Having made numerous trips in the general vicinity of ATL on a regular basis, and seeing many signs finally unveiled last fall, I knew there was a new terminal for International Travel. I'm pretty sure the purpose was to both increase congestion in the sense of having more travelers pass through Atlanta in their comings and goings, and decrease congestion in the Hartsfield Terminal that has general, everyday run-of-the-mill chaos all hours of the day and night. This new one is dedicated to the memory of the late Mayor: Maynard Jackson, who apparently died at the airport, as he was leaving town, and had a heart attack. There is a very nice portrait of him hanging in the Departures level of the new terminal, with control tower 'photo-shopped' into the background, and Jackson in his largeness, wearing a neck tie with dozens of colorful Easter eggs.
In the interest of public knowledge (Inquiring Minds Want To Know), I have inspected as much of the new terminal as TSA will allow. It's pretty, pretty new, and pretty dull. Designed to be low maintenance, so lots of hard surfaces: metal, glass, stone. I understand once you clear TSA, you can access all the concourses, as well as F, which is designated International Arrivals and Departures... plus, as long as you keep all your tonnage of luggage on your person, you can also access a multitude of over-priced retail stores for all your souvenir, eating and drinking desires, in all the other concourses: A, B, C, D, E.
My story is I was there to meet my auntie who had been on an organized trip/tour to Greece. I personally cannot imagine a worse time to go, when the entire country is in disarray. (Was it because with their financial system crumbling, the exchange rate is wonderful?) Only thing worse would be going someplace deadly like Syria or Egypt. I have apparently lost much of my 'daresome-ness' in my old age. But she still has a-plenty: having been to Vietnam early in the year, that must have rejuvenated her 'travel bug'. I don't know anything about her trip - but assume it was a good one. She was peppering us with questions, and not forthcoming with any information about her travels, wanting to know all about the 'retrieval team' of picker-uppers, and family, rather than talking about her trip.
The flight was supposed to get into ATL from Frankfurt at 3:50 in the afternoon, and finally made her way through concourse, tunnels, onsite transportation, and customs to arrive about 8:00. Apparently circled above the city so long, due to bad weather, they had to be diverted to Charlotte to refuel, which was time consuming. By the time they could land, take on more fuel, get in line to take off, and return to ATL, get in line to land - it was about four hours after the ETA. It all worked out, and gave me lots of time to wander around, looking at the sparkling new facility. The nicest, friendliest thing there: the big planters out front, where vehicles idle, spewing exhaust all day and night. Lots of fresh healthy blooming things in the big pots. Although they are colorful, cheerful, welcoming, I am sure are designed to protect the entrances of the building, just like the carefully tended, colorfully filled 'planters' that are actually barricades in front of all the federal buildings in DC, and probably nation-wide.
If you are planning travel that requires trooping through the ATL, entry into the domestic side is different too. Funneled differently into TSA inspection area, and things have changed underground with access to concourses. So... even though you thought you were a seasoned traveler, and knew your way around (as opposed to standing there looking baffled, hoping to find someone to ask for directions, knowing you look like a bumpkin) - wrong!
No comments:
Post a Comment