Ping: ATL FOFCers

[Izulde]

So I'm having to take a 2 stop flight from Chicago to Fayetteville (AR) tomorrow (it was $200 cheaper than 1 stop options). I'm not concerned about the Louisville connection but I only have an hour's layover for the Atlanta connection and I don't remember the airport layout very well and if a plane delay would be a huge problem. (Not to mention which, I don't know how often Atlanta to Fayetteville runs).

So if it turns out that I miss my connection to Fayetteville and have to stay overnight, what would be some cheap/relatively safe places to crash at? Also, would anyone be interested in an impromptu FOFC meet if it happens? Granted, I don't think there'll be any problems, but I'd like to have a contingency plan just in case. :D

[JeeberD]

If there's a delay then the airline will probably put you up in a hotel for the night. At least that's what AA did for the wife and I when we missed a connection in Miami because of a delay...they also gave us vouchers for free airport food as well.

[larrymcg421]

The meetup would be fun, but I doubt you'll be late. Even if you have to do something crazy like get from gate A to E, you should be able to do that within an hour, and odds are the flight leaving Atlanta will be late.

[Alan T]

If there's a delay then the airline will probably put you up in a hotel for the night. At least that's what AA did for the wife and I when we missed a connection in Miami because of a delay...they also gave us vouchers for free airport food as well.

I have had mixed experience with this. If the delay is due to mechanical reasons, then I have had airlines do what you said. When it was due to weather delays, I don't think I have ever been compensated anything, as they said they are not responsible for weather delays.



As for where to stay in the area... I am not a big fan of the area around Hartsfield.. or at least 15 years ago when I lived there I wasn't a big fan. Maybe it is nicer now. I grew up on the other side of town.

[JonInMiddleGA]

"Cheap" is indeed a relative term but unless there's massive weather delays that strand a ton of flights you shouldn't have much trouble finding a hotel fairly close to the airport if you need one. And as long as you exercise just normal common sense about being in a less than savory neighborhood (i.e. don't stand in the lobby and count the cash in your wallet kind of stuff) then most of the chain hotels are as reasonably safe as anywhere else around Atlanta afaic.

You probably won't need one anyway (and it's pretty unlikely anybody other than you would end up paying for it since the airlines usually would rather die than do so), but you should be fine on that score if the need arises.

[Lathum]

Atlanta is pretty easy to navigate. Each terminal is basicaly one long corridor. There is a tram that runs from terminal to terminal that gets you there pretty fast.

[JeeberD]

I have had mixed experience with this. If the delay is due to mechanical reasons, then I have had airlines do what you said. When it was due to weather delays, I don't think I have ever been compensated anything, as they said they are not responsible for weather delays.


It was weather related the time I was talking about. The wife and I were in Barbados for our honeymoon when a tropical storm/hurricane (can't remember which it was) was causing delays out of Miami. Our flight got in two or three hours late, causing us to miss our connection when we landed back in Miami...

[Izulde]

As it turns out, because just about every flight was delayed at Atlanta yesterday, even though I arrived 30 minutes after my connection flight was supposed to go, my connection flight was delayed an hour and a half, so I made it.

First time in my life I've been happy about a flight delay :D

[ISiddiqui]

Way to go :)

Btw, I would have been pissed if there was an impromtu FOFC meet, because I'm visiting my folks in Jersey right now! ;)