Summer Travel Tips
Summer is the busiest travel period of the year for Sea-Tac Airport. The airport will average 100,000 passengers per day from June through August. This is well above the average day for the year of 85,000 passengers per day. August is traditionally the busiest month of the year followed by July, June, and May.
- Arrive Early! At least two hours before your flight - give yourself time to get through security.
- Do Some Advance Planning – Confirm your travel details and make sure the name on your boarding pass and your government-issued ID match.
- Pack with Security in Mind – Know what is and isn’t allowed in carry-ons and checked luggage by checking the TSA website. Also see if you qualify for the new TSA PreCheck Program.
- Get your Boarding Pass Early – Print it online before you arrive or use convenient check-in kiosks in the airport garage or at airline check-in counters. Passengers with only carry-on baggage can go directly to the security checkpoint. Passengers with luggage can go to airline bag-check points.
- Check the status of your flight online or via email notification – Check our flight status page for updates online or through airline email alerts.
- Park in the Airport Garage – Save time, stay dry and be close. No shuttles, covered skybridges and you are right next to the terminal. Resurfacing will limit access on the 8th floor, however, throughout the summer we will be opening other areas of the garage previously occupied by rental cars.
- Get the latest news -- Visit our Traveler Updates and sign up for email notifications.
Tips for avoiding congestion on the drives
An operational team at Sea-Tac has implemented a series of new actions to reduce the congestion on the airport drives, from signage to traffic metering by Port of Seattle Police. Shuttles for the new Rental Car Facility alone have reduced the number of vehicles on the drive by 160,000 each month or 1.9 million for the year. Below are some effective tips for avoiding the congestion:
Pickup on the departures drive, drop off on the arrivals drive -- Airport traffic increases in the evening at Sea-Tac due to many inbound flights which creates traffic congestion on the Arrivals Drive. Instead of meeting your party outside of baggage claim on the Arrivals Drive, suggest that your arriving guests take an escalator or elevator from baggage claim to the ticketing level of the terminal and meet you outside the less-crowded Departures Drive.
Don’t get stuck in traffic! -- Park on the Terminal Direct floor of the airport parking garage, the quickest and most convenient option for meeting passengers in the terminal, and pay just $4 per hour. Or use any other floor for $3 per hour.
Try the cell phone waiting lot -- Parking in this lot is free and drivers can wait up to 30 minutes until arriving passengers have deplaned, collected luggage and called to be picked up outside of Baggage Claim. Take advantage of the cell phone parking lot and the posted QR code that you can scan for the most recent flight arrival information. Remember, there is no parking or waiting allowed on the airport roadway shoulders.
Save 30 percent off regular parking ratesTravelers can park in our garage during the summer travel season with daily and weekly discounts. For Memorial Day travel, park for only $19 a day in General Parking (good May 20 to June 2, with a three-day minimum stay required). In addition, you can take advantage of the special weekly rate of only $99 a week (up to seven days) in General Parking now through June 30, 2013. Stays over seven days are only $28 a day until the next $99 weekly maximum is reached! There are no added charges or fees, and no shuttle to slow you down.
Download a coupon. Check for additional parking promotions throughout the year.
Earn Airline Miles When You Park, Dine or Shop
Sea-Tac Airport partners with the Thanks Again loyalty program to offer airline miles when you park in the airport’s ParkSmart garage or make a purchase at any of our airport merchants. Enrollment is free and when you register by texting (text FLYSEATAC to 82257 or QR code online) you will receive 100 bonus miles. Register today and earn airline miles for purchases you already make at the airport!
Traveling Internationally? Sign-up for Global Entry Frequent international travelers can significantly speed up their clearance process through U.S. Customs and Border Protection by enrolling in Global Entry, an expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States. A five-year membership is only $100. Visit the global entry website for more information.