We have a French exchange student coming to visit. She is connecting in the ATL airport on Delta airlines from Athens and her mother is concerned that if something were to happen and her cell phone isn't working there, that she have a way to reach us.
This is the first time she is sending her daughter abroad alone and she is nervous. I'm pretty sure the daughter is sharp enough (and speaks enough English) that she can figure it out, but I'd like to give her some options to reassure her prior to departure.

Is anyone familiar enough with the ATL airport to know where she could buy a phone card? Or are there old-fashioned coin operated phones in the airport?
I'm tempted to ask the volunteer service to meet her and help her if there are any problems, but not sure it's necessary.
Thanks for your assistance.

Depending on her age, her parents could arrange for an escort service from her departure. Some airlines discontinued that but I believe a few still offer it for a fee.

She can actually buy an international telephone card in france before she leaves that she can use in the states from phones. The organization sending her should be able to inform them. From Spain we send the kids with one from apelcom. Not sure what companies operate from France. I hope one of the techies comes on here as there are numerous solutions.

I think I have seen phone cards sold at the news shops in the U.S. airports.

or she can use this system

http://www.800call4less.com/

The airlines will have a free phone for her to use if she needs to be re-booked from a missed or late flight. she just needs to tell them she has to make a call and they will let her use it.

When our children were school age, we got them "one-phone cards" from the local phone carrier - they could only dial our home phone number for free from any public phone, and the charge would appear on our monthly bill.

This way, no worry they will spend those quarters on something else and won't be able to call us. Check with your phone company, if you can get this card and mail to that girl in France, if she doesn't use it, you can just cut the card as not needed. It's free.

If not, you can find a cheap card for $5-10 and mail to her.

There are old fashioned coin operated phones at the airport.