Terminal MAIN hosts 5 airlines across 59 gates. It's Southwest Airlines's home turf at BNA. You'll find 1 dining option, 2 shops here.
Five concourses, one roof
Fifty-nine gates sit in one Main Terminal at BNA, split into five concourses that all feed a central hub. Southwest, American, Alaska, Delta, and United all work out of this shared footprint, so you’re not changing terminals on a connection. Landside, you walk straight from ticketing and bag drop into the main security zone, then fan out to your concourse once you’re past the checkpoint.
Layout and walking times
From the center of the Main Terminal, you’re usually 5–10 minutes on foot from most of the 59 gates, depending on which end of a concourse you draw. The concourses radiate out like spokes, so you can pivot between, say, a Delta gate and a Southwest gate without going back through security. If you land at a far-end gate, budget closer to 15 minutes to reach ground transport on Level 1.
Check-in, security, and flows
All five major airlines here—Southwest, American, Alaska, Delta, United—line up along the Main Terminal ticketing hall, which runs the length of the building on Level 3. Morning security peaks hit hardest from about 5:00–7:30 a.m., especially on Monday and Thursday, so get to the checkpoint at least 90 minutes before a domestic departure in those windows. TSA PreCheck and CLEAR lanes sit in the same central screening area, which keeps lines consolidated but also means backups ripple across all concourses.
Food, drink, and gaps
Restaurant listings shift often, but the key fact: everything is inside this single Main Terminal after security, not in separate buildings. That means if your gate area looks thin on options, you can walk to another concourse wing before boarding time and still make it back. Prices run standard airport-high; figure roughly $15–20 for a quick-service meal and $7–10 for coffee or grab-and-go snacks near the gate clusters.
Lounges and quiet corners
No airline-branded lounges are catalogued in the Main Terminal as of the latest data, so don’t bank on a Sky Club or United Club for a long layover. Instead, look for seating pockets near the concourse ends, where power outlets and floor space tend to open up, especially at off-peak times like 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. If you need to take a call, walking 5 minutes away from the main hub toward a lesser-used gate usually cuts the background noise noticeably.
Shops and services
Exact shop names change, but expect the usual airport mix: newsstands, basic travel gear, and a few local-branded stores spread along the concourses. Most stands stay open from early morning, around 5:00 a.m., until the last banks of departures, usually around 9:00–10:00 p.m. You’ll also find ATMs and basic charging stations scattered every few gates, so you don’t have to stay planted at a single outlet bar.
One practical tip
Because the Main Terminal is unified, treat it like one big post-security zone: land, check your next gate, then decide if you want to walk 5–10 minutes to another concourse wing for better seating or food before heading back to board.