Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport

Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport is the major airport of the Twin Cities region, 7 mi south of downtown Minneapolis and 7 miles southwest of Saint Paul. It's a major hub for Delta Air Lines, and the largest and busiest airport in the nearest 6 states in the upper Midwest and Great Plains.

Understand
Delta Air Lines is the dominant airline operating at MSP, transporting around 75% of all MSP passengers. While it's not a major international gateway, the airport has a lot of destinations served nonstop, third only to Atlanta and Denver in U.S. cities with the most nonstop markets served.

Flights
The airport is divided into two completely separate buildings: the very large Terminal 1 (consisting of concourses A-G) and the small Terminal 2 (consisting only of concourse H), with most flights arriving at Terminal 1.

If you're beginning your trip at MSP, make sure you know which terminal you will depart from; Terminal 2 is mostly used by several discount airlines, while Terminal 1 serves all others.


 * Terminal 1–Lindbergh is named for Charles Lindbergh (1902–1974), the Minnesota aviator whose 1927 solo nonstop flight from New York to Paris marked a turning point in aviation history.
 * Concourse A: Delta Air Lines
 * Concourse B: Boutique Air, Delta Air Lines, Denver Air Connection
 * Concourse C: Delta Air Lines
 * Concourse D: Aer Lingus, Delta Air Lines
 * Concourse E: Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, KLM, Spirit Airlines, United Airlines
 * Concourse F: Delta Air Lines
 * Concourse G: Air France, Delta Air Lines
 * Terminal 2–Humphrey is named for Hubert Humphrey (1911–1978), the Minnesota senator who served as vice president of the United States.
 * Concourse H: Condor, Frontier Airlines, Icelandair, JetBlue, Southwest Airlines, Sun Country Airlines

By light rail
The METRO Blue Line links the airport with Downtown Minneapolis, South Minneapolis, northeastern corner of Bloomington (including the Mall of America), and offers connections to buses to other parts of Minneapolis and St. Paul. The trains are convenient, fast, and clean. Fare is $2.00-2.50 depending on time of day. The light rail has stations at both terminals.

By bus
Route 54 buses link the airport with Downtown Saint Paul, West 7th Street, and the Mall of America in Bloomington. The bus only stops at Terminal 1; passengers flying into or out of Terminal 2 can use the METRO Blue Line to complete their journey.

By car
Terminal 1 is off Minnesota Highway 5. Terminal 2 is along 34th Avenue north of Interstate 494/Highway 5.

Get around
It's rare to have to transfer between Terminals 1 and 2, as no airlines serve both. If you do, you must exit the secure area and take the METRO Blue Line; passengers that are only riding between the two terminals do not need to pay a fare and it operates 24/7. You'll then have to re-clear security in the other terminal.

Terminal 1 is very large, and there is little to speed you on your way. A tram runs along the length of Concourse C, which by itself is a staggering half-mile (0.8 km) long; this brings Concourses A, B, and C closer to the central airport mall, from which the other concourses sprout. There are some moving sidewalks as well, but otherwise you have to walk to get around, and it can be a long journey; the farthest gates are just over 1 mile (1.6 km) apart, which will take 20 minutes or more at a brisk pace, or slightly less if you can use the tram.

Terminal 1
Most of the food in Terminal 1 is concentrated in the central airport mall. While this is fairly central to most Concourses (except for far-flung Concourses A and B), it means you're unlikely to find much food near your gate, unless you order take-out and carry it to your next gate.



Connect
Free Wi-Fi is available on the airside of both terminals; look for the network MSP Free Wi-Fi. Sessions last for two hours, but once they expire you can connect again free of charge.

Cope

 * For items lost at security checkpoints, contact TSA Lost and Found at (phone line open M-F 8AM-4:30PM).
 * Storage lockers are available in Terminal 1, but only on the secure side, and they're intended for carry-on luggage (locker dimensions are 23 inches high by 15 inches wide by 35 inches deep). Rental fees are $4 for the first four hours or $8 per day, with a maximum rental time of 48 hours, after which the lockers are emptied. The lockers are equipped with fingerprint technology, so baggage can only be retrieved by the same person who rented the locker. Lockers are near gates C2, C13, and the entrance to Concourse F. There are no lockers available in Terminal 2.
 * Storage lockers are available in Terminal 1, but only on the secure side, and they're intended for carry-on luggage (locker dimensions are 23 inches high by 15 inches wide by 35 inches deep). Rental fees are $4 for the first four hours or $8 per day, with a maximum rental time of 48 hours, after which the lockers are emptied. The lockers are equipped with fingerprint technology, so baggage can only be retrieved by the same person who rented the locker. Lockers are near gates C2, C13, and the entrance to Concourse F. There are no lockers available in Terminal 2.

Sleep


Many of the hotels along the I-494 corridor (especially Bloomington and Richfield to the west, but also Eagan and Mendota Heights to the east) offer free airport shuttles. Hotels in Downtown Minneapolis are easy to access via the METRO Blue Line, as are some of the hotels in northeast Bloomington directly south of the airport (east of or next to the Mall of America).