Memorial Day weekend is coming soon, kicking off what is expected to be another busy summer season at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). To avoid traffic congestion and make your journey easier, make alternative ways to get to the airport part of your plans. Also, try new options for check-in on the north end of the terminal, be ready with Real ID for the checkpoints, and if you need help before or after your trip or while you’re here, connect with SEA Customer Care to speak with a real person.
Getting to SEA
Avoid the congestion on the airport drives by using alternatives to driving, including Link Light Rail, public transit, taxi, app-based rideshare, scheduled airporters, door-to-door van service, or shuttle service. If you do drive, consider using Reserved Parking on Floor 4 of the garage where you’re guaranteed a spot. We recommend reserving early for best availability. Customers should allow extra time (30–45 minutes) to find drive-up spaces in General Parking.
SEA is here to help
SEA’s Customer Care team is available to support passengers before, during, and after their trips. Real help is available by phone, email, social media, or chat support through Customer Care Connect, which offers closed captions and translations in more than 60 languages. Once you’re at the airport, you can find our team in green from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the two Information Desks, or use Customer Care Connect touchscreens near the Information Desks, Baggage Claim 15, Checkpoint 4, or or near Gate A6.
Real ID is in place
REAL ID is here — be ready! The REAL ID Act requires anyone traveling by airplane to use a REAL ID-compliant document. Check the full list of accepted ID documents or look up information through the Washington State Department of Licensing website. If you don’t have a Real ID–compliant document, be aware that it may take you longer to get through security checkpoints.
Get familiar with your checkpoints and Bridge Level check-in!
Alaska Airlines offers easy check-in and bag drop on the Bridge Level along the skybridges from the airport garage. You can use this check-in area even if you’re not coming from the garage. The new technologies are part of the SEA Gateway Project. Be aware, Checkpoint 6 is closed for upgrades until later this year. Ask any airport employee in green for directions and guidance through security checkpoints and the rest of the terminal.
Numbers to know
From Wednesday, May 21, to Monday, May 26, an estimated 970,000 travelers will go through SEA. The busiest days of the holiday period are Thursday and Friday with the highest projections to be:
- Friday, May 23, 182,000 estimated overall travelers (arriving, departing, and connecting)
- Thursday, May 22, 181,000 passengers
- Monday, May 26, 163,000 passengers
- Wednesday, May 21, 154,000 passengers
Go-to tips and tricks
Arrive early. Avoid feeling rushed — get to the terminal at least two hours before your boarding time for a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight. Factor in the time you need to travel from off-site parking or drop-offs to the terminal. More than one-third of SEA’s daily passenger volume arrives at the airport before 9:00 a.m., causing busy conditions at TSA security checkpoints and on the airport drives. Two more peak periods occur from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. and from 9:00 to 11:00 p.m.
Take advantage of SEA Spot Saver. Secure a spot in line to make the security checkpoint process easier. Checkpoint wait times are currently not available online, on the flySEA App, or in the terminal, but staff in green will be there to guide you to the best queue for you. Use SEA’s interactive map for directions to the checkpoints, your gate, a favorite restaurant, or amenities.
Avoid traffic. Bypass the congested Arrival and Departure drives by using Link Light Rail, public transit, airport parking, taxi, app-based rideshare, scheduled airporter, door-to-door van service, or shuttle services. When picking someone up, briefly park in the SEA Airport parking garage, entering from the International Blvd entrance, to meet arriving travelers in the terminal, then exit together through the garage without ever using the drives. You can even pick up a coffee while you’re waiting!
Think opposite. If you choose to use the drives, use the lower Arrivals drive instead of the upper Departures drive during peak morning hours, and vice versa if you’re picking someone up in the evening. Or use whichever lane is moving faster – they all go to the same terminal.
Head straight to security. Check in for your flight ahead of time and download or print your boarding pass. Review your airline’s baggage policies, and if you don’t need to check a bag, head straight to the security checkpoints.
Try a Social Story for help traveling. The SEA Airport Social Story and Resource Guide is designed for travelers with autism or other invisible disabilities to repeatedly review with their family/caregivers prior to travel.
Contact
Kassie McKnight-Xi | Aviation Communications and Marketing Manager
(206) 787-5940 | [email protected]
