ATLAirport Guide

Connecting through ATL on Delta: how it works

Delta Help Desks sit in five ATL concourses and the Plane Train waits under two minutes. See Delta's desks, Sky Club hours and what's unpublished.

An empty platform of the underground shuttle train at Atlanta airport, with one stainless-steel door open onto an empty car.
Underground shuttle train platform, Atlanta airport

Atlanta is Delta’s hub, but neither Delta nor ATL publishes a minimum connection time for it. ATL does publish two things to plan around. Its article on the Plane Train puts the wait at 108 seconds if you reach a train as its doors are closing. Its directory lists Delta Help Desks in five concourses.

Where Delta’s desks and clubs are

ATL’s directory doesn’t say which gates Delta uses, and our Delta page lists Delta’s check-in locations. The directory does list a Delta Sky Club in every concourse. Our terminals page lists each concourse’s gates.

Concourse Delta Help Desk Delta Sky Club
T None listed Near Gate T7, daily 4:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
A South of center Center, daily 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and next to Gate A17, daily 5:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
B Center Near Gate B18, daily 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
C Near Gate C40 Next to Gate C37, daily 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
D None listed Center, daily 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
E Center Center, daily 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
F Next to Gate F6 Level 2, west of center, daily 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.

ATL’s amenities page gives two clubs different figures. It puts the T club near Gate T6, open 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., and the A17 club at 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Delta’s map places the D club at D Centerpoint near Gate D18, while ATL’s amenities page says near Gate D16.

ATL gives no hours for the help desks and doesn’t say what each one handles.

How the Plane Train fits a tight connection

The Plane Train is the automated underground train that runs to every concourse, and ATL calls it a 24-hour operation. Concourse T adjoins the Domestic Terminal and Concourse F adjoins the International Terminal. Concourses A, B, C, D and E are separate buildings out on the airfield. A Plane Train connection has four parts:

  1. The walk from your arriving gate to the nearest station
  2. The wait for a train
  3. The ride between concourses
  4. The walk from the station to your next gate

ATL publishes no ride time between concourses and no walking time to or from a station. That leaves parts 1, 3 and 4 unmeasured. With a short layover, find where your arriving and departing gates sit before you land. Our flights page doesn’t show live gates, so use your airline’s app for today’s. ATL’s own flight search covers arrivals and departures, and ATL says to confirm gate assignments with your airline. Our Plane Train guide covers riding the train and walking between concourses.

Connecting from an international flight

The International Terminal has Delta check-in and security on its departures level. A free shuttle leaves from the curb outside the terminal and drops passengers at the west end of the Domestic Terminal. The Plane Train also runs from the International Terminal to the Domestic Terminal. Delta’s Atlanta airport page has a video of International Arrivals, from deplaning to customs. Our International Terminal guide describes the terminal, and our shuttle page has the shuttle stop.

If you miss the connection

Delta’s page on delayed or canceled flights says that when a misconnect is within its control, it may be able to provide a hotel (based on availability), ground transportation to and from the hotel and meal vouchers. It tells you to check with a Delta agent at the airport. The Fly Delta app’s Today Mode shows your boarding pass and baggage tracker. Delta’s help center lists 800-221-1212 for general sales and services. For flight information it lists 800-325-1999.

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