Hartsfield - The Biggest and the Best (Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport ATL)

Member Name: Rocawear

Product:	Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport ATL
Date:	13/02/02 (168 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Awesome, Food, Shops

Disadvantages: Baggage!!!

having passed through Atlanta's Hartsfield International Airport on no less than 5 occasions in the last 18 months it is beginning to feel like home!!

My first experience with the monstrous complex was in the summer of 2000, my first voyage to the free world, or America at least. On my way to visit my dad who lived in Virginia at the time. Before i embarked on my solo voyage to Virginia my dad had told me the first thing to do at Atlanta was to get help as soon as i touched solid ground, warning me that it was an impossible labrynth of gates and departure lounges.

No way was thisintrepid explorer asking for help, so off i trundled to the immigration queues, and damn, make sure you leggit when you leave the plane, no joke, there must have been at least 4 international flights landed within 10 minutes of each other and the immigration complex was a nightmare. Using the medical excuses i have been somewhat blessed with i was soon being escorted to the front of the queue by the biggest guy i've ever seen, with an awesome armoury attached he looked more like Arnie out of Commando!!!

After you battle your way through the hordes and the 100 questions at the immigration desk (when you get there) you then go down a series of escalators to the baggage reclaim area. Bearing in mind that Atlanta is world renowed for its ability to lose bags, you make your way to the correct baggage thingy!! Don't be surprised if someone, a helper, takes some bags off in order to reduce the congestion on the rail, if you don't see your bag after they have all come out, don't immediately panic, just wander around the rail and chances are you will see it.

Onto customs, which isn't really efficient to say the least, on my most recent trip (after sept 11) the guy at the customs desk called me by the wrong name even though it was written right in front of him, he didn't ask any questions and just waved me through.

If you
don't have a connecting flight you finished here, you walk out of the gate and through the doors into the lobby area where you can meet friends or get a cab or whatever.

For those of us who have got connecting flights, hold on tight.

After customs is another baggage area, this time they take it off you and send it on its way to the nest plane you will be travelling on and they book you onto the remainder of your flights. You then go have to work out where you need to go.

Atlanta International has 4 terminals, accessible by train for the most part as they are quite far apart. So you find out firstly which terminal you need. You then go downstairs and catch the train, which is provided free of charge. Once you get to the required terminal you get off and go back upstairs, from here its just like normal you find the correct gate and go and wait in the departure lounge, making sure you always watch the tv screen, because they frequently change the departure gate, and frequently forget to announce it.

The aiport itself is awesome, its almost a mall whe you get inside, with all manner of shops and several different restaurants, handy when your stuck there for a while!!!

The Staff at the airport are very patient and willing to help, and to relieve you of dollars in exchange for help!!!! remember you have to tip everyone out here!!!

having traveled through Atlanta airport several times i have to say that on the whole it is an awesome airport, when you fly in on a clear day you really see it in all its grandure and it deserves the recognition it gets, maybe not for losing bags, not on any occasion i have flown any way.

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