Summer Arrives at Sea-Tac. Travelers Should Allow Extra Time

Passengers should be at Sea-Tac at least two hours prior to flight departure

With many local schools ending classes for the summer, the vacation season is now in full swing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The Port of Seattle urges travelers to be at the airport two hours before their scheduled flight departure.

"We're seeing some of the longest lines we've seen in nearly two years," said Gina Marie Lindsey, managing director of aviation for the Port. "And while that's good news for the airline industry, it means that people should allow plenty of time for processing at the airport."

Lines have been long at both the ticket counters and security checkpoints. The Port is working with both airlines and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to assure that they have proper staffing in place to handle the summer rush.

An average of 80,000 passengers a day are expected to transit Sea-Tac this week. On Sunday, more than 110,00 passengers departed or arrived at Sea-Tac.

"While June is a busy month, August is actually the peak of the summer travel season," Lindsey said. "Now that people are back flying again we're going to do everything possible to make sure they have a good experience."

To save time, the airport garage has many spaces available. It's convenient, and because you walk directly to and from your car, there is no waiting for shuttle buses used by off-site lots.

Also, TSA has reported that many travelers are showing up at security checkpoints with excess carry-on luggage. That is significantly slowing the process of X-raying bags. Travelers are permitted one carry-on sized bag plus one personal item such as a purse or briefcase.