Atlanta is a rising star in the airport firmament, currently the second busiest airport in the world. In recent years Hartsfield Atlanta has had the benefit from huge investment which resulted in a new $300 million international concourse, opened in 1994, and a massive facelift for the domestic concourses and terminal building.

Atlanta is big and getting bigger. Generally it moves people efficiently with the help of one of the world's largest airport rail systems. That is not to say that it is problem free with baggage delays not uncommon for arriving passengers and the large concourses designed mostly for the super fit. It's a heck of a long way to some departure gates and, apart from electric buggies for older or infirm travelers, it's a case of walk and fly. The concourse route march was neatly summed up during a recent visit by a passenger gazing towards a distant gate and audibly breaking the 5th Commandment. Yes, the one about taking the Lord's name in vain.

Car parking can be another difficulty as the number of available spaces struggles to keep up with the passenger boom. Hunting down a place to park can take up to 30 minutes but the airport is trying to improve the situation. The airport authority is encouraging users out to the long term lots by increasing the overnight rates in the Hourly parking lots - the 24 hour rate for second and subsequent days is $48 a day.

Hartsfield claims to be one of the world's safest and most efficient airports and it definitely shapes up well in comparison to many of its competitors. By its very size it adds extra minutes to journey times and as it keeps growing it will have to run hard to keep winning gold medals from travelers.

The money invested in the airport has brought visible improvements but probably its greatest asset is the natural friendliness of the people who work there. Airwise recommends a course in Atlanta's southern courtesy as standard training for airport staff everywhere.