Atlanta, GA
Ride-sharing woes at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport being addressed
Rideshare problems at Atlanta airport
An Atlanta City Council member says he has gotten complaints from Uber and Lyft customers that the ride share experience at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport needs to change.
ATLANTA – Ride-share numbers are booming for those who head to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, but one Atlanta City Council member says he is getting complaints from Uber and Lyft customers that the ride-share experience needs to improve.
The world’s busiest airport is trying to address its customer experience numbers, which have also taken a dip of late.
The problem is the last thing travelers want to do after an exhaustive trip at the airport, is push your luggage an extended distance to get an Uber or Lyft. However, that is what is happening at Atlanta’s airport.
“We are going to be hosting a whole lot of people, and we wanted it to be enjoyable,” interim Airport General Manager Jan Lennon explained. Lennon told the council’s Transportation Committee that Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport wants to be ready when the FIFA World Cup arrives in 2026.
One council member says he wants improvements to what has become the airport’s Achilles heel.
“Why is the ride-share experience so bad at Atlantis airport? Why do you have to hike so far to catch a ride when that’s what the majority of our customers are doing?” District 2 Amir Farokhi questioned.
The council member is right. Ride-share numbers are exploding with 3.3 million people projected this year, in contrast to 463,000 passengers using taxis.
“We are not serving our customers well if our ride-share experience is what it is, given the number of people who are using it and the revenues generated for our airport,” Farokhi declared.
Lennon says her team is working on improving the ride-share experience.
“We are in a constraint area, working in a small confinement. Getting passengers to ride-share closer because it is a long distance, and we do understand that, especially people with ADA issues and things like that, so we are looking at that,” Lennon responded.
Lennon says the airport won a service quality award just yesterday for 2023, but concedes the customer experience numbers have taken a dip.
“Wait times were some of the reasons. I just had a meeting with the TSA administrator and preparing him. This is what’s happening for this airport. Moving forward, we need more officers,” Lennon demanded.
The Interim GM also announced the airport has hired Karen Ellis.
Ellis is a customer Chief Experience Officer who plans to help them get the customer experience numbers back up.
The Source: FOX 5 Atlanta compiled this based on the Atlanta City Council’s Transportation Committee meeting on Nov. 13, 2024.
The Georgia Department of Transportation announced that a major weekend construction project, set to fully shut down two miles of I-285, has been postponed due to inclement weather. Atlantans are relieved, with many looking forward to more freedom to travel this Mothers’ Day weekend. Kim Leoffler has the story.
ATLANTA – An Atlanta flight attendant and mother of eight is among 17,000 Spirit Airlines workers struggling to find a new “destination” after the carrier suddenly shut down.
Spirit Airlines Atlanta impact
What we know:
Spirit Airlines ended all operations on Saturday, grounding its entire fleet and ending employment for its 17,000-person workforce. Flight attendants and customers were stranded across the country, often forced to pay for their own travel home after the discount carrier ceased operations.
Kamille Carter, an Atlanta-based flight attendant of five years, said she received the termination email from the CEO at 3 a.m., despite earlier assurances from union representatives that the company was stable. The company immediately cut healthcare benefits and stopped payments for sick leave and vacation time for all staff members.
Unpaid wages and benefits
What we don’t know:
It is unclear if Carter and her fellow employees will ever receive their final paychecks or if there is any legal recourse for the lost benefits. The company has not specified if any transition assistance will be provided to workers, some of whom had been with the airline since it launched in 1994.
Employee reaction in Georgia
What they’re saying:
“This is a death because you have to mourn, you have to grieve, it’s a process,” Carter said of the sudden job loss. Despite the financial strain of supporting eight children, Carter is looking toward her passion for cooking as a potential new career. She noted that while being uncomfortable is difficult, it can “push you to your destiny.”
Finding help in Atlanta
What you can do:
Community members looking to support Carter and other local workers affected by the shutdown can find more information on the FOX 5 Atlanta website. The station is collecting resources for those navigating the sudden loss of income and healthcare.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from an interview conducted by FOX 5 reporter Eric Perry, who spoke directly with former flight attendant Kamille Carter in Atlanta. Previous FOX 5 Atlanta reporting was also used.
The search for missing 16-year-old Benjamin Braithwaite is over. Atlanta police announced just before midnight Thursday that he had been located, more than a week after he vanished from his Regency Trace home.
The department shared the update on social media but did not release additional details about where he was found or the circumstances surrounding his recovery.
Braithwaite had been missing since the night of April 27, when he was last seen around 9 p.m. at his home in Atlanta. His family said they had no contact with him during the entire time he was gone.
The disappearance of the KIPP Atlanta Collegiate High School sophomore and basketball team member had galvanized the Atlanta community. His family, teammates, Atlanta police officers and neighbors gathered at the school last week to raise awareness about his disappearance. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where his mother works, joined the search effort — asking the public to watch for him at MARTA stops and fast food restaurants.
A $10,000 reward had been offered for credible information leading to his safe return.
“Even small details matter. Your awareness could make the difference,” the airport wrote in an Instagram post earlier this week.
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