SEATTLE — If you're traveling by air or by sea this weekend, there are a few things you should know before you head out for Labor Day travel.
Labor Day is one of the busiest travel weekends of the year for the Washington State Ferries (WSF) system. WSF advised travelers that 300,000-plus people are expected to board ferries between Thursday, Aug. 29 and Monday Sept. 2.
Ferry travelers are asked to expect long lines and wait times. Recommended travel times are early in the morning or late at night.
Customers are encouraged to use the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) mobile app or check the WSDOT website for wait times.
The ferry system has also seen cancelations every day this week. On Wednesday there were 10.
Some of the latest cancelations have to do with crew shortages. If a vessel is even one crew member short and that spot can't be filled, the ferry must be taken out of service.
Some of the crew shortages are below deck. The union representing engine room workers said recently their contract talks have stalled over pay.
Also something travelers should keep in mind - the fast ferry service between Kingston and downtown Seattle is canceled until further notice. Kitsap Transit said the cancelation is due to a mechanical failure of one of its vessels.
Use mobile boarding passes, refrain from checking bags at SEA Airport
The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is still grappling with the impacts of a cyberattack as one of the busiest travel weekends of the year approaches.
Thankfully, SEA said a majority of travelers won't notice disruptions beyond flight and baggage information displays, which are out of service due to the cyberattack. Whiteboards will display the most updated baggage and flight information.
SEA continues to ask travelers to use mobile boarding passes, and if possible, not to check bags. Boarding pass and baggage services are experiencing continuing impacts, but the airport advised that there would be additional staff available to help out this weekend.
The SEA Airport website, airport Wi-Fi and phones are still offline. Those visiting PortSeattle.org will be redirected to the Washington Ports website, which has the latest updates on the SEA cyberattack situation.
SEA said flights are not impacted by the attack and that they are experiencing a normal level of delays and cancelations.
Thursday, Aug. 29, Friday, Aug. 30, and Monday, Sept. 2 are expected to be the busiest days of the holiday weekend, according to SEA.