SEATTLE — Holiday travel is coming up, and you should get ready for some big changes at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Ahead of Thanksgiving, the airport is adding a brand-new Checkpoint 6 to help people get through TSA faster. This will be at the far north end of the airport. And it will have a more spacious “recompose” area after screening, where people can get their stuff together. SEA hasn’t shared a specific date for the new security line opening, but said it will be ready to go before the Thanksgiving travel rush.
People who haven’t traveled in a while should know there is also a new Checkpoint 1 that opened over the summer in June. It’s now located in the basement on the baggage claim floor, making use of that space and preventing crowds from clogging the hallway upstairs.
But with the airport upgrade (Upgrade SEA) in full swing, that means travelers should expect to see construction. There are plenty of signs in place that say things like, “Traveler alert! Construction underway,” “Pardon our dust!” and “Danger! Do not enter.”
People visiting the airport will still see some construction walls at the baggage claim level. The bulk of the work there is done, but crews are still replacing the old winding conveyor belt-style bag claim devices with the new oval-round devices that streamline the process and increase the volume of bags the airport can handle. That replacement work is happening at baggage claim 15 now and will be done “in a few weeks”, though Thanksgiving travelers will still see temporary walls that house construction offices.
On the ticketing level, there are still temporary walls up near Alaska Airlines as part of the Gateway Project. Crowds have to squish together through a fairly narrow point, and signs are hard to see, so build yourself a little extra time when traveling.
The airport says it knows travelers have been coping with construction for a long time.
“People have been traveling through and seeing this for years, and it’s a lot,” said Kassie McKnight-Xi, a spokesperson for SEA Airport. “So we’re just really excited to be at a place where some of these projects are at taking turning point and you’re starting to see what these upgrades look like,” she said.
One of those upgrades – SEA says a lot of people are still unaware of the new spots where you can check in to your flight and drop off checked bags. Alaska flyers know that the bag drop can be a congestion point. But there is another Alaska bag drop and flight check-in spot on the bridge level. That opened last November.
On the aesthetic side, travelers will notice new large windows on the Ticketing level and a more open feel. There is also new art and digital art at the ticketing and bag claim.
McKnight-Xi says crews are working hard to make sure a lot of the larger projects as part of Upgrade SEA will be done before the FIFA World Cup in the summer of 2026.
The big three projects SEA is planning to wrap up ahead of the World Cup include:
- Expanding the C Concourse by building up and adding four flights, to bring more retail, dining, and a 20,000 square foot Alaska Airlines lounge
- Road improvements, with road widening and adding two dedicated lanes to the upper and lower drives, which will help with congestion. That will take the road from four lanes to six.
- Ticketing area improvements as part of SEA Gateway, including adding more lanes and artwork
And looking even further ahead, KIRO7 reported earlier in October that the airport cleared a hurdle from the FAA to build a new 19-gate terminal as part of the Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP). However, the state still has to go through the Washington State environmental review next year. If everything gets the green light, the Cell Phone Lot and the Doug Fox paid parking area will eventually be demolished to make way for a road to the new terminal. Work will at least get started by 2032, but the airport says there’s currently no timeline for groundbreaking.
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