ATLAirport Guide

A two-hour layover at ATL: what fits and when to stay put

Two hours at ATL fits a meal and one Plane Train hop, and no trip outside security. What to eat quickly, and when to stay on your concourse.

Rows of empty black gate seats on charcoal carpet beside a steel column and a long window wall on Concourse B at Atlanta airport.
Gate seating on Concourse B at Atlanta airport

Two hours at ATL fits a meal and at most one hop on the Plane Train. ATL says the train comes about every two minutes but publishes no ride time between concourses. A hop for food therefore costs time you can’t price, and the safe default is to eat on the concourse you’re already on.

Two hours leaves no room to leave

ATL’s security page asks passengers to be at the airport at least two hours before a domestic departure and three before an international one. Two hours is exactly that margin, so a trip out and back doesn’t fit. ATL labels checkpoint waits of 60 minutes or more Extended, so one line alone can take half of it.

Food that suits a short clock

Concourses A, B, C, D and E each have a cluster of restaurants at the center. ATL’s own story calls the dining area at the center of Concourse C “The Connection”.

If you want Go to What ATL or Discover Atlanta says
A sandwich with no line La Madeleine, Concourse C, next to Gate C40, open 24 hours ATL calls La Madeleine a no-wait, self-serve spot
Tex-Mex in a rush El Taco, Concourse C, next to Gate C14, from 6 a.m. Discover Atlanta calls it fast, grab-and-go
A pizza for your gate Maddio’s Pizza, Concourse T, next to Gate T10, from 7 a.m. Discover Atlanta says you can take it in a carry-out package
A food court with kiosks The Connection, middle of Concourse C ATL’s story says order kiosks cover all five restaurants
A faster sit-down Atlanta Stillhouse, Concourse T, next to Gate T14 Discover Atlanta says to sit at the bar for a quicker bite
Quick food on A Boar’s Head Cafe, Concourse A, center, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. ATL’s directory lists it as counter service
Quick food on B Auntie Anne’s, Concourse B, next to Gate B23, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. ATL’s directory lists it as counter service
Quick food on D Einstein Brothers Bagels, Concourse D, center, open 24 hours ATL’s directory lists it as counter service
Quick food on E McDonald’s, Concourse E, center, open 24 hours ATL’s directory lists it as counter service
Quick food on F Atlanta Bread Company, Concourse F, center, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. ATL’s directory lists it as grab and go

The food directory lists every restaurant by concourse. For a longer meal, the guide to the best places to eat names the standout on each concourse.

Make a hop worth it

A hop is a ride and a walk out, then the same back. Make it once, for a meal you’d choose over anything on your own concourse. A Customer Experience Representative at the Plane Train in the Transportation Mall gives directions, and our information desks page lists where the representatives stand.

When to stay put

  • Your two gates share a letter. There’s no train to ride. ATL’s tips page says gates change, so check both gates with your airline once more before you move. The concourse map shows the letters. Our flights page links each airline’s page with its check-in counters.
  • You land late. Most of the concourse restaurants in ATL’s directory close at 10 p.m. La Madeleine on Concourse C stays open 24 hours. So do Einstein Brothers Bagels and Roast on Concourse D and McDonald’s on Concourse E. Our guide to what’s open 24 hours lists the rest of the food and basics that stay open.
  • You’d rather sit. Each of the seven concourses has a Delta Sky Club (see the lounges page), and the lounge guide says who gets in. ATL’s amenities page says The Club at ATL, on Concourse F, sells a $40 day pass, and The Club’s own page shows $50.

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