I spent last week visiting family and friends in England. It’s two and a half years since I last went, with several trips canceled or rescheduled because of COVID. apart from the requirements for more documentation, and a negative PCR test before returning to the US (I’ll talk about the International Terminal in Atlanta later), the biggest thing I noticed was the closed stores and lack of people.


I can count on the toes of one hand how often in the last twenty years, I’ve flown and had empty seats around me on the plane. On both flights with Virgin Atlantic, I doubt the aircraft was more than two-thirds full, and in both cases, I had my section of the row to myself. Inevitably there’s a downside to this, and I think Virgin needs to look at going back to serving wine in bottles, not from cans, but my sister says I’m a snob, and in this case, I plead guilty.


And then there’s the International Terminal at Atlanta Airport!


The domestic terminal at Atlanta has long had a justifiable reputation for crowds, chaos, and confusion. That might be why the planners built the International Terminal on the far eastern side of the airport.
The terminal is well signposted from the three main highways in Atlanta – I-75, I-85, and 285. However, the moment you leave the highways, the signs disappear. I was “fortunate” to have used the International Terminal on my last trip to England, so there were some memory tags that helped get me there.


Getting out is another issue. The moment you pass the sign thanking you for visiting Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport, the signs disappear. GPS is also confused. How do you manage a “U” turn on a four-lane divided highway with no gaps in the barrier? It was probably the most stressful part of the whole trip.


Despite the airport, it was a great trip, and I saw my eighteen-month old grandson, Milo, for the first time.


I’m traveling again at the end of the year for my daughter’s wedding, and this time I think I’ll park off-site, and let the shuttle bus find the International Terminal.