Get here Link Light Rail gives travelers a quick, inexpensive and environmentally friendly way to travel from downtown to the airport.
Plan ahead Confirm your travel details. A new requirement is that the name on your boarding pass and your government-issued ID must match. So when you confirm your flight, make sure the name on your airline reservation matches whatever I.D. you plan to use (driver's license or passport, for example). Ask what the baggage policies are for your airline: How many bags are allowed; what the fees are; and what are the size and weight restrictions.
Pack smart Valuables and essentials, such as medicine and travel documents, should stay with you in your carry-on luggage.
Know what is and isn't allowed in carry-ons and checked luggage, check TSA website for more information. Remember to leave checked luggage unlocked or use a TSA-approved lock (your luggage may be opened for security reasons).
Use Web Check-in. Most airlines offer it. You can print your boarding pass at home; if you don't have luggage to check you can bypass the ticket counter completely and go straight through the security checkpoint and your gate.
Check your the status of your flight
online.
Give yourself the gift of time. Get to the airport two hours before your flight. Note: Due to heightened security some airlines are asking international travelers to allow extra time at the airport. Check directly with your
carrier. Park in the Airport Garage. It's connected to the Main Terminal by covered skybridges (stay dry), you're right at the airport, no shuttle buses to deal with (save time) check out the options - Terminal Direct and General Parking. And the Airport Garage's floor count system takes the guess work out of finding available parking and speeds the journey from car to flight. Remember to note where you've parked (space number and elevator color).
Check-in options Shortening your time in airline ticket counter lines is always a great strategy. New technology offers two alternatives for travelers.
Alaska Airlines “Airport of the Future” Customer Check-In Facility. Alaska's facility features customer-friendly islands of check-in kiosks and bag-check stations. Customers can print their boarding passes at the check-in kiosks. Passengers with only carry-on baggage then proceed directly to the security checkpoint. Passengers with luggage to check proceed to one of the bag-check points, where customer service employees scan customers' boarding passes and affix bag tags.
Checking In for Flights in Sea-Tac's Garage. Travelers on seven airlines – Alaska Airlines / Horizon Air, Delta Air Lines, Continental, American, United, Hawaiian, and Korean Airlines - can check in and print their boarding pass right as they enter the airport from the parking garage. The quick check-in kiosks enable travelers without luggage to print their boarding pass and head straight for the security checkpoint and their departure gate. Travelers with luggage on Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air can get their boarding pass and then take their luggage right to their airline's bag drop area. Lufthansa and British Airways passengers will be able to use the kiosks in January 2012.
Dine at the airport or grab some take-out for the trip. The options are delicious. Check out our
concessions.Sea-Tac's kids area is between
Concourse A and the
Central Terminal, across from Seattle Taproom. It's a comfortable place to let them play before the flight.
Long Line at Security?
You can get to any gate from any checkpoint at Sea-Tac. If the line at one security checkpoint is formidable, find and use the checkpoint with the shortest line.
Heightened Security
If it's a been a while since you've flown, you'll find some changes at the security checkpoints.
Screening by Advanced Imaging Technology (full body scanner)
The TSA has installed 14 AIT machines at the security checkpoints at Sea-Tac Airport.
Screening by AIT machines is different from screening from the magnetometer. Magnetometers detect metals; most travelers are used to the routine of removing belts, watches, chunky jewelry, big hair clips, etc.
The AIT scanners detect even the smallest piece of paper in a clothing pocket, therefore it’s important to remove everything from pockets before going through the machine. If items are detected during screening, it will slow the screening process and may mean passengers are given a follow-up pat down by a TSA official.
To speed the screening process, once passengers realize they are in a screening line to go through the AIT scanner, it’s recommended to remove everything from pockets – and place personal items safely inside carry-on luggage. This includes wallets, paper documents, and other small items that often are not required to be removed in other screening procedures. Placing these items safely inside carry-on luggage will reduce the chances of other passengers accidentally picking up personal items while the owners of the items are being screened.
More information on the use of full body scanners is available on the
TSA's website.
There are also new pat-down procedures in place. Read the TSA Statement on their site.
Park in the
Terminal Direct floor of the parking garage, the quickest and most convenient option for meeting passengers in the terminal, and pay just $4 per hour. Another option is the
Cell Phone Waiting Lot. Parking in the 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. Remember, there is no parking or waiting allowed on the airport roadway shoulders.