Connecting from an international flight at ATL: recheck, security and the train
Turn left past baggage claim on Concourse F to recheck bags, then follow signs to the Plane Train or the walkway to the domestic concourses.
Past baggage claim on Concourse F, connecting passengers turn left to the baggage recheck counters, and Atlanta-bound passengers turn right. The Plane Train and a pedestrian walkway then reach the domestic concourses.
From the aircraft to the recheck counters
- A corridor from the aircraft leads to escalators down to the Arrivals level.
- Baggage claim comes next. ATL’s FAQ says bags for connecting passengers who arrive at Concourse F come out at the same carousels as Atlanta-bound passengers’ bags.
- A transition area sits beyond baggage claim on Concourse F. Connecting passengers turn left to the baggage recheck counters.
- After you recheck, follow the signs to the Concourse F Plane Train area or the pedestrian walkway.
Between the escalators and baggage claim you pass through the immigration hall, which CBP runs. Our customs guide covers CBP’s wait-time reports, Global Entry and Mobile Passport Control.
The FAQ names connecting passengers who arrive at Concourse F and says nothing about connecting passengers who land at Concourse E. If your flight arrives at E, ask your airline where to recheck.
Security and the liquids you bought on the way
ATL’s security page says passengers can reach all concourses and gates from any checkpoint, but no ATL page says which one screens connecting passengers after the recheck. ATL’s wait-time page lists a single International checkpoint, International Main. It screens from 4:30 a.m. to midnight, and its TSA PreCheck lane runs 7 to 10 a.m. and 2 to 7 p.m. CLEAR has a standard lane and a PreCheck lane there from 5 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Ask your airline at the recheck counter which checkpoint you use.
TSA lets you carry duty free liquids over 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) in your carry-on when you arrive on an inbound international flight and connect to another flight. All three conditions apply:
- You bought them internationally.
- The retailer packed them in a transparent, secure, tamper-evident bag with no sign of tampering.
- You have the original receipt, and the purchase was within 48 hours.
TSA still screens the items, and anything that alarms or can’t be screened is not allowed in your carry-on. It recommends packing every liquid over 3.4 ounces in checked baggage, even in a tamper-evident bag. Connecting passengers recheck bags at ATL, so you can follow that advice by putting the liquids in the bag you hand over.
From the counters to a domestic concourse
ATL’s FAQ says the Plane Train and the pedestrian walkway both connect with Concourses T, A, B, C, D and E and with the Domestic Terminal. ATL’s maps page adds that the Plane Train runs from Concourse F to every concourse, T included, and that the walkway has been extended to Concourse F. Our concourse map shows how the concourses line up, and our airlines page shows where each airline checks in.
ATL’s fact sheet says the free shuttle exists because Atlanta-bound passengers can’t reach the secured areas after collecting their bags. A connecting passenger follows the FAQ’s route instead, the train or the walkway.
ATL gives no walking distance for the walkway or ride time for the Plane Train. Its Plane Train story gives only the wait: if you reach a train as the doors close, the next one comes in 108 seconds. Our Plane Train guide covers walking between concourses as well as the ride.
No ATL page gives a minimum connection time either, so the airline’s own rule is the one to follow. Our flights page doesn’t show live gates, and ATL’s flight search page tells travelers to confirm gate assignments with their airline, so ask the airline or check its app if your gate changes while you walk. ATL stations Customer Experience Representatives around the Plane Train in the Transportation Mall, and they answer questions and give directions. There are also information desks on Concourse F, on Concourse E and at International Arrivals.
Sources
- Our customs guide, security page, concourse map, Plane Train guide, airlines page and information desks page
- ATL’s FAQ, for the arrival route, the recheck counters, the Plane Train and the walkway
- ATL’s maps page and fact sheet, for the Plane Train from Concourse F and the shuttle’s purpose
- ATL’s TSA wait-time page, ATL’s passenger security page, ATL’s flight search page and ATL’s Plane Train story
- TSA’s liquids, aerosols and gels rule, for the duty free exemption