SEATAC, Wash. — Holiday travelers may see some changes at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) this year. Some of the construction work that's been underway for more than a year is complete — though other projects will be ongoing.
"We have asked for the last two years, for everybody to grin and bear it, please pardon our construction," said Alan Olson, Port of Seattle program lead for a project with Alaska Airlines. "And now we're finally able to give some of that space back and give them a look at what they've been patient for."
Olson is referring in part to a new Alaska Airlines ticketing lobby, which will be outfitted with technology to move passengers through more quickly and allow more space to reduce congestion.
"We're really excited to announce our automatic bag drop stations and they'll be on the window wall from the south to the north part of our lobby, it's going to be a great ease for guests to drop bags and get on to their checkpoints," said Alaska Airlines Managing Director for Seattle Station Guest Services Lea Kautzman. "It's really for guest ease and experience to get them on their way sooner."
Kautzman said Alaska Airlines has already seen improved transaction time thanks to a new bridge-way area that allows for ticketing and bag check-in. This project was completed in earlier in the summer.
Meanwhile, SEA crews are hard at work on Security Checkpoint 5, which has been limited for the past year due to construction scaffolding.
The airport is doing major work on the checkpoint which will likely take more than a year, but in the meantime plans to open a new checkpoint, Security Checkpoint 1, on the south end of the Baggage Claim level.
Much of the airport was built at a time when SEA saw around 25 million passengers a year. Now, it serves more than double that amount, meaning both short and long-term changes are needed.