Any of you folks have any experience with it ?? I am thunking that it might be better to fly into Charlotte & rent a car to drive to Athens to avoid Atlanta, than fly into Atlanta & Uber or rent to get to Athens. Atlanta is a chithole & traffic is horrid. Just curious if Charlotte is any better & what the airport is like.
Charlotte is a busy city with a busy airport, but neither is as bad as Atlanta by any stretch of the imagination. My wife and I have flown out of Charlotte a few times, the last being several years ago, because it is often the closest airport to us with direct flights to places we wanted to visit. It was busy but not horrible. I like your plan!
I fly every 3 weeks. Atlanta is far better than Charlotte for connecting flights. Not sure about leaving the airports on ground though.
Yes, connecting flights could be a very different thing. We only have experience flying in and out of Charlotte, never made connections there.
In a prior life I flew in/out of both ATL and CLT often. We live about an hours drive from CLT big IF it’s the right time of day! Haven’t flown much in the last several years and I was absolutely astonished at how much worse the traffic congestion is now when we flew from there (CLT) recently. I don’t know the departure destination of your flight or what if any connection you may have to make but since the ATL airport is virtually right next to the main interstate 85/285 it’s a short drive to Athens versus a much longer drive from CLT. Whatever you decide do not arrive or depart in either city in the evening or morning rush hour both are horrible. Both airports have good shuttle service to/ from the rental car lots.
I like this scenario the best. but seeing my daughter & grandson dictates otherwise. He is unable to travel via airplane. It’s a 15hr trip driving under good conditions without hauling an infant so driving isn’t really an option for her. That leaves me doing the traveling
Depends on ticket price. Time wise, I'd think ATL & rent a car would be far quicker. Sightseeing wise, CLT - I-85 to Commerce, GA, then Athens would pass The Peachoid at Gaffney. Looks like a giant buttocks. I grew up there and we all knew - if the earth needed an enema, Insert tube here.
I’d go for a direct flight. CLT first. ATL second. Cedar Rapids, Des Moines and Omaha all have direct flights to CLT. Fargo does not. Not sure which airport you’re flying out of in Iowa. But go to one that has a direct flight to wherever you are going to go. That way if you’re delayed or it cancels, you’re not stuck somewhere with 1000 other people trying to get a hotel room.
Usually fly out of Kansas City, then Omaha & lastly Des Moines, when/if I fly. KC is 1.50hrs if you don’t follow the suggestions of the road signs for traveling velocity… Most of it 4 lane divided. With easy access right to the terminals. Omaha & Des Moines are both about 1hr& 45min - 2 hrs. Neither one are drive up & jump out at the terminal. I would definitely be looking at direct/non stop flights.
Whenever I go through security I ask people who look as old or older than me if they remember flying back in the 1990’s. They get a nostalgic look on their face. FYI. They do a facial recognition thing at security in a lot of places. You can opt out. No one, or very few people do. They say they delete the photo but don’t say what they do with the biometrics. Simply say, I’d like to opt out of the picture. You can also opt out if the body scan. You’ll get a pat down. But you won’t get your body image stored in the system and be subjected to who knows what kind of radiation. Lastly. There’s the BS “real id” thing. You don’t need one yet. You can be subjected to additional harassment (screening). But they are not currently denying your passage through security. MCI is not TSA. it’s a contractor. Same screening more or less. Just different uniforms.
Last time I flew to CLT it was the busiest airport I've ever seen. It used to be nice but now it's overcrowded. Source: I've been flying for work for 23 years.
I traveled a lot for business from late 70’s to about 2010. The 80’s were the absolute best and least stressful times in my estimation. Flights were rarely if ever overbooked or crowded. Didn’t like your seat, get up and move after boarding was complete and flight attendants never said a word to you. I would seek out an empty row and take the middle seat and that allowed me to place paperwork on either side of me. Ahhhhh the good old days! People actually dressed well then too. Never saw flip flops and pajamas
