How to Get Around the Fourth of July Crowds at the Atlanta Airport

The July 4 travel period is expected to set passenger records, and crowds have already gathered at the world’s busiest airport this summer.

Roads around the airport and security lines are expected to be busy Thursday. The busiest day of the Independence Day holiday travel period at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is expected to be Friday, with more than 367,000 passengers expected at the airport.

But Sunday 7 and Monday 8 July will also be busy, with more than 364,000 passengers expected at the airport on each of those days.

Travelers should prepare for long lines to check in their bags and go through security.

Airport officials recommend that travelers arrive at the airport at least 2 to 2.5 hours before domestic flights and 3 hours before international flights.

Officials have worked to reduce long wait times at security checkpoints, with the Transportation Security Administration adding staff.

Peak wait times for security can reach 40 minutes or more during peak periods at Atlanta Airport.

And there are other potential issues that can delay travelers, including traffic jams on roads approaching domestic and international terminals, airport parking lots reaching capacity and turning away cars, and long lines to check baggage.

If you’re getting ready to travel and plan on navigating airport crowds, here are a few other things you should know:

Prepare for traffic

If you are driving, traffic congestion on highways, around terminal sidewalks and in parking lots could delay your trip.

If you are picking up visitors, instead of driving in loops around the airport, you can wait for your friends or family at the airport’s cell phone parking lot at 1920 Autoport Drive in College Park.

To get there, pay close attention to signs on airport roads directing those coming from I-85 South to drive past the terminal, following signs to the ATL West parking lot/rental car center. while staying in the right lane to bypass a loop towards the cell phone parking lot.

Parking? Have a plan

During peak periods, airport and off-airport car parks and parking lots tend to fill up, turning away motorists who are then forced to circle the airport looking for alternatives while rushing to catch a flight.

Some people have completely missed their trip because they couldn’t find parking.

The problem worsened after Hartsfield-Jackson closed the popular South Economy lot last October to make way for a years-long construction project to build a new parking deck.

It’s a good idea to find out about parking options in advance and make a reservation.

At Hartsfield-Jackson, the airport offers parking reservations for the airport-operated ATL West Bridge and international terminal parking lots.

Many off-airport parking lots accept parking reservations, including The Parking Spot, WallyPark and PreFlight off Camp Creek Parkway, as well as Peachy Airport Parking north of the airport and FastPark & ​​Relax near the international terminal.

Take MARTA into the National Terminal

MARTA can be a convenient way to get to the airport while avoiding freeway traffic and parking hassles.

Long-term parking is available at some MARTA stations for a daily fee of $5 or $8 per day, including College Park, Doraville, Lindbergh Center, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs and North Springs stations, according to MARTA’s website.

Shuttle buses are used to transport MARTA passengers between domestic and international terminals.

Know your ASD screening options

There is often no way to avoid lines at security checkpoints, but there are several screening options that can reduce some of the stress.

The airport currently has four passenger checkpoints at the domestic terminal.

They are:

• Main checkpoint for standard check
• North checkpoint for standard control
• Lower North checkpoint, for standard check and Clear members with standard check
• South Checkpoint, for PreCheck members, Clear members with PreCheck member screening. Also available: Delta Digital ID and United PreCheck Touchless ID.

The airport sometimes moves traffic between checkpoints and, during certain times, opens a line for PreCheck on the right side of the main checkpoint.

PreCheck membership costs about $78 or $85 for five years, depending on where you sign up. It gets you into a PreCheck line, which can be shorter than the line for a standard check, and gives you the option to skip the hassle of removing your shoes and removing your laptop from your bag.

A Clear membership is much more expensive, with a standard price of $189 for a year to skip the regular line and access a Clear line. It can be used with PreCheck or on its own.

Clear now enrolls Hartsfield-Jackson travelers in the TSA PreCheck program for expedited screening, in addition to enrolling individuals in Clear’s own Trusted Traveler program.

In late June, Clear began offering TSA PreCheck registration from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily on the departures level of the North Domestic Terminal, near the entrance to the North Security Checkpoint. Those applying must bring documents such as a passport.

PreCheck applicants can pre-register or visit a PreCheck enrollment location without an appointment. After enrolling, they must wait for approval, with notification typically occurring within 3 to 5 days — though it can sometimes take up to 60 days, according to Clear. Once approved, travelers can use PreCheck by adding their Known Traveler Number to airline bookings.

Delta Digital ID is an expedited security line for Delta customers who qualify and choose to participate, to be processed upon entry to the screening area using facial recognition in lieu of a driver’s license or ID verification.

Delta Digital ID is now available at Hartsfield-Jackson’s domestic and international terminals, as is PreCheck, although both have limited hours.

United Airlines launched its own PreCheck Touchless ID option at Hartsfield-Jackson South Checkpoint on May 15. It allows those who register through the United app to also be processed through facial scanning.

An easier path to baggage claim

After more than two years of construction, new elevators for passengers arriving by train-plane to the baggage claim area are now operational at Hartsfield-Jackson.

The elevators in the baggage claim area began operating in May. This means that passengers who need an elevator no longer need to go down to the T concourse and then make the trek to the baggage claim area from there.

The elevator bank is in front of the escalators that carry passengers from the Plane Train tunnel.

Because elevators block the view of people waiting for friends or family to arrive, Hartsfield-Jackson installed a huge video screen in mid-April that shows passengers on screen as they ride the escalators.