BDL Airport Guide: Terminals, Airlines, Food and Wi-Fi

BDL is owned and operated by the Connecticut Airport Authority. It is the second biggest airport in New England, with nonstop flights to more than 40 destinations. Its traffic report counts 6,661,871 passengers in 2025, arrivals and departures combined. The airport's airline list shows nine airlines, and all of them use Terminal A:

• Gates 1 to 12 (east concourse): Aer Lingus, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, Sun Country
• Gates 20 to 30: American, Breeze, United

Terminal B is for international arrivals that must clear U.S. Customs. The airport names Cancun on JetBlue and Frontier, plus charter flights. Air Canada flies from Toronto and pre-clears U.S. Customs there, so it arrives at Terminal A. It is not on the airport's airline list, so confirm with Air Canada.

Breeze Airways has a base at BDL. We found no airline hub listed by the airport, so most travelers here start or end their trip rather than connect. Airlines move, so check your boarding pass or the airline list at bradleyairport.com/journey/airlines.

The airport has just finished a multi-year building program. Check these before you fly:

• New concourse: a three-gate extension of Terminal A, directly behind the Sheraton Hotel, with new dining and retail, a family restroom and a second nursing room. It was completed in January 2026. The airport has not published which airlines use it, so check your gate on your boarding pass.
• Baggage screening: a new inline checked-bag screening system opened in fall 2025, so bags are screened behind the scenes instead of in the lobby.
• Exits: two new exit corridors on the east and west sides of the terminal now lead to baggage claim, rental cars, ground transportation and shuttles, and each has a meet-and-greet area. The old center exit lane near the main checkpoint is permanently closed.
• Security: the expanded main checkpoint, with two more lanes, was announced fully operational on September 9, 2026.
• Parking: construction to enlarge Surface Lot 3 will add more than 1,500 spaces, about 20 percent more parking overall, and is due to finish this winter.
• Dining: Urban Lodge Brewing Co. has opened after security, and a new Dunkin' has opened at the entrance to the gates 1 to 12 concourse. Chick-fil-A was announced for the food court this fall, Sergio's Go has no date, and Sparrow Pizza is scheduled for early 2027 in the gates 1 to 12 concourse.
• Lounge: the Escape Lounge reopened in February 2026 after a renovation.

Terminal A is open 24 hours a day. Most airline ticket counters open between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m.

The airport suggests reaching the ticket counter at least 90 minutes before a domestic flight and 3 hours before an international one. Your airline may ask for more at busy times. The airport's peak hours are typically 4 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

For flight times and delays, use your airline. The airport says any itinerary change is decided by the airline, not the airport.

How the curbs work:

• Drop-off is on the upper level, and pick-up is on the lower level.
• Curbside drop-off and pick-up is allowed. You cannot wait there or leave a vehicle unattended.
• Picking someone up? The free Cell Phone Waiting Lot is on Light Lane, less than three minutes by car from Terminal A. It has 2 electric vehicle charging stations.
• Meeting someone inside? The new exit corridors each have a meet-and-greet area with seating and arrival monitors.

Where you land depends on where you started:

• Terminal A: Dublin on Aer Lingus and Toronto on Air Canada. Both pre-clear customs before departure. You walk to baggage claim, and no further processing is needed.
• Terminal B: Cancun and charter flights. You clear U.S. Customs and Border Protection, pick up bags on level 1, then pass through the customs inspection stations. You enter the Terminal B lobby and cannot re-enter.

From Terminal B, airport shuttles go to the parking facilities and to Terminal A. The airport does not publish a shuttle schedule. Use the courtesy phones in the Terminal B lobby.

Meeting a Terminal B arrival? Follow the overhead signs for Terminal B, stay in the left lane and park in Lot 2, across from the terminal. Then use the crosswalk.

The duty free shop, International Shoppes, is near Gate 8 and welcomes domestic and international passengers. Liquor and tobacco are for international departing passengers only. The Shops & Dining page lists two International Shoppes entries: one in the gates 1 to 12 concourse that opens 3 hours before international flights, and one in the airside lobby open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Check which one is open for your flight.

Global Entry: the enrollment center is inside Terminal B, the International Arrivals Building. CBP says parking for it is in the surface lot next to Terminal B, and that it is not taking walk-ins at this time. Book an appointment on the CBP Trusted Traveler Programs site and bring your passport. Its phone is (860) 627-8767.

Bus and rail:

• The 30 Bradley Flyer, run by CTtransit, goes to the Connecticut Convention Center and Union Station in Hartford. The trip takes about 30 minutes. It runs every 40 minutes on weekdays and Saturdays, and about hourly early in the morning, late at night and on Sundays. Board at door 6 on the arrivals level, at the outer curb.
• Route 24 links Terminal A with Windsor Locks station on the Hartford Line. Board at door 6 at the stop marked Local Buses/CTtransit. From October 18, 2026, the station is at 231 Main Street, and the state says Route 24 runs daily, every 20 minutes on weekdays and every 40 minutes on weekends, in about 12 minutes to Terminal A.
• CTtransit's timetable for the Bradley Flyer (effective August 25, 2024) shows the same first and last buses every day: the first bus leaves Terminal A at 4:33 a.m. and the last at 12:10 a.m. From Union Station in Hartford, the first bus leaves at 4 a.m. and the last at 11:20 p.m. That timetable also shows buses about every 40 minutes on Sundays, so check it before you count on an hourly gap.
• The Hartford Line lists a one-way fare of $4.00 between Windsor Locks and Hartford (fares effective July 1, 2026). CTtransit's local fare is $1.75 for a 2-hour pass or $3.50 for an all-day pass (checked October 15, 2026). CTtransit lists no separate airport fare for the Bradley Flyer, so confirm with CTtransit before you ride.
• Downtown Hartford is about 15 miles (24 km) away by road. Airport pages give 15 to 30 minutes by car, depending on traffic.

Taxis and apps:

• Taxis wait outside the arrivals level between exit doors 2 and 3. To book or ask about fares, call (860) 627-3128.
• Uber and Lyft are the two ride apps authorized here. Pick-up is at the Ride App Pick-up sign outside door 2 on the arrivals level.

Rental cars: all nine brands are in the Ground Transportation Center, 180 Schoephoester Road, Windsor Locks, CT 06096. A sheltered walkway links it to Terminal A, so no shuttle is needed. After baggage claim, follow the Rental Car signs to level 2 and the corridor by door 6. Avis, Budget and Payless are on floor 2, Enterprise, National and Alamo on floor 3, and Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty on floor 4.

Parking shuttles run every ten minutes, 24 hours a day.

The main TSA checkpoint is in the departures lobby. After the expansion it has lanes for standard screening, TSA PreCheck, PreCheck Touchless ID, CLEAR, Priority and wheelchair access. Touchless ID works for qualifying passengers flying American, Delta, United and Southwest.

A second checkpoint, closer to the Sheraton Hotel, is still open for TSA PreCheck and for CLEAR Plus with PreCheck.

One older airport page says PreCheck was moved to the second checkpoint. The newer September 2026 update says PreCheck is back at the main checkpoint. Follow the signs on the day.

We did not find checkpoint hours or an official wait-time page. Check tsa.gov and your airline, and plan around the peak hours of 4 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. You need a boarding pass to get through the checkpoint, and a ticket receipt will not do.

The airport's Shops & Dining page lists these places. Hours are as published, so check before you count on them.

Before security (landside lobby):

• Paradies Avanti Market: open 24/7
• Dunkin': 3:45 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.
• Samuel Adams Brewhouse: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

After security, airside lobby:

• Urban Lodge: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Starbucks: 4 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• McDonald's: 3:45 a.m. to last departure
• Jamba Juice: 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Dunkin': 3:45 a.m. to last departure

After security, gates 1 to 12:

• Dunkin': at the concourse entrance, opened in 2026, hours not yet in the directory
• Tap & Pour: 3 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Two Roads Tap Room: 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.

After security, gates 21 to 30:

• Putnam Tavern: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Beercode Kitchen & Bar: 4 a.m. to last departure
• Dunkin': 3:45 a.m. to last departure
• Auntie Anne's and Carvel: 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• D'Angelo Grilled Sandwiches: 4 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Shops include New England Travelmart, Springfield Essentials, CT River Landing, Hartford Prints!, Gineva Murano Glass Jewelry, Charter Oak Emporium and iStore. The airport lists the concourse as gates 21 to 30 for food but gates 20 to 30 for airlines. We did not find a mobile ordering option. Ask at the counter.

• Wi-Fi: free in all terminals. Join BDLPublic and accept the terms. Free charging stations are throughout the terminals.
• ATMs: six Webster Bank ATMs in Terminal A, four of them after security.
• Currency exchange: BDL has none. The airport suggests a nearby major bank, AAA or travelex.com.
• Lounge: the Escape Lounge is the airport's only lounge. It is in the east concourse by gates 1 to 12 and open 4:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week. Entry is $45 if you pre-book and $60 if you walk up, or free with an eligible credit card. Children under 3 get in free. Priority Pass holders can pre-book and must bring their card. Prices change, so check escapelounges.com.
• Hotel: a full-service Sheraton is attached to the main terminal, reached by a hallway near the second checkpoint. Connecticut's official tourism site lists it as the Sheraton Hartford Hotel at Bradley Airport, 1 Bradley International Airport, Windsor Locks, CT 06096, phone (860) 627-5311. Check rates on the hotel's own site.
• Accessibility: the free GoodMaps app gives indoor directions. The free Sunflower lanyard for hidden disabilities is available at the information center. Ask your airline for wheelchair help.
• Concierge: a booked meet-and-greet service run with Travelers Aid International. We found no price, so use the booking form on the airport's site.
• Pets: pets must stay in a kennel in the terminal. Relief areas are near the iStore inside Terminal A and outside near Door 1.
• Luggage storage: we found no left-baggage service. Call the information center at (860) 292-2056 to ask.
• Contact: (860) 292-2000 for general information. The airport is on Schoephoester Road in Windsor Locks, Connecticut.

Who you call depends on where you lost it:

• On an aircraft: contact your airline's baggage claim department.
• In the TSA inspection lanes or screening area: TSA handles it. Fill out the online form on tsa.gov.
• Anywhere else on airport grounds: items go to the State Police. Call (860) 292-7400 to claim one.

We did not find office hours, a fee or how long items are kept. Ask when you call.