Wednesday, Clyde left our house in the morning, went to Prague, took a flight to Hawaii, came back to Atlanta, went through customs and passport control, and ended up back home just after lunch.
Super-sonic jet? Teleportation? Nope. Instead, Clyde was one of several hundred people participating in a passenger experience exercise out at the new International terminal at Atlanta’s Hartsfield Jackson Airport.
The world’s biggest airport just got bigger — and, as a result, getting there just got more complicated. To get to the airport, you used to take I-85. Now, you have a decision to make. Domestic? I-85. International? You’ll need to take I-75 instead. Yep — our airport’s so big, it takes two Interstates to get there.
If you prefer to avoid the Interstate all together, you can still take MARTA rail to the airport … but since the line dead-ends at the domestic terminal, international passengers will now have to board a shuttle bus to Terminal F. (This is particularly odd, given that the “Plane Train” — the underground railway that connects all terminals together — has been expanded to link the domestic and international terminals together.)
Clyde’s instructions, though, told him to drive in. Apart from a little weirdness due to the complete lack of signage (something expected to change before the terminal officially opens on May 16), he arrived at his destination without a hitch. He parked in the new 1,100-car parking lot — a luxury that will cost actual passengers thirty-six bucks per day.
The convenience, though, may be worth the price, given that the lot’s design makes getting into the terminal about as fast and easy as it used to be in pre-9-11 days. “If you’re being dropped off by car or taxi,” Clyde noted, “you’ll be able to walk right in. It’ll be incredibly convenient. But if you’re taking MARTA or parking in the cheap spots, be prepared for some hassle.”
Once inside, Clyde found that the new terminal — with its towering ceilings, graceful curves, and gigantic windows — reminded him of the international terminal in Korea’s Incheon Airport. No dark, long tunnels here; instead, everything feels bright and open … more like a stadium or high-tech mall than an airport. Clyde was surprised, though, at how small the new terminal really was. There are, after all, only twelve gates here (though these can be converted to sixteen gates if incoming aircraft are narrow-body jets).
In addition to instructions to catch a “flight” to Prague, Clyde’s instructions had him looking for two specific landmarks: the family bathroom (which I still think is a pretty weird concept) and, of all things, the designated smoking area. He located both pretty quickly, and was happy with how the smoking area has been integrated into the terminal’s design. “You know how, in the older parts of the airport, you have to walk by the stinky, smelly smoking rooms? In the new terminal, the smoking room is at the far end of a long hallway that goes to the smoking room … and nowhere else.”
Clyde’s instructions had him taking Delta flights. “And if you’re looking for Delta, you’ll have an easy time of it, because almost all the flights out are Delta flights.” Fellow passengers on alternative airlines — like the people Clyde met who were taking virtual flights on AirTran — said they had a bit of trouble finding their gates.
Food service hasn’t opened yet, though Clyde did spy signage for The Varsity and El Taco. More enticing, though, was the huge new Delta Sky Club — but it was also dark, empty, and locked up. At lunch, smiling Delta employees served the crowd catering boxes from Jason’s Deli, along with unlimited coffee and biscotti.
The strangest thing about the new terminal? “Being there on a day when no one was in a hurry, and everyone was being very quiet — almost like they were in a church.”
All in all, the new terminal struck Clyde as $1.4 billion dollars well-spent. Later this month, we’ll see for ourselves how well it performs in reality, when we board our flight to Romania for our 20th anniversary. Until then, you can satisfy your curiosity about the new terminal by signing up for the Open House (this Saturday, May 5th) or taking this virtual video tour.
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