Atlanta Airport wow, you amaze me!

Arriving from Toronto a surprising short trip on a surprisingly small aircraft I make my way out of the 5 miles or so of Atlanta Hartfield –Jackson Airport (or is it Jackson-Hartfield?).  The airport has 5 concourses A,B,C,D,E and are so long you can take an underground train to the baggage claim area. 

I didn’t even work out there was a train, until after about 15 minutes of continuous walking in one direction I finally work out why the people keep are crowding at the beginning of each concourse.  I blame that delayed thought process on the small plane, because when I stood up, I hit my head so hard on the over head bins that the people behind me gasped.  Awesome... mild concussion.

Obviously all dazed and confused I hop on the train all the way to the baggage claim.  First time I have ever seen the baggage rotating on the turnstile when the people from the flight haven’t even got there yet.  Big airport.  Still not sure how I got here on that small plane. 

Off I trot to the shuttle bus area, because I am not in a rush, and I want to see this town!

Atlanta seems like Perth to me.  Very spacious and if you lived here, buy a car!  After an hour and a half on the shuttle, I am more than happy to be dropped off at the Intercontinental right across the road from our Servcorp location at Terminus 200.  WOW WOW WOW! 

Servcorp you amaze me too.  Great locations, fantastic team and a fit out on the floors to boot! PHotos are coming soon I promise!

36 hours in Atlanta before heading to Boston, and I am more than ready to jump back into work. 

You know what folks, I love my job.

Just a short stay in Atlanta and its over already...

You know Atlanta has the airport system down pat.  After my Toronto Pearson experience, I was up and early after my 1.5 day stay.  Arriving at the airport at 8.30am for an 11am flight, I was not about to re-live my 45 minutes stand in line time with Delta and panic about the time. 

My taxi dropped me right off in front of the Delta gates and to my absolute viewing pleasure I see a “curb-side” bag drop.  Big grin! I checked in online yesterday so I was very pleased to have been dropped off,  and not ticked off by 8.33am.  Check in complete! Oh my, hasn’t the day started off well!

Straight into the airport doors and I wiz by the Red Coats… They are actually helping people this time and there are no massive lines to check in inside either.  I must be in the Bizzaro Delta world (very “Jerry Seinfeld” if you are a fan) I am kind of impressed with Delta today. Maybe I should buy a lotto ticket too… my luck is up.

Off to Starbucks I head – yes I have grown quite accustomed to my grande vanilla soy latte each morning.  Don’t panic Mum, I’m losing weight not putting it on….

Interestingly I am not a Starbucks kind of person in Sydney.  I don’t think many people are.  No wonder when at the onset of the GFC, Starbucks closed 60 Australian stores.  Good move.  On the other hand, everyone here in the US loves it, so better to open new stores here I’d say. I mean, in New York, I couldn’t walk in to a store with out 20 people in the line.  And not one to stand in any kind of line I would immediately walk out again.  While I may be slightly addicted, life is too short to be standing in long lines. The Starbucks craze hasn’t quite caught on in Canada either.  Only saw a couple of stores.  In Canada, they still drink that awful perculated stuff from Tim Hortons!

So I cruise through the security point check in, the guy sending me through actually used to live in Maroubra so he gave me a fist high five.  Sweet, straight through to x-ray.  Off go the boots, the jacket, out comes the laptop and my 1 quart bag of tiny gels and liquids and the team are incredibly streamlined and fast.  One guy was having a great time with his tedious role by calling out all the things that we need to know in a song type rhyme.  Love people having fun with their job.  Great attitudes are contagious!

They have the body x-ray thing here and I am well rapt to be selected to get into it.  Have no idea why that was exciting for me, but its funny to stand there infront of everyone feet apart and your hands in the air like you are being held up!  After my hold up at Coco’s Restaurant with Drew in 2000, I am not sure why or how I can possibly have a sense of humour about being held up at gun point, but somehow I have…

So while I am hours early for my flight, sit in the general area (no Qantas lounge here folks) and being just a touch too early for a champagne , I sit and reflect on what a great couple weeks it has been...  Yep, I love my life right about now.