It’s that time of year again with major holiday travel on the horizon and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is making your experience smoother and easier. Memorial Day traditionally highlights the start of the summer travel season and this year it’s combined with the arrival of the world’s biggest soccer tournament. SEA offers tips with wait time displays back for checkpoints, fully opened new roadway lanes into the terminal (with exterior art!), live transit feed displays, updates for parking and you can still become an SEA Ambassador this summer!
Wait time displays showing quick moves!
Early is better than late, so plan ahead and know-before-you-go. Check the real-time security checkpoint wait times in the flySEA app and digital displays throughout the terminal. Recommended arrival times still apply for peak periods (two hours before domestic and three hours before international flights).
Did you know? 99% of travelers at SEA get through checkpoints in 30 minutes or less and 93% go through in 20 minutes or less! That includes during the recent government shutdown, so be sure to thank your local TSA employees! In addition, times are low with the new Checkpoint 1 on the south end of Baggage Claim and Checkpoint 6 is open again after a major redesign, with double the queuing space and triple the space to collect your bags and recompose after screening. Take a look at the revised layout in this checkpoint map to find your easiest access.
SEA Spot Saver and Trusted Traveler
Take advantage of SEA Spot Saver to secure a spot in line and make security checkpoint access easier. Try other Trusted Traveler options, such as TSA PreCheck, to see what works best for you. When in doubt at the terminal, SEA staff in green can guide you to the best queue, including Family and Military lanes. Use SEA’s interactive map for directions to the checkpoints, your gate, a favorite restaurant, or amenities.
Think ahead for airport parking
We still have some Reserved Parking availability for Memorial Day weekend, but expect it to sell out soon. If you’re thinking of summer travel, get a jump on a spot early by reserving your parking now — we allow travelers to make reservations up to 120 days prior to arrival and modify or cancel reservations without penalty up to 6 hours before your reserved entry date/time. If you’re not reserving, allow more time to find spaces in General Parking as it will be busy as well.
Transit Info Displays at Bag Claim
As part of the SEA Gateway Project, you can now find Live Transit Feed information on large, colorful display monitors on the Baggage Claim Level. Besides informational maps of the area, you’ll also find real-time transit times for various transportation options like airporters, shuttles, and public transit like the Link light rail and King County Metro buses. Plus, there’s more elbow room in bag claim with better lighting, new display monitors, dozens of new temporary art pieces in new display cases, and new bag claim devices at 15 and 16 — which is next to a new 7-Eleven.
Gearing up for the games
If you weren't aware, we're less than a month away from welcoming the world to our doorstep for the upcoming major soccer tournament. It will be a busy summer season at SEA, and we're getting into the soccer spirit. We'll be sharing more soon on what you'll see and experience at SEA during the tournament, but check out this comprehensive Know Before You Go page for all the basics.
New lanes on Airport Expressway — and art!
Getting to the terminal by driving is easier than ever with two new lanes completed as part of the Roadway Improvements Project. One lane goes directly to the garage, and the other is for shuttles and rideshare access to Floor 3, leaving two dedicated lanes for public traffic on the lower drive. Plus, new art brightens up the west retaining wall with a colorful piece called Migration from Ed Marquard and Angelina Villalobos. Still to come is moving the pick-up/drop-off point for the Rental Car Shuttles to the north of the lower drive.
Quick trick — avoid congestion by going farther down the drives to drop off or pick up travelers — it’s only a few doors farther and there’s often more room to pull over.
During peak periods, avoid congestion on the drives by using alternatives, including Link light rail, buses, app-based rideshares, taxis/limos, scheduled airporters, door-to-door van service, and shuttle service. Don’t forget Sound Transit launched services with the Crosslake Connection and a new Night Bus service between Downtown Seattle and SEA.
Become an SEA Ambassador for a summer of soccer!
Do you want to help welcome the world to Seattle for the summer’s big international soccer tournament? SEA is looking for individuals to help support travelers with wayfinding, general travel questions, and tourism insights. SEA Ambassadors will be part of the team giving the best first impression of our region! Applications are now open to become an Ambassador.
The Passenger Numbers
The Memorial Day travel period is forecasted to bring about 970,000 travelers through SEA from May 21-26. Volumes are expected to be on par with last year’s Memorial Day 2025 with the busiest days projected to be:
- Thursday, May 21 —180,000 passengers
- Friday, May 22 — 180,000 passengers
- Monday, May 25 — 170,000 passengers
For context, the highest-volume day at SEA was in August 2025 at 207,000 passengers. Overall, the busiest time of the year for SEA is the summer from June through August (unlike many other airports).
Ride app pick-up area doubles in size
The rideshare area on Floor 3 of the airport garage has doubled in size to facilitate more efficient service for providers and travelers. The renovations have increased the number of vehicle stalls to 69 with drive-in, drive-out capability for easier, more efficient movement. Reminder: Ride Safely! Only accept rides from verified operators and refuse offers for transportation from strangers. Before entering a vehicle, use your app to verify your trip information. Report any offers from unverified operators to the nearest uniformed officer or SEA employee.
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 a.m., causing busy conditions on the airport drives and at TSA security checkpoints. Two more peak periods occur from 2 to 5 p.m. and from 9 to 11 p.m.
Avoid traffic. Bypass the congested Arrivals and Departures drives by using public transportation, airport parking, rideshares, a taxi/limo, a scheduled airporter, door-to-door van service, or a shuttle option. When picking someone up, briefly park in the SEA Airport parking garage, entering from the International Boulevard 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.
SEA is here to help. SEA Customer Care is available to support you before, during, and after your travel. Real people are providing real help on the phone, email, social media, or live chat. 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, by Checkpoint 4 and Gate A6.
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 or caregivers prior to travel.
Contact:
Port of Seattle Newsroom | Online Media Guide and Resources
Email: [email protected]
