By Harriet Baskas

Located in Connecticut's Hartford/Springfield area and equidistant between Boston and New York City, low-key Bradley International Airport (airport code: BDL) advertises itself as the "no hassle" alternative to the congested "big city" airports.

Get oriented Take care of yourself Take care of business Explore the airport Go into town

Get oriented Baggage note Luggage carts rent for $2. You'll get a 25¢ refund when you return your cart to the rack. There are no storage lockers at BDL. BDL has two interconnected terminals, A and B, with staffed information centers on the upper level of Terminal A (next the US Airways security checkpoint) and down on the baggage claim level at the base of the escalators. It should take no longer than 5 minutes to walk between terminals along the enclosed corridor that looks out on the airfield. The recently expanded Terminal A has two concourses: C and E. The old part of Terminal A is Concourse C and serves US Airways/US Airways Express and United/United Express. The new part of Terminal A is Concourse E, which serves America West, CommutAir, Delta/Song, Northwest, Continental/Continental Express, and Southwest airlines. American/American Eagle, Air Canada Jazz, and Skyway Airlines operate out of Terminal B, although American flights are scheduled to move to Terminal A in 2005. Take care of yourself Food note Best bet for a carry-on meal: Lavazza, in Terminal A, offers wraps and other to-go items. Best sinful snack: Ice cream from the Breyer's ice-cream stand on Concourse C. Eat: Pre-security, you'll find table service and a view of the gate activity at The Sheraton Bradley Hotel's Concord Restaurant, which is accessible from the connecting corridor between Terminals A and B. Light meals are served in the hotels' Cloud Nine Lounge and drinks are available in the comfortable lobby lounge as well. In Terminal A, the pre-security option is Lavazza, which serves gourmet coffee, sandwiches, wraps, and to-go items. Post-security the choices in Concourse E are McDonalds, Fresh City (salads, wraps, fruit drinks), and Boston Pizza. Along Concourse C you'll find another branch of Lavazza and a Breyer's ice cream outlet. Pre-security, Grab 'N Go offers sandwich shop offering wraps and sandwiches. Post-security, there's a Dunkin Donuts. Relax and refresh: There's fairly comfortable seating along the connecting corridor between terminals A and B and in the terminals proper. For more serious relaxation, try the Sheraton Bradley Hotel, which has an entrance along the connecting corridor. They offer day rates, but there's also a big-screen television and plenty of comfortable seating in the lobby area. Smoking is allowed only outside the terminals. Take care of business Airline club members will find a US Airways club room across from Gate A6). Non-club members will find a small business center tucked into the lobby of the Sheraton Bradley Hotel. The business center, American Audio Visual, offers copying, faxing, and printing services, as well as laptop hookups and workstation rentals. Hours: Monday–Friday, 7 AM–5 PM. Call (860) 623-5381 for more information. Explore the airport Shopping note Best souvenir under $10: Connecticut souvenirs, such as a Connecticut tea towel stamped with lobsters and other sea creatures, accompanied by a lobster-shaped cookie-cutter. Shop: You can pick up a wide variety of New England-made products and souvenirs—such as Yankee Candles, maple syrup, and UConn Huskies paraphernalia—in the gift shops in both terminals. Post-security in Terminal A there's a Travelmart shop, a Brooks Brothers store, and a CNBC shop with an Internet kiosk, newspapers, snacks and juices, and gift items. Sightsee: You can keep an eye on the ramp area between the two terminals from the connecting corridor and from the restaurant in the Sheraton. Otherwise, grab a window seat down at the end of the concourses. The floor-to-ceiling windows in the new Terminal A, especially, offer great viewing spots. Artwork by local artists is on display in exhibit cases in Terminal A, across from the US Airways and United ticket counters. Mid-way down the connecting corridor between terminals A and B, you'll find display cases filled with some intriguing items promoting the airport's history and area tourist attractions. For something unusual, look for the three large color photos hanging on the wall in the connecting corridor just as you start towards Terminal B from Terminal A. Next to the photos are three patch-sized, embroidered scenes created by Raymond Materson to honor the 1995 Special Olympics. Materson, who was in prison when he took up embroidery, unraveled his socks to get the colored thread used in his artwork. Materson is now a free man whose embroidery is featured in top museums and art galleries. While there are no sidewalks or park spaces outside the terminal, there are interesting spots just beyond the airport that can keep a traveler occupied for hours. For example, the nearby Bradley Teletheater simulcasts live jai-alai and racing action from around the country. And right next to the airport is the New England Air Museum which features the second-largest indoor display of vintage and historic aircraft in the northeast, dating from 1909 to the present. There's an outdoor display as well. Although it's right next door, walking there is not a straightforward endeavor, so hop in a cab. Play around: You can keep the kids entertained by watching gate and airfield activities from the connecting corridor between terminals A and B, or from a spot by the floor-to-ceiling windows in the new part of Terminal A. If you've got a few hours, head over to the New England Air Museum next to the airport. (see "Sightsee" above.) Go into town More information For additional information about Bradley International Airport, call 1 (860) 292-2000. The 12-mile cab ride to downtown Hartford will take 15 to 30 minutes and will cost about $28. A shared van to the train station in downtown Hartford via Connecticut Limousine will cost $20 (call 800-472-5466 for more information). Connecticut Transit offers public bus service, the Bradley Flyer, to downtown Hartford for $1.10. Buses leave about every hour from the lower level of terminals A and B. For more information, call (860) 525-9181.  Guides to more than 65 airports are available online from Expedia's Airport Information page, or buy the whole book, Stuck at the Airport: A Traveler's Survival Guide, at Amazon.com.

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