’t add the standard word of caution about using free WiFi and keeping your data safe. If you aren’t using a VPN-type connection, check into turning off file sharing on your device and ensuring the hotspot listed is really the one being offered by the vendor you think it is. Did you know that the airport has it’s own flight tracking app? You can ATL Trak-a-Flight to keep tabs on your flight.
Click Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to see all of the details on the airport.