SEATAC, Wash. — The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) anticipates Thanksgiving travel this year to be "one of the busiest" in its history. Here are some tips to help travelers amid ongoing construction projects.
The Port of Seattle said the number of passengers passing through the airport over the Thanksgiving holiday is expected to be at or slightly above 2019 and 11% above 2022 levels.
"We're getting back to those record levels once again. At the end of the year, we're expecting to be right around 2019 levels," said Perry Cooper, an airport spokesperson.
The airport expects 1.5 million people to be traveling through the airport between Thursday, Nov. 16 and Monday, Nov. 27. The airport’s projected passenger numbers indicate Wednesday, Nov. 22, Sunday. Nov. 26 and Monday, Nov. 27, are expected to be its busiest days.
According to the Port of Seattle, Nov. 22 is expected to see 156,000 travelers, Nov. 26 to see 158,000 travelers and Nov. 27 to see 148,000 travelers.
The busy holiday travel season comes as the airport’s capital improvement project, Upgrade SEA, continues construction.
The projects include the construction of a new ticketing area and the relocation of security Checkpoint 1. These projects are causing some congestion in the airport due to a smaller amount of space being open around part of the Alaska ticketing area and part of the baggage claim area.
"Some of the spaces that you're going to see are a lot more crowded than what they were before because we've got construction barriers up and they are a lot more narrow, especially in the North end where our Alaska counters are in the main terminal," said Cooper.
Sea-Tac Airport recommends travelers arrive at least two hours before their boarding time for a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight.
The airport also recommends using its Spot Saver, an appointment system for security screening and uses dedicated lanes through TSA checkpoints.
The Port of Seattle said more than one-third of the airport's daily passenger volume arrives at the airport before 9 a.m. with two more peak periods of 2-5 p.m. and 9-11 p.m.
The airport has seen its challenges with an influx of passengers in the past, some experienced by frequent traveler Joanna Bailey.
"You always have to prepare for long wait times, whether you're dropping off the rental car, getting over here, whether you're getting in line, getting through the pre-screening," said Bailey.
Some of the challenges last year include last September when ticketing lines stretched into the parking garage and last December when luggage overwhelmed the conveyor belt between the ticketing counter to the planes. Many people's bags did not get to their planes due to this issue.
"We think we've gotten over those humps," said Cooper, regarding issues with the conveyer belt system.
Bailey said she hopes the constriction projects will help the airport handle the high number of travelers more smoothly and says that over the last few months, despite the construction, she feels like lines have been faster.
Other tips from the Port of Seattle include:
- Trying public transportation, using a taxi, or app-based rideshare or shuttle. If driving to the curb is your only option, ignore the departures and arrivals signs and use the fastest-moving lane
- If parking is your only option, plan on an extra 45-60 minutes to find a spot. The airport is incorporating new technology and installing an automated parking guidance system
- Download the flySEA app, which includes an interactive map and use the OrderSEA mobile order feature to order food
- International travelers can download the Mobile Passport Control app
The airport said they have also been working on improving accessibility for passengers with disabilities, especially during this construction time.
Chelsea Rodriguez, the Airport Volunteers and Customer Accessibility Manager said they have a total of 95 volunteers who help direct people and are calling in as many as possible for the Thanksgiving holiday travel period.
She also recommended looking at the airport's website and downloading their app to view maps and information that will help passengers navigate the airport.
"We have an app called Fly SEA, which is loaded with tons of great resources, including maps, so people can kind of pre-route, what their route will be to get to their gate," said Rodriguez.
Rodriguez said people who have non-visible disabilities can receive a sunflower lanyard from the information desk at the airport, which will let airport employees know that they may need extra assistance.
For more information on traveling through Sea-Tac Airport, visit portseattle.org.