Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport Guide

Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport is one of the major airports in the Washington DC and Baltimore area.

The airport borrows its name from Thurgood Marshall, the first African American to serve the US Supreme Court as a justice.

The airport also attracts a lot of passengers from Harrisburg, Richmond, and Philadelphia. No wonder it is the busiest airport in the region. If you are to visit the airport, this article will be useful for you.

The 3160 acres of the airport offers a plethora of facilities and services to the passengers. How many do you know?

Find out all the details about airport lounges, Wi-Fi, mobile charging point, and a lot more.

BWI Overview

Let’s start with a quick overview. It shall help you if you book airline tickets to the USA and happen to pass through the Baltimore-Washington airport.

• New Travel Opportunities

Another American airline, Spirit will introduce new routes from BWI. This May, Spirit will operate nonstop flights to San Salvador, El Salvador. It will also add daily flights to San Juan, Puerto Rico.

 Moreover, passengers can now find cheap flights to Orlando and Fort Lauderdale with Spirit Airlines starting 22 April. The additional flights are good news for the airport. The increase in the number of air flights within the USA will offer more travel opportunities.

• Busiest Airport

Baltimore-Washington Airport’s location allows both the metropolises to take advantage of its services. Also, it is 9 miles away from Baltimore, and 30 miles from Washington DC. This makes it the busiest airport in Maryland and Washington.

• Best Airport of its Size

Baltimore-Washington Airport has been ranked as the best airport of its size across the world. Moreover, the quality facilities and seamless service have made it popular among American travelers. 

• Hubs

It is the hub of one of the best-loved airlines of the USA, Southwest Airlines. In the year 2014, Southwest managed 71% of the airport traffic. It also serves as a hub for Southern Airways Express.

Baltimore-Washington International Airport- Terminal

Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport has a single terminal. Further, there are 5 concourses that have 70 gates, and 4 arrival only gates.

• Inter-Terminal Navigation

There is no need for a shuttle service between the main terminal and concourses. However, if you book international USA airline tickets to BWI, and arrive at the Concourse E, you may use the airport shuttle.

 BWI courtesy shuttle offers free service. Such shuttles operate on a high frequency. Therefore, you won’t have a problem finding them. Anyhow, Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport offers:

1. Amtrak/MARC Shuttle: AS the name suggests, this shuttle runs between the main terminal and Amtrak/MARC station. The frequency of shuttle service is 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Parking Shuttle: This shuttle takes care of transfers between Long-Term A, B, and daily garage and Main Terminal. Also, they operate on a frequency of 5-10 minutes.
3. Consolidated Rental Car Shuttle: This shuttle takes you to the Car Rental Facility from the Main Terminal and vice versa. The frequency of operations is 5 to 10 minutes.

• Levels/Floors/Stories

The main terminal of Baltimore-Washington Airport consists of two levels, namely the upper and lower levels.

1. Upper Level

The upper level takes care of the airline ticketing business. Also, here you will find all the concourses, gates, stores, restaurants, cafés, and other facilities.

2. Lower Level

The lower level has the baggage claim area and arrivals. Police station, Lost and Found, and Information Desk on this level.

Further, you can also get ground transportation and shuttle services from here. You will also find a USO lounge near the baggage claim 13-14 area.

• Concourses

The five concourses are named after the first 5 alphabets of the English language. Therefore, they run from A till E. Here is further information:

1.  A and B Concourse

The first two concourses only entertain Southwest flights. There are 25 gates, i.e. A1 to A 11, and then B2 to B15. Here you can find ATMs, currency exchange, banking facilities, information desk, FedEx, and UPS.

Also, concourse A offers more F and B options than any other concourse. Also, it has more retail shops than others. Finally, the lower level gives you access to all the boarding gates in the Concourses A and B. So, if you book Southwest airplane ticket to the USA.

2. C Concourse

A secure connector bridges the gap between concourses A and B, and C. 14 gates of this concourse facilitate flight movement from American Airlines, Southwest and Contour Airlines.

3. D Concourse

There are 24 gates in Concourse D. All the international Southwest arrivals that are not pre-cleared are routed here. Also, Spirit Airlines and Southwest use D1, D3, and D5 as international swing gates.

Other airlines that operate in this concourse are Alaska Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Air Canada Express, Delta, Allegiant Air, United Airlines, and Southern Airways Express.

Finally, the ground level caters to small regional aircraft.

4. E Concourse

There are 7 gates in concourse E. Interestingly, this concourse is officially named Governor William Donald Schaefer. Further, British Airways, Southwest, Spirit, and Condor Airlines flight use this concourse.

5. Cargo Concourse

This concourse covers an area of 395,000 sq ft.

Baltimore-Washington International Airport- Lounges

Baltimore-Washington Airport has lounges that you can access. It doesn’t matter if you book business class fare deals, first-class airfare, or economy flight tickets, you can access the lounge. However, you must purchase a lounge pass for the same.

Otherwise, you must have a lounge program membership. So, you can find the below lounges at the BWI airport:

• The Club BWI

you can find this lounge near the D10 gate in the concourse D. The lounge can accommodate 50 passengers. Moreover, it is divided into multiple zones. Each zone has services to suit the needs of modern travelers. 

For instance, the relaxing zone has comfy seats and easily accessible power outlets.

If you do business on the go, you can proceed to the Productivity zone. Also, if you want refreshments, food, etc. you should go to the Replenish zone. The club is open from 4.15 am to 10.30 pm.

• USO Lounge

Family members of active US military personnel can make themselves comfortable at this lounge.

Also, the lounge is free for such passengers and their families. USO Lounge is situated between concourses D, E, and baggage claim area. It is a 5,000 sq ft facility. Moreover, you can visit the club anytime between 6 am to 10 pm.

Baltimore-Washington International Airport- Other Facilities

1. ATM
2. Duty-Free and Shopping
3. Food and Beverages
4. Spa and Salon
5. Luggage Storage
6. Observation Gallery
7. Children’s Play Area
8. Baby Care Facilities
9. Pet Relief Areas
10. Information Desk
11. Mobile Charging
12. Banking
13. Currency Exchange
14. Fitness
15. Meditation Room

Baltimore-Washington International Airport- Top Destinations

The busiest route or the most-loved destination by passengers from BWI is Atlanta. Next is Fort Lauderdale, followed by Orlando. While the majority of passengers fly to these three destinations, there is a huge chunk of passengers that fly to:

1. Boston Flight
2. Charlotte
3. Denver
4. Chicago
5. Detroit
6. Tampa
7. Los Angeles

So, that’s enough to walk you through the details of Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.

Also, you shall experience excellent internet service next time you visit BWI. The Maryland Board of Public Works will enhance the airport’s Wi-Fi service.