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I am looking at booking a flight from Minneapolis/St. Paul with Delta in November. There is a layover of an hour in Atlanta on the way down and on the return flight the scheduled layover is an hour and a half in Atlanta before the departure to MSP.

I kind of forgot how long is optimal for a layover because of clearing customs or getting the third degree from Customs, etc....can someone shed some light? Will I go through Customs in Atlanta on the way down before fly to San Jose? On the way back will it take too long in Atlanta? I just don't want to miss my flight in Atlanta coming or going. Thanks.

P.S. I moved back to the Midwest upon retirement and used to take the flight from SFO to San Jose...so just haven't experienced the stopover in the U.S. for quite awhile.

You won't go through customs on your way down....

To be safe, when arriving in the US, I always allow for at least (minimum) two hours before my connecting flight. Even that is a bit tight these days. You have to get off the flight, walk to immigration, get through the kiosk lines, then get your luggage, go through customs, then hand over your luggage for connecting flight, then finally go through TSA security all over again to get back to your connecting gate.

I always try to have 2.5 to 3 hours so I don't have to sweat it! Don't want to miss my connecting flights to the west coast; could end up costing me an overnight delay

Thanks. That's kind what I was thinking. Probably not enough layover time Atlanta before flying back to Minneapolis. Why they schedule those so tight and let people book them without warning is kind of an unethical thing to do. (What else is new I guess).

Right! ...and then if you don't make the connection, you're on your own, end of the line standby list!

Good luck to you.

There's a long 4-5 hour layover each way with Spirit Airlines...haven't flown it before...but price is right. Not sure how many "add ons" there are...might be forced to do that or else fly into SFO, visit friends for a few days before flying out of there and back to Minneapolis again.

Sign up for the Global Entry program which includes TSA PreCheck. When you come into the USA/Atlanta you scan your passport at one of the GE kiosks and bypass the long Immigration line and head directly to baggage inspection. I saved 65 minutes this way back in February. 25mins total time from GE Kiosk to gate of connecting flight!

NJ

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If you see me at the bottom, please bring me my running shoes!

Spirit doesn't participate in TSA-Pre ... so expect normal outbound delays.

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bypassin' kinky, and usin' the whole chicken!!!

With Spirit you should have plenty of time to make your connecting flight coming down. They never leave on time. I had two guys fly yesterday from Atlanta here. Their connecting flight was delayed 5 hours in Lauderdale. The group here in San Jose trying to return to the states may have had a bit of a problem though, it was over five hours late leaving after having to wait on the plane. None of them made a connecting flight in Lauderdale. Spirit deals with this by refunding your connecting flight leg of the trip. They do not put you in a hotel. You are on standby as to when they can put you on their next plane to your destination. That can be days if their flights are sold out. That flight savings becomes a last minute purchase on another airline. Thing is it happens more frequently than not in flying with them. I'd take a bus down through central America before I'll ever get on another one of their planes. It is no secret they are rated the worst airline for customer service. Pay the extra and fly anyone else.

Agree with the others. One hour is too tight, especially for a plane change in ATL.

Global entry is great but I'm more in a hurry to get out than back in to the US. And TSA Pre has turned into a joke. IF a line is even open I've found it nearly as long as the regular ones... but I can keep my shoes on so there's that at least.

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+1

Flew through BDL in CT. The TSA-pre took longer than the regular line!!! And we didn't have to unpack anything.

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bypassin' kinky, and usin' the whole chicken!!!

The OP said he was using Delta. I've had Zero problems with Delta over 8 trips since switching to them in 2013. Used GE/Pre Check twice with No problems. Pops is right. Spirit blows.

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If you see me at the bottom, please bring me my running shoes!

Getting back into the country is quick with Global Entry, never took more than 20 minutes from getting off plane to being back at the security line.

As for going there, 1 hour should be enough (they usually schedule the gates somewhat close together). But if it's late, then even a 3 or 4 hour layover may not be enough. I'd stick with 1 hour layover.

Thanks guys. Yeah, well, I was looking at Delta, but again the timeframe coming back scares me. (Hour and a half). Spirit is cheaper, and four hour layovers, which I thought would work, but now I'm hesitant because of Pops and others posts. The other alternative would be to fly to SFO or somewhere where there is a direct flight out of the country, etc...don't really wanna do that but I can. Prefer to fly from Minneapolis or perhaps Chicago. I reside in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Thanks for any help and I already appreciate the help given.

My last two flights home I had about 1.5 hour layovers in Atlanta and had no issues.

First, don't lollygag and don't be nice. Move with a purpose. There will be a lot of numbnuts wandering about with their head up their ass. Don't let them slow you down.

There is an app called "Mobile Passport" that let's you skip the scanner kiosks and use the "Mobile Passport Control" line.

If you decide to use the kiosks, once you are at the front of the kiosk line don't let the douchebags slow you down. Head straight to the first open (green light) kiosk. Know how to use it. https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/automated-passport-control-apc. Once you've used it move smartly to the interview line through the crowd of idiots.

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In exile in pu*sy prison

Between a 90 min dice roll on the return and flying Spirit...

Roll baby roll. Spirit blows, and not in a pleasurable way.

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This post is provided purely for entertainment purposes and free of charge on the part of the author. No tourist or travel promotion is expressed or implied. The author of this post was not provided compensation (monetary or otherwise) for this potentially entertaining contribution.