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MSP and ATL Layovers

MSP and ATL Layovers

Old Jun 8th 2018, 2:31 am
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Default MSP and ATL Layovers

Hi all,

My wife and I are moving back to the US next week, with our dog in tow. We have two layovers and curious if anyone has experience at these airports and if these times would be enough, assuming flights land on time.

Minneapolis-St Paul: We have three hours, landing on an international flight, so we need to go through immigration, collect dog, clear customs, let him out and then hand him back at Delta counter. Three hours seems like plenty of time but then we have a lot to do, and I often get pulled into secondary, although I have a Green Card so it doesn't take them long once they pick up my passport, it's just waiting for them to get to me that can cause the delay.

Atlanta: We only have one hour here, although it's a connection between two domestic Delta flights, and they'll transfer the dog directly. It looks like the flight in normally goes to concourse A and the flight out goes from concourse B.

Thanks as always

Scotty
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Old Jun 8th 2018, 7:15 am
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Default Re: MSP and ATL Layovers

MSP while a hub for Delta isn't a mega type hub so its usually pretty easy to connect through there and 3 hours should be no issue.

Now ATL well I have never found it a pleasant airport to transfer, and I find the 45 mins to 1 hour DL generally schedules connections to be barely enough time, but every time I have flown through my inbound always seems to be as far as possibly could be from the connecting flight requiring a decent haul. ATL is not always a fun airport to connect through and confirm the connecting gate on the screens in the airport, don't rely on your boarding pass or the flight crew, gates can change and flight crews don't always have the most updated info.
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Old Jun 8th 2018, 10:10 am
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Default Re: MSP and ATL Layovers

Thanks! ATL is going to be tight, hopefully we land a little early. There is one more flight that night, but who knows if they'll be able to fit us in. Worse case scenario at that point is we drive to Norfolk the next day. Flying all the way from Okinawa, through Tokyo, then MSP, so if we make it that far I'll be ok!
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Old Jun 8th 2018, 4:58 pm
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Default Re: MSP and ATL Layovers

Won't the dog be taken to an animal centre of some sort at MSP for a post-flight check-up before you can collect it? Three hours actually sounds tight to me - immigration, customs, go to animal centre, paperwork, back to terminal, check-in... Can you call the animal centre and see what they say?
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Old Jun 8th 2018, 5:33 pm
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Default Re: MSP and ATL Layovers

ATL is atrocious. I flew there from London a few weeks ago with a connecting flight to Dallas. from getting off the plane to our connecting flight gate took 3 hours. If you're connecting on a domestic it might not be as bad.
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Old Jun 8th 2018, 6:46 pm
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Default Re: MSP and ATL Layovers

Originally Posted by Jack8602
ATL is atrocious. I flew there from London a few weeks ago with a connecting flight to Dallas. from getting off the plane to our connecting flight gate took 3 hours. If you're connecting on a domestic it might not be as bad.
A domestic connection is nowhere near as problematic as an international to domestic. An hour at ATL is comfortable for domestic to domestic as long as the incoming flight is on time.
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Old Jun 8th 2018, 9:06 pm
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Default Re: MSP and ATL Layovers

Originally Posted by GeoffM
Won't the dog be taken to an animal centre of some sort at MSP for a post-flight check-up before you can collect it? Three hours actually sounds tight to me - immigration, customs, go to animal centre, paperwork, back to terminal, check-in... Can you call the animal centre and see what they say?
Depends on airport, not all airports have special pet centers for arrivals. Where I work animals traveling as baggage just go to baggage claim, and customs deals with whatever they deal with there as the passenger clears customs.

OP: Just check with Delta as to what the procedure is in MSP.
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Old Jun 9th 2018, 1:37 am
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Default Re: MSP and ATL Layovers

I've never been through MSP, but I'm wary of any connection that's only an hour. ATL runs fairly smoothly for such a huge airport but one hour is a close call. Will Delta allow you to rebook for a later connecting flight?
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Old Jun 9th 2018, 2:23 am
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Default Re: MSP and ATL Layovers

Originally Posted by GeoffM
Won't the dog be taken to an animal centre of some sort at MSP for a post-flight check-up before you can collect it? Three hours actually sounds tight to me - immigration, customs, go to animal centre, paperwork, back to terminal, check-in... Can you call the animal centre and see what they say?
I don't believe so, our travel agent told us we'd just collect him, but I will check with Delta when checking him in at Haneda. Thanks.
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Old Jun 9th 2018, 2:24 am
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Default Re: MSP and ATL Layovers

Originally Posted by lansbury


A domestic connection is nowhere near as problematic as an international to domestic. An hour at ATL is comfortable for domestic to domestic as long as the incoming flight is on time.
Good to hear. Thanks.
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Old Jun 9th 2018, 2:28 am
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Default Re: MSP and ATL Layovers

Originally Posted by carcajou
I've never been through MSP, but I'm wary of any connection that's only an hour. ATL runs fairly smoothly for such a huge airport but one hour is a close call. Will Delta allow you to rebook for a later connecting flight?
Rebooking the flights isn't really an option, as Uncle Sam booked the ticket, and it gets even more complicated with a pet invobed, but if we miss it presumably Delta will book us on the next flight, there is one more that night.
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Old Jun 11th 2018, 11:34 pm
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Default Re: MSP and ATL Layovers

I regularly fly Delta from Gulfport/Biloxi to Westchester, NY with a transfer in Atlanta. I find the transfer of Delta planes in ATL to be great, w/o stress and very quick due to shuttle transfer w/I the airport on the lower concourse. I've had layovers of 45 minutes to 2 hours and never had an issue. You are correct, that it is often Concourse A to Concourse B, although I have had flights with Delta arriving in B and leaving from B. However, I've never done it with an animal but Atlanta does have indoor potty areas for dogs in each concourse which you won't be using/needing.
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Old Jun 12th 2018, 1:57 am
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Default Re: MSP and ATL Layovers

Thanks Rete, helpful information as always!
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Old Jun 12th 2018, 10:33 am
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Default Re: MSP and ATL Layovers

Originally Posted by scottyvisa
Thanks Rete, helpful information as always!
JFYI, if you are a smoker, Atlanta is one of the few airports that have designated smoking rooms. Yes, they stink but for a habitual smoker, it is a great to have available. Also there is a bar/restaurant where smoking is allowed in the middle section of concourse B in the loft area. Don't recall the name but it is next to Buffalo Wings which is the only other restaurant on the level.

You'll find that the Concourse is a straight line affair with the middle section bearing the finer restaurants and shops and where you will go to get the shuttle to the other Concourses.

Hope this helps anyone who needs a smoking facility when using Atlanta's Airport.
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Old Jun 19th 2018, 6:42 am
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Default Re: MSP and ATL Layovers

Just returning to let everyone know we made all connection without issue. Delta did manage to not load our bags on our last flight, but they did load our dog, and that was all we cared about! We're back in Virginia now, and excited to restart US life.
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