Hi guys!


Well, as you know from one of my previous posts I've got about three trips and a possible fourth coming up this summer between the months of july and september.


Got Portland booked and now it's on to phase 2: Florida. Got a friend flying there from sweden and can't wait to spend two weeks enjoying disney world.


Unfortunately I'm an aviation enthusiast which makes flight selection just a little bit harder! so I've got a question for you guys that i would appreciate your advice on:


I'm departing from SLC and never been on a 767 before so I'd like to get on as many as possible on this trip. As such, I have a choice of connecting in Denver, Cincinnati, or Atlanta. The Denver route is overpriced so that's eliminated.



Right, so...that leaves ATL and CVG. Here's my question:


Which airport is more interesting to connect through? I know that CVG is a bit less of a hassle and more convenient to get around, but...is that better than going through a mega-hub like Atlanta?

What was your first impression of ATL the first time you saw it, and....for someone who's used to airports the size of SLC and LAX, is ATL too overwhelming to connect through? What minimum connection time would you suggest? I'm thinking 2 hours, but considering the size of this airport, 3 may be better. The problem is that if i want to fly 767s on the way down, 2 hours is all I'm gonna get.



Another issue is that, if I fly through CVG on the way to MCO, I'm going to have to give up at 764 from ATL-MCO. I'll get two 763s though. But i kind of wanted that 764 and it's not easy to let go.



I flew the routes to cincinnati and atlanta in my simulator last night (took all day for both), and found the flight to Atlanta kind of boring in terms of scenery outside the window. Once you get past the rockies there is really nothing to see for the rest of the flight. Is this true in real life? SLC-ATL.


By comparison the flight to CVG allowed views of MCI and STL from the air, as well as DEN. But I can't have my cake and eat it too...so it really comes down to this:


What's better? Fly a 763 to CVG, connecting to an MD-80 from CVG-MCO...and get a far superior view along the way...but having to sacrifice a 764 (which I've never been on)...

-or-

Fly a 763 to ATL, connecting to a 764 ATL-MCO....and suffer through a very boring outside view but a very interesting pair of airplanes.


What would you suggest? ATL vs. CVG, and 764 vs. better view?

how about 1 way through ATL and one way through CVG? And you could go nonstop, but not sure if it is with a 767 or not

EDIT:

OH! here are some schedules for you: I've included all posible options with 767 options in bold!
SLC-MCO nonstop
1543 9:55am 4:07pm 738
2140 4:35pm 10:42pm 757
MCO-SLC
not worth it to post...both 738s
MCO-SLC with a stop
2002 5:45am 10:23am 763 ATL
FOR ATL-MCO-ATL...here are the number of specific planes on the route
764-6
763-3
MD88-1
777-1
For ATL-SLC-ATL:
738-3
757-2
762-1
763-3
CVG-MCO-CVG
763-1 (MCO-CVG ONLY)
CRJ-2
MD88-3
757-1 (CVG-MCO only)
SLC-CVG-SLC
738-3
757-2
763-1

[Edited 2004-04-05 06:12:13]

I don't know if there are non-stops on the flights you plan on taking, but I refuse to fly anything but a non-stop if I can.

As a somewhat FF on Delta, here are my 2 cents:

CVG is great for quick, easy and painless connections, but miserable if you're there for any length of time. Once you've exhausted the KFC in the food court, there's not that much left to do. I once VDB on a CVG-LAX flight not realizing the next flight wasn't for 4 hours. That was the hardest $450 I've ever earned.

Personally, I think ATL is the airport everyone loves to hate. Yes, it's big and there are lots of people, but if you can get around LAX, you can navigate ATL. I'd be more concerned about afternoon thunderstorm delays. 2 hours should be plenty of time for connections.

Besides, you sound like you REALLY want to fly a 764 (which I haven't flown either). My advice? connect through ATL, enjoy the 764, and trust your airport navigational skills  

Bon voyage!

ATL has more traffic and many more foreign carriers. Check out the wide body's at concourse E. ATL is ok....just rushed

CVG is awesome! CVG Consistently ranks as one of the best airports in the world. Not far off from the Scandinavian airports and Shanghai . Although less interesting aircraft, you can truly appreciate the beautiful terminal and its nostalgic transportation feel. ATL is setup to get you in and out in a hurry. You will truly appreciate your lay over at CVG.

http://www.cvgairport.com/

http://www.atlanta-airport.com/

[Edited 2004-04-05 06:19:22]

Well, here's the deal:

I'm talking just for the flight down. I know, for a fact, that on the return flight I'll be travelling MCO-ATL-SLC. Here's why:


MCO-ATL on that day is served by a 777, and there is no way I am going to pass that up. Then the connecting flight is a 763 back home.


Here's the issue:

The flight back at the end of the trip cannot be on a 764. I can't get one that day. It's all 763s and smaller. Unless i fly to LAX and connect back to SLC, but that 764 arrives after the last flight to SLC departs. No dice.


So what about MCO-ATL-CVG-SLC?

No dice either. That flight gets in at 10:30pm at SLC...and since my swedish friend is flying with me (to his other half of the trip, in southern california), he needs a connecting flight fro SLC-LAX....and that leaves before the flight from CVG gets in.



So really the only way I'll get a 764 is if I fly SLC-ATL on the first day of the trip, on the way to florida. Unfortunately, the scenery is boring. And, if i did that, I'd forfeit seeing CVG at all.


So the question really comes down to: What's better, the experience of flying on a 764? Or having a much better view on the flight down? I can't have both.  

Thanks for the flight info. I've done a ton of research myself. In fact for the last week or so I've been running various delta flight schedules trying to find that "perfect route", something that will get me the 763, 764, and 777, plus a visit to both ATL and CVG, and also get INTO MCO no later than 7pm ET (gotta meet people that evening, can't arrive at 10pm), and get back to SLC no later than 7:30PM MST.


Unfortunately no such schedule exists. Something's gotta be sacrificed. Unless I want to take an early morning flight SLC-CVG on a...bleck...738. the only plane that makes me airsick.   That'd connect to an MD-80 to ATL, connecting to a 764 to MCO. I'd get a 738, M80, 764, 777, and 763....all the planes I want...but I'd have to suffer through that dang 738 for four hours which i don't frankly care to do.

Aww come on... ATL is not as bad as everyone thinks. I have connected there many many times in less than an hour with no problem. I think its a superbly designed airport. I would connect through ATL vs. CVG any day.

ATL is a very well designed airport in my opinion considering all the flights it handles. I have connected from the last gate on the D terminal to the last one in T gates in 45 mins. It's doable...just gotta be on top of your game=)

Wave as you fly over Emory.

MGG

"I'd forfeit seeing CVG at all"

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!! This is me, ROTFL.  

Don't worry, Aloha717200, your life will still be complete w/o a visit to Covington.

Thank you, ArmitageShanks! ATL is not that bad.

I don't know why I'm getting so worked up over this?!? I think it's because I finally turned my graduate thesis in on Friday and I"m still a little loopy.

ATL is one of the easiest airports to get around. It's big, that's all. The design is simple. It you can make our picture signs you can easily get around ATL easily. As for the scenery, don't worry about it, because if it's cloudy you will be mad that you made that your deciding factor.

Thanks for the advice on ATL. Curious though, has anyone flown from a western destination to ATL? The big hang-up here is that I can either have a great view but forfeit a 764, or a poor view but get to enjoy a 764 flight. It is very hard to choose. And you're right, it could end up cloudy, but most likely not for the entire route.


On the flight to ATL from SLC, the only interesting things are to the north...such as seeing Memphis from the air, and some lakes, and DEN. But that's it. Wichita is the only thing you see towards the south.


On the flight SLC-CVG...you see DEN, MCI, STL, and quite a bit more interesting landscape and a few huge rivers, all seen to the south of course. Much better. But I'm torn between that, or a 764.

Anyone who has flown similar routes to these, your thoughts are appreciated.

Considering the sheer size of ATL it's a breeze to connect in, and very well laid out. Pity they cant do away with international baggage re-search....

Let me just say that for a bunch of obssesed airline freaks as you all are, it never ceases to shock me how many of you will avoid the likes of airports like ATL, DFW or ORD based on their perceptions of being a hassle...There is no comparison between CVG and ATL! From an enthusiasts, spotter and aviation freak, ATL is thumbs up!From the moment you touch down and see all those DL and AIr Tran flights all lined up for take off and simulataneously lined up for landing on the parallel to the rush of the crowds running or taking a train to a connecting flight, its a way more cool than CVG. CVG does afford very nice facilities, connections and whatever. But, it seems like a RJ hub and there is just something lacking in the excitement there. CVG is also very bank oriented, so, there tends to be periods of big lulls there as well. Personally I try to always limit my connections when going east/west to ORD, DFW and ATL, although IAH is pretty cool too.

The problem with ATL, is that it is one of the most delayed airports in the country. Of course the weather hasn't been to bad this spring, i.e., no big thunderstorms yet. CVG is less busy compared to its airside capacity, though that is changing. The other problem with Atlanta is that you might have to walk the effective length of a concourse as there are no moving sidewalks on the concourses themselves.

But, it seems like a RJ hub and there is just something lacking in the excitement there. CVG is also very bank oriented, so, there tends to be periods of big lulls there as well.

For mainline gets traffic is very much bank oriented, but the rj's are non stop all day  . Atleast we have some cool 328 jets to throw in the mix. If your going to be connecting, you'll be in one of those banks, so it will seem relatively busy. However, they never get closed to full capacity though with both concourses A and B being filled with planes. Departure delays a minimal with the tower usually utilizing all three runways for departure. I've never seen it any worse than 15 minutes under normal weather conditions.


peace

Sorry as much as I love flying nothing would get me to fly via ATL, and CVG is a close second.

Go ATL. The scenery is not that great to CVG either. Having connected through both on several occasions, I enjoy ATL over CVG. Plus you've got to try the 764 at least once. ATL handles more passengers than any other airport in the world. That means lots of widebodies and lots of aircraft movements.

2 hours is MORE than enough time at ATL. I made a 30 min connection from D1 to T1 without a hitch(that's a hell of a lot of walking!), and so did my bag amazingly!

As a fellow SLC flyer, go the SLC-ATL flight with a 764. You'll be glad you did.