Atlanta Airport has two 'terminals', North and South, housed in one building on a single level. Terminal North serves most non-Delta US carriers and long-haul services for overseas airlines (Terminal South is dominated by Delta Air Lines). The check-in facilities mirror those in Terminal South but it is usually a calmer kind of place. Each terminal has its own parking lots.

If you happen to arrive at Terminal South in error it is only a short walk through to Terminal North.

Terminal North has its own baggage claim area but shares the Arrivals concourse which provides access to ground transportation to city, hotels, car rental pickup and parking lots.

Money was poured into the airport's development when Atlanta hosted the 1996 Olympic Games and nowhere was it put to better effect than in The Atrium, a central mall providing shopping, banking and catering facilities. Architecturally it is a knock-out with galleries and a glass domed roof hovering over a relaxed lounge area. The food's not bad either, offering everything from southern style dishes and all day breakfasts to a good standard bar/restaurant.

In the cocktail bar during the afternoon, you can be gently entertained by a resident pianist - a sophisticated touch in this age of airport muzak. The upper floor gallery also gives you a chance to refresh the mind as well as the body at the Martin Luther King Jr reading room. Quiet contemplation, too, can be found at the main level inter-faith chapel.

For those who shop there is a reasonable if not particularly adventurous choice. The retail outlets are discreetly placed so that they do not impinge on that quiet cup of coffee - and the pianist can play in peace. That's quite an achievement for any terminal.