Heading to Atlanta Airport? Tips for the Busy Summer Travel Season

Travelers should be prepared for the possibility of long lines to check baggage and go through screening.

Airport authorities recommend that travelers arrive at the airport at least 2 to 2.5 hours before domestic flights and 3 hours before international flights.

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Officials have been working to resolve long wait times at security checkpoints with the Transportation Security Administration, according to Hartsfield-Jackson General Manager Balram Bheodari.

He said the airport has received a commitment from the TSA to increase staffing by an additional 80 full-time equivalent employees in Atlanta, Bheodari said at a recent city council committee meeting. Those additions are in the works, he said.

“We’re seeing some spikes here where we’re reaching 50 minutes” of security wait times due to staffing issues, Bheodari said.

“TSA at headquarters is very aware of this,” he added.

Wait times at Hartsfield-Jackson’s main security checkpoint in the domestic terminal already reached more than 50 minutes this week as lines on Monday morning snaked through the lines and out into the atrium.

If you’re preparing for a trip and plan to beat the crowds at the airport, here are some other things you should know:

Airport MARTA station reopens

After a six-week closure of the MARTA Airport station for floor renovations, the station has reopened and direct rail service to the domestic terminal has resumed.

During the closure, brick pavers were replaced with ceramic tiles on the lower level – a smoother surface for rolling suitcases – while larger tile floors were installed on the upper level.

That being said, the renovation of the Airport MARTA station is still a work in progress and is years away from completion. Many areas of the station are still under construction, including elevators, an escalator, a large wall that will become a mural, and a new location for a ride-sharing store.

MARTA can be a convenient way to get to the airport while avoiding highway traffic and parking issues.

There is long-term parking at some MARTA stations for a daily fee of $5 or $8 per day, including the College Park, Doraville, Lindbergh Center, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs and North Springs stations, according to the MARTA website .

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Prepare for traffic

If you are driving, congestion on highways, around terminal sidewalks, and in parking lots may delay your trip.

On the afternoon of Friday, May 17, for example, Hartsfield-Jackson warned of heavy traffic congestion stretching along Camp Creek Parkway and the interstate, and advised drivers to allow extra time to get to the airport.

If you are picking up visitors, instead of driving around the airport, you can wait for your friends or family at the airport cell phone lot at 1920 Autoport Drive in College Park.

To get there, pay close attention to the signs on the airport roads, which direct those coming from I-85 South to pass through the terminal, following the signs for ATL West Parking/Rental Car Center, staying in the right lane to bypass a loop for cell phone batch.

Parking? Have a plan

During busy periods, airport and off-airport parking lots and lots tend to be crowded, turning away drivers who are forced to circle the airport in search of alternatives as they rush to catch a flight.

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On Tuesday afternoon, for example, the airport’s ATL West deck, International park-ride, North Daily, South Daily and North Economy lots were all full, according to the Hartsfield-Jackson website.

Some people missed trips entirely because they couldn’t find parking.

The problem worsened after Hartsfield-Jackson last October closed the popular South Economy lot to make way for a year-long construction project to build a new parking lot.

It’s a good idea to find out about parking options in advance – and make a reservation. (Or take MARTA.)

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At Hartsfield-Jackson, the airport offers parking reservations for the airport-managed ATL West deck and international terminal lots.

Many off-airport lots accept parking reservations, including The Parking Spot, WallyPark, and PreFlight off Camp Creek Parkway, as well as Peachy Airport Parking north of the airport and FastPark & ​​Relax near the international terminal.

Learn about your options for TSA screening

There’s often no way to avoid lines at security checkpoints, but there are several screening options that can reduce some of the stress.

The airport currently has four passenger screening stations in the domestic terminal.

They are:

The airport sometimes transfers traffic between checkpoints and during certain periods opens a Pre-Check line on the right side of the main checkpoint.

A PreCheck subscription costs $78 or $85 for five years, depending on where you sign up. It allows you to join a PreCheck line, which may be shorter than the standard screening line and gives you the opportunity to avoid the hassle of taking off your shoes and removing your laptop from your bag.

A Clear subscription is much more expensive, with a standard price of $189 for a year to skip the regular queue and join the Clear queue. Can be used with PreCheck or alone.

Delta Digital ID is a fast-track security line for Delta customers who qualify and opt-in, to be processed upon entry to the screening area using facial recognition in lieu of driver’s license or ID verification.

Delta Digital ID is now available at domestic and international terminals at Hartsfield-Jackson, as is PreCheck – although both have limited hours.

United Airlines launched its own PreCheck Touchless ID option at the Hartsfield-Jackson South checkpoint on May 15. It allows those who opt into the United app to also be processed through facial scanning.

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An easier route to baggage claim

After more than two years of construction, new elevators for arriving passengers taking the Plane Train for baggage claim are now operational at Hartsfield-Jackson.

The elevators at baggage claim started operations on May 10. This means that passengers who need an elevator no longer need to get off at Concourse T and then make the trek to baggage claim.

The elevator bank is in front of the escalators that take passengers from the Plane Train tunnel.

Because elevators block the view of people waiting for their friends or family to arrive, Hartsfield-Jackson in mid-April installed a huge video screen that shows passengers on the screen as they ride up the escalators.