Terminal MAIN hosts 10 airlines. It's Allegiant Air's home turf at CVG. You'll find 10 shops here.
Two TSA checkpoints in the Main Terminal usually keep lines short
The Main Terminal at CVG is basically check-in counters, two primary TSA checkpoints, and the baggage claim halls that feed Concourses A and B. Air Canada, Alaska, Allegiant, American, Contour, Delta, Frontier, Southwest, Sun Country, and United all start here before sending you down to the concourses by underground train and walkways. Most flyers clear security here in under 20–25 minutes outside the Monday 5–8 a.m. push.
Baggage claim sits directly under ticketing, but the walk back feels long
Arrivals drop you into the concourses, and then you walk or ride the train back toward the Main Terminal baggage claim, with some gates over a 10-minute walk from carousel 1. Multiple reviews call out the “very long walk from arrival gate to baggage claim,” especially after late-night flights when moving walkways feel slower or are under maintenance. Build an extra 15 minutes into pickup plans if someone is meeting you landside.
Check-in counters for all 10 airlines line the upper level
On the departure level, American, United, and Delta counters sit closest to the central security checkpoint, while Allegiant, Frontier, Southwest, and Sun Country are grouped farther along the same row. Air Canada, Alaska, and Contour share space with the larger carriers, but their lines stay shorter except during the first morning bank around 6–7 a.m. Self-service kiosks for most airlines sit right in front of the counters, cutting down counter time to just bag drop.
No lounges or restaurants sit in the Main Terminal itself
Inside the Main Terminal, before security, you will not find branded lounges, sit-down restaurants, or major retail; all the recognizable food and shopping lives in Concourses A and B past the checkpoints. That means your coffee, bar, and meal decisions really start after TSA, so eating before you arrive at the airport or planning a quick bite in the concourses is the smarter play. If you are waiting for arrivals at baggage claim, options are essentially limited to vending machines and whatever you brought with you.
Baggage claim delays draw more complaints than security lines
Reviews routinely describe security as fast but call out baggage claim waits that feel long relative to the airport’s size, with one traveler describing a “ridiculous long wait for bags to arrive on carousel” after an on-time landing. Carousels are grouped in one main hall, and digital boards list flight numbers and belt assignments, but bags can still take 25–40 minutes at peak times. If you are connecting onto ground transport like rideshare or a scheduled shuttle, pad at least half an hour between landing time and pickup.
One simple rule: arrive airside early, plan for a long walk back
The Main Terminal works best if you treat it as a quick pass-through: check in at your airline row, clear one of the TSA checkpoints, and head straight to Concourses A or B where the food, bars, and shops actually are. On the flip side, for arrivals, tell your ride to be at passenger pickup 30–40 minutes after scheduled landing to account for the walk and possible slow bags. That timing usually syncs up well with CVG’s efficient security on departure and the occasionally laggy baggage hall on arrival.