Raleigh-Durham Airport (RDU) Flights & Information

Raleigh-Durham International (RDU) is the main airport serving the Piedmont region of North Carolina, located in the middle of the Research Triangle metropolitan area consisting of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. It’s a compact, efficient airport with 2 terminals that are both easy to navigate.

You’ll find domestic flights to all the major US hubs and nonstop flights to many US destinations as well, all on a variety of low-cost or full-service airlines. There are also international flights to Mexico and Panama, plus transatlantic options to Frankfurt, London (Heathrow), Paris and Reykjavik.

Raleigh-Durham terminals and layout

Raleigh-Durham International Airport has 2 terminals helpfully numbered 1 and 2. They are arranged around a U-shaped road serving both terminals. You can walk between the 2 terminals via the central parking garage tunnel, but it’s a good quarter mile between them so this is one of those airports where it’s smart to know which terminal your airline uses if you’re being dropped off or picked up.

Terminal 1 is smaller and is home to domestic flights only. Airlines using this terminal include Alaska, Avelo, Breeze, Southwest, Spirit and Sun Country. There are 2 floors, but only one has road access. You’ll find ground transportation downstairs with ticketing, check-in and bag claim, and then you head upstairs to security and departures.

Terminal 2 is the larger of the two, with some domestic and all international flights into RDU. A wide range of airlines call this one home: Aeromexico, Air Canada, Air France, Allegiant, American Airlines, Bahamasair, Copa, Delta Air Lines, Frontier, Icelandair, JetBlue, Lufthansa and United Airlines. This terminal is split into 2 levels with road access to both. Ticketing, check-in, security and departures are upstairs, while baggage claim and arrivals are downstairs.

Airport hotels at Raleigh-Durham are all off-site and reached via shuttle buses that pick up from clearly marked locations outside each terminal. There’s a really wide variety of options from all the usual hotel groups and a few more besides, with several clusters of hotels around the airport.

I reckon the best combination of proximity to the airport and value for money is the cluster around Airport Boulevard on the far side of Interstate 40. Take a look at the map while you’re making your choice if you want one within walking distance to a restaurant or bar – there are a few with a selection close by, but many are quite a hike from the nearest option.

Arriving at RDU airport

Domestic arrivals into Terminal 1 (which is a fully domestic terminal) are really simple: head to the central exit from the upstairs gate concourse down to the baggage claim areas on the ground level and then out to the pickup zones.

It’s a fairly similar process arriving into Terminal 2 if you’re on a domestic flight or arriving from an airport with US border preclearance, where you go through customs and immigration at your departure airport and then arrive like a domestic flight. At RDU, this means many Canadian flights, but do check with your airline.

International passengers arriving from other countries need to go through US immigration and customs. Since there aren’t a lot of international arrivals and the immigration area is relatively small, you might want to try to snag a seat toward the front of your plane to avoid getting stuck behind a couple hundred fellow passengers, especially if you’re a visitor from another country.

Note that, like all US airports, if you’re connecting from an international flight (without preclearance) you will need to go through immigration, collect any checked baggage, clear customs and then recheck that luggage for your onward flight. Raleigh-Durham has the fast-track arrivals Global Entry kiosks for passengers who are pre-enrolled.

The ground pickup zones are clearly marked for pre-arranged services, the ParkRDU parking buses, hotel/motel shuttles, and rental car services.

Getting to and from RDU by public transit

Public transportation from Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and other parts of the Research Triangle is pretty limited. For most of the day there’s no direct connection to any of the cities – you’ll need to take the RDU shuttle to the Regional Transit Center and connect from there to other buses serving the region. In the evenings and weekends, Bus 100 from Raleigh takes over the shuttle function.

A relatively inexpensive option can be a shared ride shuttle, where the shuttle service clusters several riders into one van or small bus between the airport and their destination. Several with official permits are listed as “Shared Transportation Services” on the airport website, where you can find contact info for booking.

How to get to and from Raleigh-Durham by car

If you’re visiting, a rental car may be a good option for you – all the usual national options are at RDU with their lots a short shuttle ride away from the terminal. Each operates its own shuttle service from the marked areas at the terminals – check with your rental car company for full details.

Taxis are available at both terminals – look for the Taxi Dispatch signs and symbols. Pre-booked cars, executive/limo services and group transportation all have their own special pickup areas, and the airport offers a list of permitted companies in each category if you want to especially sure.

Rideshare apps including Uber, Lyft and Blacklane all operate at RDU and are my first choice. I’ll usually check which one has the best pricing when I’m looking to travel. They all pick up from the “pre-arranged” zones.

Security lines and departures at RDU

The TSA runs security at Raleigh-Durham and operates PreCheck fast-track lanes for pre-enrolled passengers in both terminals. There’s also an enrollment office in the Terminal 2 bag claim area. The CLEAR fast-track program has kiosks and special lanes in both terminals, with separate standard and TSA PreCheck lanes in Terminal 1 and a combined lane for both in Terminal 2.

Liquids, aerosols, creams, gels and pastes you’d like to carry on the plane are subject to the usual set of TSA rules: all must be inside one quart-sized plastic resealable bag, and none can be in any individual container larger than 3.4 fluid ounces.

In Terminal 1, once you’re into departures it’s pretty smooth sailing – Gate A1 is all the way to your right, Gate A9 is all the way to your left and the others are between them in order. If you’re looking for the Starbucks, it’s to your left and kind of hidden behind the restrooms near Gate A7.

Terminal 2 gates are split into C and D sections with Gate C1 immediately to your right and stretching down to C25. Gate D1 is just to your left, and the gate numbers increase to D20 down the terminal. International flights use the gates at the very far end of the C gates.

There are a couple of moving walkways to speed you on to the further gates. Starbucks lovers in need of coffee in this terminal should note that the only outlet is all the way down at the far end of the D gates between D12 and D14.

Lounges and free Wi-Fi at Raleigh-Durham International Airport

RDU is home to 3 airline club lounges – one for American Airlines, one for Delta Airlines and one for United Airlines club members. Some frequent flyers (including those of the oneworld, SkyTeam and Star Alliance partner airlines) and some premium cabin passengers will have included access. They’re all pretty standard for clubs from each airline.

All 3 clubs are close to the central area of Terminal 2 – there are no lounges or clubs in Terminal 1. You’ll find the American and Delta clubs near gate C3, while the United club is opposite Gates D1 and D3. There are no Priority Pass options at RDU.

You’ll find free Wi-Fi throughout the terminals – just look for the “RDU Free WiFi” network and connect.