39 min. transfer in ATL

[Bizzyb]

I am researching flights for our trip to Hilton Head in Sept. I found flights on Delta but the transfer in ATL airport is only 39 min. Is this doable? We are flying out of Seattle, transfer in Atlanta and arrive in Savannah. Thanks for any input.

[Lee B]

If Delta booked you on those flights, i.e. you didn't book one and then book the next one, with fingers crossed, then they think you will make the transfer.

I suggest you call them and talk to a real person (so it will take a while to get through) and ask for an opinion. Use a speaker phone so you don't have to hold it to your ear while you are on hold.

[pedro47]

ATL is a very nice airport and your wait time is not bad.

[Jestjoan]

I think the OP thinks it may be too short a time in such a large airport.

I have done the OJ Simpson run (some tv commercial) through that airport.
I have had Delta say the connection would wait. NOT.

[mdmbdumont]

39 minute connection on a non-WN flight is pretty darn quick. Is it possible you are staying on same plane at it is termination of one flight and start of another? Used to have that with AA in Dallas-Ft. Worth in years past. Looked like you would not be able to make the connection and then the weird thing was...you could not miss it...because it was the same plane...

[BSQ]

it's doable. Chances are your gates are right next to each other. You might want to look at the flights on delta's page and see what terminals and gates they normally fly in and out of.

FWIW, flights are usually late out of Atlanta. If your flight is running just a bit late, they do hold the plane for you.

[Bizzyb]

I checked the times and gates on Delta website for today as an example. The flight from SEA-ATL arrived 20 min early at gate A7 and the flight from ATL-SAV left 1 hour late from gate A32. I think we'll take our chances on this one.
Thanks for your input.

[TerriJ]

You should be OK, I have found the Atlanta airport pretty easy to get around in.

[suesam]

The main concern I would have is would you get your luggage? We had a 40 some minute in FTL last summer, we made it fine. Our luggage did not make it to our destination for another 8 hours. That is no fun.

Atlanta airport is awfully big. I would not try it myself.

Good Luck!
Sue

[ronandjoan]

Originally Posted by Bizzyb

I checked the times and gates on Delta website for today as an example. The flight from SEA-ATL arrived 20 min early at gate A7 and the flight from ATL-SAV left 1 hour late from gate A32. I think we'll take our chances on this one.
.

Hi Bizzy
We fly from SEA through ATL on Delta almost every month. (Yes, and we stay in Renton!)

The most important thing to try to get is a seat up front so you can get out FAST. People lose precious minutes stuck in the back of the plane.

No, agreed that Delta will NOT hold the connecting flight for you no matter what the attendants say, but if they okayed your 39 minute layover, then they do commit to rescheduling you as best they can with no extra charge. Just be patient.

We have found, concerning luggage, that usually the luggage can get from plane to plane faster than we can get from gate to gate. I don; t know how they do it. That doesn;t mean, however, that our luggage has not been delayed several times. Again, patience is a viture here - for your own stress level - HAH - as long as you are not on business and need it for that reason. What you mainly lose is time at the baggage claim waiting and hoping and then time filling out the forms at the Delta baggage office - try to get near that office to be one of the first in line if you begin to fear your luggage is not there. Again, however, Delta has a commitment to get you your luggage ASAP - and they will deliver!

Good luck...and don;t worry about it for your trip- life is too short to worry about those things.....

[Blondie]

Northwest once changed my flight because the law mandated there be at least a 45 min window (or something like that) for connections and my flight was 43 mins. I would be very careful and check. They may just catch it and change the flight anyway.

[fnewman]

If all is running pretty much on time you should have no problem, although it will not leave any time to spare. If flights are running late in ATL because of conditions there, chances are all will, be so you are still ok. If a mjor delay occurs getting out of SEA, you might miss you connection; if so, just rent a car and drive to HHI - you can almost be there by the time you make your connection, get out of the SAV airport and drive there anyway.

Oh Yeah, stop and spend some money in GA while you are here - we can use the tax revenue !!

[Dave M]

Originally Posted by fnewman

If a major delay occurs getting out of SEA, you might miss you connection; if so, just rent a car and drive to HHI...

Not so easily done!

If a passenger misses a connection, the airline will arrange for alternative transportation on a later flight. It's the passenger's responsibility to check with an airline agent to determine what the alternative schedule is. If the passenger misses that onward flight (ATL-SAV in this case), the airline will treat the passenger as a no-show and will cancel the remainder of the itinerary, including the trip back to Seattle!

DL has flights from ATL to SAV about every 90 minutes or so during the day. So it's likely that DL will be able to get you there fairly quickly. However, even if the delay is overnight, don't rent a car and disappear without getting airline approval to skip that ATL-SAV flight.

[sfwilshire]

Murphy's Law ALWAYS gets me in Atlanta. If I have an extra long layover, I'll be going to the next gate. If I have a short one, I'll be going to a different concourse.

I was initially worried about our connection for Hawaii in a couple of weeks since it was in the 30 something minute range. Of course, our flight times have changed so many times (twice so that we were leaving Atlanta before we got there ) that we had about an hour the last time I looked. I'm almost afraid to look again.

Sheila

[fnewman]

Originally Posted by Dave M

Not so easily done!

If a passenger misses a connection, the airline will arrange for alternative transportation on a later flight. It's the passenger's responsibility to check with an airline agent to determine what the alternative schedule is. If the passenger misses that onward flight (ATL-SAV in this case), the airline will treat the passenger as a no-show and will cancel the remainder of the itinerary, including the trip back to Seattle!

DL has flights from ATL to SAV about every 90 minutes or so during the day. So it's likely that DL will be able to get you there fairly quickly. However, even if the delay is overnight, don't rent a car and disappear without getting airline approval to skip that ATL-SAV flight.

Very true - I wasn't suggesting that it should be done without securing your return trip, just that it is not that long a drive if that were to end up being the only alternative to staying in Atlanta.

[camachinist]

Also, for the OP, keep an eye on your reservation, especially around 60 days out, and watch for the connection going below MCT (going illegal) due to a schedule change. If it does, then you can call DL and re-schedule to a more convenient time at no charge.

Schedule changes are one of the biggest friends a pax has these days, what with fees for everything....

Also, as oft chronicled here on TUG, with DL (it just seems to come up more), watch for cancellations. Ouch

Safe travels!

Pat