Baltimore-Washington Airport Service Animal Policies

Assistance animals are welcome to travel with passengers who have disabilities. Certain exemptions are provided to these animals, but some rules and restrictions still apply. To determine if your dog qualifies to be certified as a Psychiatric Service Dog and can be accepted as such for air travel, you can visit Pettable’s PSD service.

Baltimore-Washington Airport Pet Relief Areas

The BWI Airport offers four pet relief areas within and around the airport. Two are available outside and before security, while the other two are in secured areas. The first pre-security area is located on the lower level of Concourse E just outside door 19. The second is in front of the Hourly Garage. The first post-security station is at the beginning of Concourse C, whereas the other is in the connector between Concourses D and E—just beyond the Concourse D/E Security Checkpoint.  

The Baltimore-Washington Airport pet policy states that non-service animals must stay in their travel crates when inside the airport terminal. The only exceptions are when you are going through security or visiting an animal relief area.


BWI Airport Pet Travel and Cargo Locations

In most U.S. airports, passengers traveling with animals have three transportation options. If your pet is small enough to fit in a carrier under your seat, he will be allowed to fly with you in the cabin (for an additional price). If your pet is too large, your airline may offer the ability to fly as checked baggage. The process is relatively easy for owners. Simply drop off your pet at flight check-in and collect him from excess baggage claim when you arrive. This mode of transport ensures that you and your pup are on the same flight. All other animals will need to fly as cargo. As with most airports, the BWI Thurgood Marshall pet policies require that owners collect their animals from airline-specific facilities rather than general passenger terminals when flying a pet in cargo.  

The airport’s cargo concourse covers an area of around 395,000 square feet, featuring a 60,000 square foot building in the Midfield Cargo Complex. This large complex can be difficult to navigate, but it is necessary—BWI sees more than 370 million pounds of cargo each year, and this large complex can be difficult to navigate if you don’t know where you’re going. The cargo complex is on the airport grounds but unconnected to other major buildings. There is no shuttle service, meaning you, the pet parent, are responsible for organizing private, pet-friendly transportation.  

Below, we have listed location and contact information for popular and heavily trafficked airport cargo facilities.  

American Airlines Cargo
1003 Air Cargo Drive
Building D, Door 9
Baltimore, MD 21240
800-344-4320 

Delta Airlines Cargo
1003 Air Cargo Drive
Building B, Door 29
Baltimore, MD 21240
800-352-2746 

Southwest Airlines Cargo
1003 Air Cargo Drive
Building C
 Baltimore, MD 21240
410-981-1410 

United Airlines Cargo
1003 Air Cargo Drive
Building B, Door 29
Baltimore, MD 21240
410-962-2666 

  

More Baltimore-Washington International Airport Pet Policies

Though not stated in the BWI Airport pet policy, animal owners should keep a close eye on the weather forecast when traveling through this city. Often, when temperatures rise above 85 degrees or drop to below 35, airlines will deem the temperatures too extreme for animal travel. Baltimore’s summers can be very hot, whereas the winters often dip into the thirties. To avoid scheduling issues, we recommend avoiding this airport during extremely hot and cold months. 

Baltimore-Washington Airport pet policy states that non-service pets are not permitted in the terminal building unless destined for air transport and restrained in a container. There are two post-security relief areas. Your dog can leave the crate while using these resources, but he must stay on a leash. Additionally, pet owners should note that TSA passenger screening canine teams may be deployed near checkpoints. If your dog does not get along with other animals, you might mention this to TSA. Even crated animals can cause trouble for fellow passengers if the bark is loud enough.  

For travel-related pet information, the BWI Airport pet policy urges animal owners to contact their airlines.