Hartsfield International Airport (ATL)

Hartsfield Atlanta Airport (ATL - LGW). I traveled through Atlanta’s Hartsfield airport for the first time in 2000 on my way home. I arrived a head of time since I was traveling accompanied and over 7 months pregnant. This is a huge airport and one has to travel from one concourse to another depending on the departure gate. To successfully travel through this airport you need patience and I mean plenty of it.

The second time around was in 2001 when I returned to the USA with my 7 month old daughter (AMS- ATL). My friend Robert came to meet us and give us company during the 4 hour lay over. I can still remember how red faced Robert was, he said he did not have the patience to deal with the traffic control guys because they are the rudest people. That aside we arrived and had to pick up our bags from concourse E and go through US immigrations/ customs check point. I wrote about Chicago’s O’Hare being a busy airport, but nothing compared to Hartsfield. Busy becomes Atlanta’s Hartsfield I have never seen a busy place like this: I would seriously be cautious if I were arriving in Atlanta again and I do sincerely caution anyone arriving at Hartsfield airport’s concourse E and has to go through customs. Now remember this was way before 9/11 and the customs people were unbelievably rude. There are three things you need to survive this airport: Patience, Patience and more Patience. O’ the inter concourse trains are not that convenient either, people behave badly on them.

I have done international travel so much that the procedures are apparent. The usual is to go through Immigration, pick up your luggage at whichever carousel your flight bags have been put on, then go through Customs. At many airports one would then simply go to a transit desk if one is taking a connecting flight or leave the airport if this is their final destination. But no tin Atlanta we had to go through a very annoying process of having our big bags stored since we had a connecting flight to Mississippi in a few hours and then check in our hand luggage again through the intra-airport train, and then go through security before boarding the train, then ride the train to the main terminal and wait for one's bags at the baggage carousels, then leave the airport. It took us an hour just to go through customs and get our bags and another 35 minutes to get out of the airport. Thank goodness for Robert I would have lost it having a child on my hands and three huge suitcases. That was the last time I traveled through Atlanta and I avoid using Hartsfield at all costs.I would advise if you have an option, use it.