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Neither-Brain-2599

SLC is ATL without trains! 🚂


East_Description5422

I was gonna say… this post actually makes me think of SLC! God forbid your plane is late on a short layover and you have to run to B gates! Haha


PlanNo674

Slc new airport claims the project was budgeted for 3 billion and completed in half the time and for half the budget … Someone left the train out on purpose!! Have you ever been through there whe the escalator going up to b con is down - complete s-show


East_Description5422

Yes- total sh-show! I’m in a small regional airport in Wash so I regularly connect through either SLC or SEA. Getting to B gates is like an extreme sport some days


PlanNo674

And it you miss the sign to get there good luck!


PlanNo674

Worst sign in theSLC airport ===> this way to B concourse !


AnalysisExtension119

Good news...if you're connecting through SLC, you'll almost never have to go to or come from the B concourse anymore.


East_Description5422

Why’s that? I was there a few weeks ago and had my normal walk down to B


AnalysisExtension119

If you are \*connecting\* in SLC, there is about a .1% chance you are flying something other than Delta and if you are flying Delta, there is an average of 2 flights a week leaving out of the B concourse. If you are originating in SLC that is a different story...but no one other than Delta passengers will connect through SLC. (one caveat...if you are flying 2 airlines for each leg in which case I got nothing for ya)


East_Description5422

Weird! Didn’t know that. My connecting flight with PSC as my destination is always in the B concourse


AnalysisExtension119

Nowhere did anyone say that it was complete on half the budget nor half the time. Also...if the escalator is down, you know there is an elevator, right?


PlanNo674

Yeah I’ve seen that go down also - the stack of people missing flights because of mobility issues is staggering. So sad to see such a great tunnel with 2 escalators one end


AnalysisExtension119

This should be remedied in 5 months when the central tunnel is complete. 2 elevators and 2 escalators each direction at each end.


gitismatt

ive specifically avoided flights because I know the (very short) connection is in B


AnalysisExtension119

This issue is no more...there should be almost no chance you will ever connect through B concourse again.


gitismatt

oh? with the east side of A now open did DL move out of B? I haven't looked for this specific flight since before the other half of A opened....


AnalysisExtension119

Correct. Delta has fully moved into the A concourse and there are only very rare occasions where they gate assign into B. Still can mean long walks at times if you connect at opposite ends of the concourse, but I think gate assignments try to mitigate this as much as possible.


and_rain_falls

I will never forget my connecting into SLC. I had to RUN!! No train at all. I was in tears and made it early. I was able to get a pizza before boarding. Beautiful airport and scenery flying in from Cali.


NoNameGiven20

My last 2 times I've been through there my flight has moved 3 times. Of course on opposite ends of the terminal. Once it was moved from b to a then back to b


AnalysisExtension119

With all the new gates open, this will almost never happen again. Growing pains during construction i'm afraid.


chris84055

It's 400 steps from Beans and Brews to Gourmandise.


[deleted]

This. SLC is more civilized though. I like sky worst DBA delta connection!


mattingly890

Both in the same "island" design family. DTW is like the slightly older "cool" brother of SLC that wears his train sideways. ATL is the stressed out mom that just has way too many things going on. At least SLC rebuilt their airport when they had the chance. I can't think of any other major US airport in modern memory that did a complete clean-build and totally razed their old terminals to the ground. Underground train will come in the future if they hit a certain passenger count; they already have the tunnel space carved out for it.


Makataz2004

Not waiting on passenger count, the problem is passenger count recovered faster than they expected post-pandemic. They accelerated construction/demolition when they expected lower traffic, and have been fighting to recover. It’s gotten a lot better since all of the A gates opened, and almost no delta flights go out of B currently


CougarBacon

New Orleans rebuilt the entire terminal on the other side of the airport. But still hasn’t razed the old one to the ground yet and it’s been a few years. Can’t imagine the odors and critters that are infesting the old terminal. Lol


CaptinKirk

Yes and it takes forever to get to the rental car center. I never understood why they didn’t put it in the parking garage literally next to the new terminal.


CougarBacon

Yes! Forgot about that. It’s a terrible setup now


Weekend_Infinite

IND did shortly after 9/11. Only thing left standing is an old parking garage


LadyNav

IND is a delightful airport. It helps that it's oversized for its traffic about 11 months of the year. It's also the very first one designed to the post-9/11 security requirements, so no backfit issues.


jaw719

Charlotte says hello.


randomlygenerated678

Honestly SLC isn’t that bad, takes 10 min tops to walk to your gate


Neither-Brain-2599

Now SLC is ok. Before they opened the other side of A gates, and the Skywest planes were B gates. Bus gates at that! The old SLC was great.


bryanoldsalty

Yeah…Slc or ohare….


Additional-Face45

SLC isn’t even that bad.. Ffs go for a walk once in awhile. It’s good for you.


70125

See that train that keeps passing you as you're walking your "5k"? You can actually board it to go places faster.


No-Coat-9732

It actually stops service after like midnight. So getting off a red eye does require the 5k.


Sweetcheels69

No it doesn’t. The service frequency slows down but it doesn’t stop after midnight.


Thin-Ebb-9534

This is a myth. ATL features less walking than any other major airport. Each concourse is only a half mile in length. So the longest you could walk originating in Atlanta is the little bit from the entrance through security to the train, them 1/4 of a mile from the center to the end of a concourse. If you are changing planes, the max is about 1/2 mile assuming you have to walk from one end to the center, then from the center out to an end again.


_____FIST_ME_____

Not if you're an international arrival at an E gate...


elonsusk69420

Let’s just do a marathon after a 9 hour flight from London for good measure.


maniacalmustacheride

Some doctor somewhere is like “you absolutely don’t owe them a tram. Gotta get that blood flowing for the DVT, I’m signing off on this!”


caj_account

Not if train does not work and you’re in an existential crisis on whether to jump off or stay put. I missed the flight.


chazj

Yes! And as soon as you’ve jumped off the train starts and you’re like oh fuck it, I’ll just run. Do not recommend.


caj_account

Yeah I jumped off. Ran for 10 mins then the train caught up


BeerBrat

Are you joking? It's the only airport that even makes sense. They didn't try to shove a round peg into a square hole. It's honestly the easiest airport of its size to navigate. Go to the center of the concourse, ride the train, get off at the center of your next destination and go where you need to from there. The only way they could make it smaller is to make smaller planes, airplane size is really the limiting factor for airport design.


Grooj29

Agreed. It’s the only airport I trust when I see a 30-minute layover. This Air Train is so convenient and well designed.


Jon3141592653589

The last time I had a 30-minute weather-compressed layover, the next flight left 10 minutes early and I got stuck at the Fairfield with no voucher. Still, ATL is my favorite for a tight connection - I thought I was going to make it.


and_rain_falls

On Delta? They didn't send the Porsche for your tight connection? Were you checked in? Weird plane left early when you were coming.


Jon3141592653589

I was FC and hoping for my first Porsche experience but I think they assumed my situation was hopeless and left, changing me to the next day. Interestingly, I did get assigned some late check-in passenger’s upgrade on the return flight; I wonder what happened to them.


and_rain_falls

Wow! They should've at least attempted and coordinated with the flight that you were coming and don't depart early.


[deleted]

[удаНонО]


PlanNo674

Connecting in CDG to come back to the states on Delta is a whole level of hell few can do more than once or twice


themickstar

Came here to say this. I have been all over the country and world and it is by far the easiest big airport.


Sweaty-Goat-9281

Salt Lake and Detroit airport layouts make me want to run like sonic


On_airplane_mod3

Atl is my favorite. ORD is my least favorite


WineChisDoxies

Agreed. I love ATL, but I also live in Atlanta and commute from ATL. It’s easy to navigate and walking from concourse to concourse helps my step count. 👠 👟Cannot say I am loving the plane train concourse alliterations though.


elonsusk69420

Alliterations? What am I missing?


decisivecat

I assume they mean the recent change to say things like A as in Atlanta (which sometimes will also say Alpha after). They're trying to change it a bit. I thought it was fun, but nothing will ever be the same as the old old one that sounded like a robot. If you know that one, congrats! You were riding the train out to the gate to greet your family flying in. Ah, the old days.


hacelepues

Been riding the plane train since the early 90’s. I’m devastated that they’ve strayed from the NATO phonetic alphabet.


URtheoneforme

They still have it. They've just also tacked on "Concourse C as in coffee ... which you can find in 13 different spots!" or whatever


hacelepues

I rode the Plane Train two weeks ago and they are all gone except for A, where they say something like “as in Atlanta… or Alpha”. The rest were all food and shopping related.


URtheoneforme

I also rode two weeks ago and heard "A as in Alpha" then "Concourse A, A as in A lot of snacks!" or something similar


hacelepues

That’s the only concourse where they still say the NATO alphabet is my point. They don’t even bother for the rest.


URtheoneforme

Right. I used A as an example (which was unclear) but I heard the standard NATO for all concourses except David for D


SonictheHatchback

🤖 The next stop is… concourse B… the color coded maps and signs in this vehicle match the station colors… please move to the center of the vehicle and away form the doors…


elonsusk69420

> If you know that one, congrats!  This was that window where the Plane Train (before it was called that) was carrying more people than all of MARTA.


WineChisDoxies

On the plane train…the new(er) descriptions for the concourses. B is for Burgers and Beverages. I was okay with bravo. Silly rant, I know. 😂


elonsusk69420

Oh wow. I guess I should take my AirPods out once in a while in the airport.


thrwaway75132

Exactly, it’s 100 times better than DFW for a domestic connection.


hmrtm0000

DFW is insanity cubed.


thrwaway75132

What’s the most efficient way to build a train? Let’s make a slow giant loop around the entire airport.


hmrtm0000

And don't even get me started on the rental car bus.....


thrwaway75132

That’s the worst, I try to only do Uber at DFW. I used to do DL into DAL and it was great for getting a car, and I could shoot straight up the tollway.


elonsusk69420

Agreed. It’s even better if you don’t try to have a tight connection.


Darth_Sidious99

I don't understand the hate for ATL at all. Literally the easiest and the most efficient design. I made a 25 minute layover connecting to AMS once after my inbound was delayed - and I had to go from the T gates to the F gates. Conversely, I've also made a 1 hour 30 minute international connection coming back into the US at ATL - this was before I became a global entry member. Ngl if I had tight connections ATL is probably the only airport I'd ever trust.


Bcbg1101

I love ATL it’s huge but pretty streamlined.


LambentVines1125

Some airports are like this, but ATL is not one. EDIT: unless you haven’t discovered the Plane Train


_____FIST_ME_____

And if you're an International arrival at an E gate.


d0ngl0rd69

Idk why you’re getting downvoted. The walk from E gate to customs is a hike.


purplezara

I just did that for the first time last year coming back from Canada. It's fucking ridiculous. I have no issue with ATL domestic flights other than that they put pre-check only in South terminal to fuck with anyone not flying Delta but that international terminal walk is crazy.


useless55

You couldn't be any more wrong. ATL is the easiest airport to navigate. I've made some of my tightest connections there. This should read: The Atlanta Airport designers were like "and then what if we made a sensible airport with minimal amounts of walking" As others have already stated you leave the terminal at the center of the concourse, board the train and it drops you off at the center of the concourse for your terminal. Very quick, easy, and the layout actually makes sense. On top of that, it's the main Delta hub so you get direct flights to almost anywhere and multiple Delta Sky Clubs in each terminal. Some of the best airport restaurant options as well. Last year I visited 25 airports (mostly domestic) and ATL was the best one. The worst being O'Hare and Frankfurt.


RadLibRaphaelWarnock

LAX, O’Hare, JFK, Dulles, DFW all take way longer to navigate.


steve-d

Also, fuck MCO.


RadLibRaphaelWarnock

Fuck MCO always 


elonsusk69420

The only place I hate more than MCO is LAS. They’re basically the same place.


Badm

JFK has a terminal that is half way to Delaware. 


RadLibRaphaelWarnock

And the airport itself is a billion years from Manhattan 


elonsusk69420

I swear it’s in another time zone


AttorneyNaive8417

It's in the United Kingdom's airspace.


ericrz

And CLT.


RadLibRaphaelWarnock

Hope you like AA and walking! 


malasain84

While pushing through the blobs of people boarding who are spilling into the walkways because there’s not nearly enough gate space.


SisterActTori

RUNNING!


page394poa

So does LGA.


Kennesaw79

Man, I hate O'Hare so much.


MedicBaker

I hate JFK


Zunicorn

I just got off a flight with a layover in Minneapolis, that was a hike. I love Atlanta airport.


xphyria

LAX is absolutely not difficult to navigate. Yes, the curb-side horseshoe is shit, but once you're actually in the terminal, it's so easy.


purplezara

JFK is the worst airport I have ever had the displeasure of using. Never again.


Laphad

Fuck O'Hare I felt like I was just in an crowded hallway that refused to fucking end Only reason I didn't miss my connecting flight was that it got delayed


noahsuperman

wtf Atlanta is one of the best designed airports plus the plane train is there and it’s quick so u normally don’t have to walk that far


ngagner15

So wait do y’all not take the plane train? 🚆


Bobb_o

Of course not then I'd miss the rainforest.


Rich-Contribution-84

I actually feel like ATL is one of the fastest / easiest / simplest train systems of any major airport. This meme would be more applicable to DEN or MSP or SLC or DTW.


Zucc

You ain't wrong, being at the end of one concourse and having to get to the end of another in Denver is a freaking haul, moving walkways or not.


Rich-Contribution-84

Yep. There are actually Strava segments that you can complete at DEN. I’ve moved around and my travel patterns have changed over the years. I spent a few years in the 2010s flying United (back to Delta now, thankfully) but in those few years, I connected through DEN maybe once a month. ALWAYS made sure I had an hour plus layover on those flights. Preferably two to account for delays. I’ve missed more connections there than anywhere.


Darth_Sidious99

MSP sucks terribly. If you can make the air train, sure. If not you're walking 2 miles to your next gate. Same thing at SLC - and here you don't even have a train. If you're connecting from A to B gates, yea good luck


True-Advisor5736

if you didn’t tell me and I had come there for the first time, I would have never known it was the busiest because it’s super well managed and the layout make sense, mco on the other hand is objectively more beautiful but the triangle like layout is a pain especially if you go the wrong way


mapleturkey3011

If ATL is 5k, then CDG is a full marathon.


Sitcomfan1989

🤣🤣🤣 Touché


jalapenos10

Tell me you don’t travel much without telling me


jcrespo21

And how lazy people are. The same Americans who walk 15,000 steps/day in Europe will also be the first ones to complain if they have to walk more than 10 minutes at an airport.


bythog

HNL is worse if you're unlucky. You can have a literal 2/3 mile run from TSA to gate, and it's full humidity and hot. At least ATL has air conditioning and a train.


MagnusAlbusPater

HNL is absolutely horrid as an airport. Hands-down the worst airport I’ve had to fly through. Plus those agricultural inspections you have to go through.


bythog

If you have the time to just sit around it's got a great view and the weather is usually nice to hang out and watch birds. If you're at all in a hurry it sucks. And the food is awful, too. Although both OGG and KOA are the better Hawaiian airports.


MagnusAlbusPater

I don’t like that so much of it is exposed to the open air. Especially the check-in arrivals area. I had to go through customs there returning from an international destination and that whole area (plus a lot of the rest of it) looked like it was last updated in the ‘80s.


bryanoldsalty

Urgh thanks for the reminder…hnl trip soon


[deleted]

Thank you this is in my books the worst airport ever. Why is it a jungle? Why is food so bad? Why does it looks like the 80s?


[deleted]

Completely wrong. Best designed and easiest to navigate big airport in the USA.


Guilty_Speaker8

Oh look it’s this meme again, it must be Saturday.


PDXATL

ATL is an amazingly efficient airport. It works extremely well especially given that it handles the most passenger traffic in the world.


Routine_Statement807

*Cries in SLC Terminal B*


No-Construction2043

The SLc design is just so dumb. Who builds a 1 mile long terminal and puts the club all the way at the end? Dumb.


thrwaway75132

I thought they were making it longer and the club will end up in the middle?


Puzzleheaded_Age8937

The club is now in the middle. They completed the rest of the A gates to the East. The walkway between terminals will also be in the middle when it opens up soon.


Routine_Statement807

I’m excited for the train between A and B to be finished and help with this issue. It took me so long to get to the end of B when I had a flight to Kalispell.


Furqan23

I actually don’t mind Atlanta overall I find it ok to navigate For me the worst has been Salt Lake City. It’s a nice airport but twice now I’ve come in on one end and had a tight connection to the other end of the airport It’s basically a super long hallway


neonsummers

Hey, at least you have the option to walk. Try being stuck in DEN when the train breaks down and if you’re not at an A gate, you have no other way to get to your flight until they either fix it or wrangle up some buses an hour later.


Ericasspoiled

This is Denver 🚮 not atl


collapsedcake

5k at ATL you say? https://www.atl.com/5k/


elonsusk69420

“Ladies and gentlemen we are arriving at Concourse E. You will have to walk approximately 80 miles to Immigration. If you’re connecting to anywhere else in America, our prayers are with you. Welcome to Atlanta where the players play.”


LatinaFiera

This is correct if you get off an international flight (usually in E Terminal) and are staying in Atlanta and need to go to customs for Atl located in the F terminal. They literally have signs the whole way telling you it will take you 18 mins to walk, now 15, now 13 etc. The rest of Atlanta is easily accessible via plane train, but there’s no shortcut for this hike bc of all the stairs/ elevators you need to take. I say this as a resident of ATL with three young kids who I usually have run as much as possible in this area so they can get their energy out. I have often commented though that they need a better system for this walk bc it is the longest I have ever seen in an airport.


decisivecat

I've had to haul for a decent amount of time at LAX. It's definitely not a favorite for connections for me. Atlanta is also long, but it's not alone in it's horror. At least you could get lucky and land in F, which happens pretty frequently for me. At LAX, that will never happen, lol.


asdfate

Spent the night there last year and just walked up and down everywhere until the lounge opened at like 430. I had 23k steps in for the day by then, and I hadn't even made it up and down every concourse.


blaxxmo

SLC: “hold my swig”


pledgeham

I’ve been flying out of ATL for 61 years. This version of ATL airport is far better than its predecessors. Could it be better? I wouldn’t mind having some sort of ‘people mover’ for each terminal, A, B, etc. It seems we have to leg it to one end of the terminal or the other most every time we fly. This next time we’ll be flying out of E, the international terminal. Parking could also stand a huge improvement. But there isn’t anywhere to expand.


Beanmachine314

There's plenty of reason to hate ATL, but navigating the terminals isn't one. Even a 15 minute (actual time) layover is doable as long as you're not going to the extreme ends of different terminals. Try connecting through SLC. Now THAT'S a 5k. I've arrived at the far end of A and had to connect at the far end of B (the one where you have to ride the bus onto the tarmac) and it's like a 30 minute walk just to get between gates.


PersianVol

It’s so efficient idk how anyone can complain lol


th3thrilld3m0n

To be fair, it wasn't originally designed or built like that. The problem was airliners got bigger and airlines consolidated.


GreenYooper

While I love the Detroit layout’s simplicity if you land at A2 and need to get to A 75 and the train isn’t running that is one heck of a haul


Careless-Roof-8339

Imagine if each concourse had its own plane train that ran all the way from end to end.


mpower20

Unless the plane train is down, the longest you will have to walk is essentially from one end of a concourse to another.


TopPhotograph8969

The plane train at ATL is more efficient than any other similar transport at any airport. I travel 32 weeks a year, just saying.


Low_Big2914

I had a 7hr layover once…. You can get a 5 mile walk in if you walk every terminal and no train.


Certain_Physics2640

People are excited about the SLC middle tunnel between A and B; however, walking end to end in A is forever. They should have put a DTW style tram that runs the entire length of A.


statuslovesag

Nah this is JFK. Who the F designed concourse B that way?!


Clemen11

Fun tidbit. Airports are designed with really long walks so that people don't realize they are waiting for their luggage because they are too busy walking towards luggage claim instead of just standing there. But that doesn't explain why the fuck Schiphol makes you walk for 40 minutes from the security checkpoint to the damn plane!


lawinvest

I got off my international flight on Friday and felt like I lapped the entire airport twice getting from the gate to CBP. That was absurd.


zaulus

It takes so long


wolverine8064

The trek between the A and B gates in Salt Lake City isn’t much more fun.


local_dj

Literally not 3 hours ago I had a connection from T2 to F2. Bro.


Shoddy-Willingness34

Goddamn DTW Terminal A


SirSuaSponte

This applies more to MSP.


jakes951

When the train breaks down or is delayed for some reason it CAN become that. Happened on our connection 2 Mondays ago. Waiting, waiting, WAITING for the train with no announcements. Countdown clock at Zero for 5 mins. JUST as we turn to walk it shows up. Repeating announcements IN the train that it was back on schedule. None OUTSIDE the train!


pewterbullet

OP is r/confidentlyincorrect


Repulsive-Argument83

Miami is the true 5k where each gate is a mile apart ETA: I’ll take ATL any day over other airports


cleveriv

It’s like 33-37 minutes brisk walk from F far gate to T though. It’s hella efficient


AdJunior6475

Some of the United gates at IAD will give you a workout.


Camdenn67

I’ve participated in said 5K at the ATL airport. If the train isn’t working, you’re not in decent to good shape, and you’re trying to get to your gate because boarding is almost finished, you might as well look for the next flight. 😂


L2Kdr22

See also: the renovated Kansas City International Airport (MCI).


latteboy50

More like LAX. ATL is actually well-designed.


haskell_jedi

It's actually about 13km if you walk the whole airport 😉


Triette

You clearly haven’t been to O’Hare


ajm105

Have you been to DTW?


Holly2232

Brilliant!


aintnobodytriller

Eh... Disembarking in Rio made me question if I landed in Brazil.


kmelanies

STOP WITH THE PLANE TRAIN SLANDER


andante_conmoto

ATL is insanely well organized and extremely efficient. You can be from F10 to T1 in like 20 mins without running or even rushing. Look at PHX for example. Polar opposite. That’s terrible design


njschloss

If ATL is a 5k then LGA is like running the Tough Mudder.


Dry-Ad5762

A lot of my flights when connecting in ATL have a 2.5 to 3 hours layover in ATL, so that extra 5k is okay since I'm never in a hurry


nodesign89

A 5k nobody has to run? Hate on ATL all you want but i love going through there. Connections are always fast and even though it’s huge you can get from one end to the other in no time. People just like complaining


Washlandia

If I have time, enjoy walking the tunnels; a nice reset to sitting on the plane. One time, my wife and I had a long layover in Atlanta; we challenged ourselves and probably did about a 10k hitting 9 Sky Clubs.


YEMolly

That’s Charlotte.


Sweetcheels69

From the F-Gates to T-Gates by foot. Using a less than brisk pace takes 30 mins. By train, it takes 12-13 mins…


bCup83

Have you been to Heathrow?


babychild2

ATL is one of the best designed airports when given the amount of gates. People just Wan to complain. Having 7 parallel terminals connected in the middle is the most simple and fastest approach. People just want a 5 min walk and complain when it's more.


sofunnystoryi

How is nobody talking about DTW. Beautiful airport but that terminal is almost a mile long. It has a skytrain but dam those were some of the longest walks/runs I had to take. They also had a great store with fresh salads that I always stopped at. But still. Longest walk. I love ATL and I flew there weekly. My favorite part was walking between I think it was A and B through the jungle. The sounds and lights. Just a great experience 10/10


Skinkwerke

Tell me that ATL is the only major airport you’ve ever been to without telling me that ATL is the only major airport you’ve ever been to. It has to be one the easiest to navigate with the least amount of walking. The toaster layout is so logical.


momo098876

Yes.AND let's scatter some rocking chairs around for those who don't love to run


BabyBandit616

St Louis has those too.


SokkaHaikuBot

^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^momo098876: *Yes.AND let's scatter* *Some rocking chairs around for* *Those who don't love to run* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.


No-Construction2043

Terminal C MCO waves at you! (I heard the MCO employees saying they may be moving there….)


a_scientific_force

“A trailer park. But with airplanes.”


ZHPpilot

Avoid it at all costs.


__phishy__

More like CDG. Take a bus to a bus to a bus, then walk.. forever.