"I think you would be fine in any airport in the country except Atlanta."

I wrongly assumed ATL was like every other airport in the US. My bad.

In Miami (arrived at 5 AM from Buenos Aires in October) it also would not have beenpossible - or certainly not easy - to just pick up luggage and leave. Immediately after customs/immigration I entered a roped-off area with an airline person checking tags on luggage in order to let you pass by. And luggage was then put in one of several huge piles of luggage with same destination.

Although one did not have to re-enter through security it would have been impossible to just take your luggage and leave. I remember this well because it made me somewhat nervous to have my luggage just dumped onto a pile of other luggage going to Boston- being picked up by luggage trucks periodically. At the time I attributed it to the never-ending construction at MIA and therefore no efficient way to send luggage onto a belt to departure gates.

But, in Miami, you can just walk out the door after Customs with your bag. Just rip the baggage tag off before you get to the recheck point if you have changed your travel plans.

I can't imagine having to put your bags back into be checked after customs as it sounds like you have to do in Atlanta.

We fly out of a small airport in Iowa, we frequently have to stay overnight at our first re-entry point to the country. I'd be really upset if I couldn't just leave with my bags after Customs.