I will be flying into Atlanta from abroad and then connecting to Canada, if going directly to my connecting flight do I need my passport?
Passport at Atlanta airport
Are you going to throw your passport away after you land? 
What is the big problem having your passport with you?
Do you come from a country (somewhere) that needs a visa so you can enter Canada?
[ Edit: Edited on 10 Sep 2024, 00:17 GMT by karazyal ]
Quoting karazyal
Are you going to throw your passport away after you land?
What is the big problem having your passport with you?
Do you come from a country (somewhere) that needs a visa so you can enter Canada?
Sorry I should have been more clear, I meant would you have to go through customs and have found out the answer is yes so I re-booked a direct flight to Montreal, a little more expensive but worth it not having to go through that hassle.
Thanks for your reply. 
[ Edit: Edited on 10 Sep 2024, 01:32 GMT by dwdl21 ]
For future reference...and unlike major airports in many other countries... it isn't possible to fly into USA airports to connect to an international flight without formally entering the USA i.e. first getting an Esta or visa then, on arrival, going through US Customs ('border control'), collecting hold bags and re-checking them.
Getting to and through US Customs can be a very lengthy process for non-US citizens (my longest queue so far has been 2+ hours) so, unless there is no alternative, connecting to another international flight via the US is really not a good idea.
[ Edit: Edited on 10 Sep 2024, 07:12 GMT by leics2 ]