SFO/ATL/JNB connections
 

Hi guys

Now I know that this may not look like the right board for this posting, but bear with me. I am hoping that someone travelling to JNB has successfully achieved what I want to try and has some advice.

We are on a flight out of San Francisco to Atlanta, and then onto Johannesburg. The first leg is on Delta and then onwards on SAA with both flights on the same paper (issued by SAA). We have three hours between the scheduled landing in Atlanta and the SAA departure flight, which should be enough time to make the connection but you never know about delays. Also, with it being the horridly uncomfortable Airbus we want to be sure of getting our allocated seats. Ideally we would like to check-in in San Francisco straight through to Johannesburg so that we do not need to collect luggage etc in Atlanta and then queue again to check-in. Has anyone done this before?

If it was an SAA flight number from San Francisco to Atlanta I am sure that this would not be a problem, but with it being a Delta flight number I am not so sure.

Thanks

traci

Yes, you can check your luggage all the way through. I've done it lots of times. You may need to re-check your self in in Atlanta, but I don't think so.

Celia

In SFO you should be able to thru-check your luggage to JNB, and also get the boarding passes for both flights. Call ahead of time and get your seat assignments, and check until departure date that the equipment hasn't been changed and the seats your requested are still assigned to you.

I haven't been to the ATL airport in some years, but I'm sure the arriving flight (domestic) from SFO/ATL and the departing (int'l) from ATL/JNB aren't in the same terminal. If that is indeed the case, you'll have to change terminals. But since your are an "in-transit" passenger, it's likely you won't have to go thru security, except right before boarding at the departure gate to JNB.

I gather you're coming into ATL on a red-eye" arriving about 7am, and departing ATL 10am or thereabouts. At least you should be able to get plenty of sleep on both flights and be bright eyed when you arrive in JNB. Safe travels.

Hi Tracy. I've also done that flight several times and one time I walked out of my domestic flight turned right and got onto my international flight. Lots of time! My daughter is going from Hartford to Atlanta to JNB and has about an hour. I told her no sweat because with those huge flights I have NEVER has a SAA flight load completely on time although we always arrive on time.

SAA is in Terminal E in ATL. Delta is in Terminal A&B. The terminals are connected via train that runs every 2 minutes.
You can check your bags all the way through from SFO to JBG.
We left ATL 1 hour late and still arrived in JBG on time. (because the plane was late getting in from JBG.)