SEATTLE — According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), an estimated 26.8 million people will travel through security checkpoints at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport this Thanksgiving weekend, which is up 4% from 2018.
Trends over the past few years indicate that travelers are beginning their journeys the week before Thanksgiving and coming back as late as the Sunday or Monday after the holiday.
What is normally a few days of hectic bag checking has turned into more than a week of busier-than usual affairs.
"We really see people departing for their thanksgiving travel on Friday and we see just a surge of travelers that would not by typical for this time of year. then through the weekend we'll see that then on Monday it will start ramping up with Wednesday being the busiest day," said Lorie Dankers, TSA spokesperson.
The TSA recommends these tips to make your journey smoother:
- Arrive early to your gate with time to spare, at least two hours prior to your departure time.
- All checkpoints lead to all gates, use the one most convenient to you.
- If you are eligible for TSA PreCheck, get it. Lines will usually be shorter.
- Use gift bags, not wrapping paper. Your present may be unwrapped if it doesn’t pass security.
- Dress simply to make your personal security screening go quicker. That means no bulky jewelry and remove everything from your pockets.
The airport expects to have more than 55,000 passengers on Friday, Nov. 22, despite the date being nearly a week before Thanksgiving itself.
Wednesday, Nov. 26, is expected to be the busiest day with more than 64,000 passengers scheduled to depart.
The busiest times at security checkpoints are usually from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m., as a highly concentrated number of flights depart during this period. Mid-afternoon and evenings will also be busy.
TSA recommends getting to the airport early to combat crowds. The agency will be utilizing overtime to extend the shifts of its officers, opening as many security lanes as possible during peak times.
More travel, parking and other information can be found on Sea-Tac's website.
