kh54828

I am taking a trip to Grand Cayman on November 10th. I am flying from MInneapolis to Atlanta, and Atlanta to Grand Cayman. On my way to GCM, my layover in Atlanta is 1 hour 20 minutes. On the way from Grand Cayman, my layover in Atlanta is 1 hour 45 minutes. Will I have enough time to catch my flight---I assume I will have to go through international security on the way back into the US in Atlanta.
I am flying on Delta and it appears that both of my flights are in the South Terminal.
Thank you!

kh54828

Also (this is probably a silly question)---do I need to collect my checked baggage between flights? Or will it be tagged to end up at my destination? It is the same airline for all flights.

rkkwan

ATL is the busiest airport in the world and has 6 concourses. Delta uses all 6 of them. [South Terminal means nothing to those connecting, as that's simply the side of the check-in terminal they use.] Check out this map: http://www.delta.com/traveling_check...ps/atlanta.jsp

The 6 concourses are linked by an underground train. It is fast and frequent, but it's a fairly long escalator ride from the concourses. And each of the concourse is about 1/2 mile long. Amount of time you need for a transfer depends on which gates your flights use. At worst, you're talking about 1/4 mile walk from gate, escalator ride down, 5 stops on the train, escalator ride up, and another 1/4 mile walk. Of course, most connections are shorter.

On the way over, you just have to go to new gate. You won't see your checked luggage.

On your way back, you need to go through US immigration, claim bags, clear US customs, and then redeposit bags to Delta. Then you reclear security and then ride the train to the concourse of your new gate.

And to answer your original question, you have enough time.

kh54828

Thank you so much for the detailed reply. It is very helpful

CarolA

IMHO you are cutting it too close on the return. The lines at immigration can be HUGE in Atlanta. I would not do less then two hours in Atlanta between our horrid immigration and the baggage reclaim issue. They don't really want us to come back to the US IMHO!

Back2Sabi

I once did ATL immigration and customs and rechecked my bags in 40 minutes. (not by choice, but necessity!) I wouldn't recommend it, but it can be done.

CarolA

And it can fail. I have often seen "hysterical" folks in the line with me. They will normally NOT move you up even if your flight is very soon. Every now and then they move one person but the "outcry" from the rest of us generally stops that.

rkkwan

I believe CarolA is only comfortable with 3-hour connections anywhere, from one of her replies to another thread. She has her comfort level, and others can have their own.

Kay2

I arrive in the US via ATL 2-4 times a year. It is totally unpredictable. If you arrive first in the a.m. there may be no lines at all at passport control, but if several large planes arrive at once, you may spend 30 minutes waiting in line.

I try to travel with only carryon, if possible, because if the passport control line is short, I do not want to get stuck waiting for my bags to go through customs. I had to check a couple of weeks ago and that is what happened. Arrived too early for customs to be open, so we had to sit on the plane for 30-45 minutes before we were allowed in the airport. Long walk to 5 minute passport control wait. Then 30-45 minute wait at the carousel for my bag. Easy walk through customs and on to recheck. Then another 15 minutes to get through the security screening. This is also frequently a bottleneck. People have used items on the flight that they forgot to return to plastic liquid bag or their computer is buried in the bottom of a bag, or they are just tired after a long flight and take forever to get their shoes and jacket off, etc.

So, I arrived at 5:00am and got to the T concourse by 7:00am. Because we were not scheduled to arrive until 6:00am, those with 1.75-2.00 hour layovers were fine.

I would say this experience was about my average time--sometimes more in passport control, but then less waiting for baggage because they were working on the bags while I was waiting in passport line. I have sometimes taken longer to get through security.

You may get lucky and your MSP flight depart from the same E concourse as the Cayman, but that is unlikely. You will probably have to go to Concourse A or B.

Kay2

I forgot to say--on the return, I would make sure I knew what later flights there are ATL-MSP. Knowing flight times and numbers for back up flights can make you more comfortable if your plane is late. If you are late arriving at ATL, you can use a cellphone while taxiing to call customer service and get rebooked on a later flight. You cannot use a phone once inside the terminal until you pass through passport control and customs.

Recently flying CO via IAH I noticed the phone number to call to check arrival/departure times/gates by the airport diagrams in the inflight magazine. It suggested telephoning while taxiing. I did because we had a tight connection. It was good to already know where to go and look at the diagram (I am not very familiar with IAH)to see how far.

travelgourmet

You have enough time. It may be a bit tight, but you have enough time. I would note that the flight from GCM arrives in the evening, past the peak arrival time for int'l flights.

kh54828

Thanks everyone for your replies. I am not planning on traveling with checked baggage on the way back. I am visiting a friend, so everything that I have checked on the way there will stay there. I'll just make sure the bag is the correct size to carry on with me when I return.

tdyls

The transfer MSP-ATL-GCM is straightforward. You will not have to go through passport control or customs. Just go from your arrival gate straight to the gate where the ATL-GCM flight (probably, but not always, Concourse E) departs from. 1:20 for this, under normal circumstances, is plenty of time. You will be required to show your passport to the gate agent before you get on the jetway.

Coming back to the US is another matter entirely.

The short version is that 1:45 is generally enough time, but.....

You will first get your passports checked and customs declaration stamped by US Customs. Then you will go downstairs to baggage claim, pick up your luggage, and then go through the rest of customs. Then you have to recheck your luggage, and THEN go through the Transportation Stupidity Administration for re-screening. There is a Delta customer service desk on the customs side of the TSA for when Murphy's Law occurs.

The time it takes to go through customs and TSA is dependent on the number of arriving international flights, whether jet-lagged passengers (Especially those who don't speak English) get into the right line, ....

I'd prefer 2:30 myself just to cover Murphy's Law.