adequate connection time in Atlanta??

A friend will be traveling from Germany to Atlanta with Delta and then making a connection to Jacksonville, Florida. We were wondering how much time is needed to make this connection in Atlanta, seeing that she would have to clear immigration and US customs before proceeding to the transfer flight. Can anyone help us there?? Thankyou!!

adequate connection time in Atlanta??

Hmmm. I would give it at least 2 hours, but I would be more comforatable with 3. The Atlanta airport is massive and is confusing to many who are not familiar with it. I%26#39;ve helped many lost travelers there and even escorted people to their gates when they seem really confused! Better to wait a bit than to panic about a missed connection!

adequate connection time in Atlanta??

It usually takes 30-45 minutes to clear customs and immigration, then another 10 minutes through security, then another fifteen minutes to get to your departing gate, liberally. I think 2 hours would be sufficient, and would give you extra time in case your plane is late for any reason. It is important to book both flights through the same airline so that if your first flight is delayed you are automatically rolled over to the next available connecting flight.

thankyou for your help here.

The flight we are looking at arrives in Atlanta at 1:10pm from Germany and the connecting flight to Florida is at 3:00pm. The next connecting flight after that is 5:00pm.

So what I am getting from you both is that it might be possible, even with a short delay....to make the 3pm flight? or do you think it is neccessary to wait the extra 2 hours?

While I have not arrived at Atlanta and then gone on to a connecting flight, I tend to have a rule that I would need a minimum of 3 hours between arriving at any US airport, clearing immigration and customs, then going on to a connecting flight. Lines at immigration (for non US citizens) tend be very long at certain times of the year.

I would check with Delta to find out how many flights there are to Jacksonville after your 3PM flight and how full those flights are. This can easily be done online. If you miss your connection they will usually place you on the next flight. If all else fails, you can always rent a car and drive to Jacksonville...it%26#39;s only about 5 and a half to 6 hours.

Good luck!

I totally agree with Moo. Atlanta CAN be difficult, very crowded and it is or used to be the largest airport in the world.

Also, you would need to take under consideration, if your friend is NOT a US citizen, it may move slower for her. Also to consider, the amount of flights arriving at or around that some time. The lines could be very long and security is more thorough now. What if the flight is late?

Once you have cleared all this, your friend will have to recheck his/ her baggage to the intended destination, go through another security just to get into the main transportation area headed for the next gate. Many flight are full and can be difficult to stand-by for. I think you should check with Delta. More is always better than less!