SEATTLE — Thanksgiving travel is underway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, with large crowds filling the terminal on the Friday before the holiday.
Travelers may experience a slightly smoother journey this year, thanks to several improvements at the airport.
The Port of Seattle has opened a new, wider, and longer Checkpoint 6. Construction in the baggage claim area has been smoothed out. They’ve removed scaffolding at baggage claim and added two new bag claim devices.
“I feel like they’re handling it pretty well. It didn’t take me too long to check in,” said Kaden Chakrabarti, a frequent traveler for hockey tournaments.
He’s dealt with construction at the airport when traveling to other tournaments and says the new look and open space are a major improvement. So is the new security checkpoint.
“We both travel a lot for our job and it’s certainly been a lot to navigate,” Eve Klein, another traveler, noted. She said the takedown of construction barriers makes things easier to navigate.
The airport has also introduced a new bridge-level bag drop and check-in area, along with improvements to Alaska Airlines’ ticketing areas.
Travelers can also check out several new dining and retail locations:
- Baggage Claim level near Bag Claims 15-16 — 7-Eleven
- International Arrivals Hall — Kawaii Treats
- Ticketing level near Checkpoint 5 — Neighborhood Cafe
- Near Gate A1 — Lowrider Cookie Company, Wunderground Coffee, and Theo Chocolate
- Near Gate C10 — Hudson Non-Stop with Amazon “Just Walk Out” technology and Skillet Diner
- Near Gate A10 — Seattle Beer Union
- Central Terminal — Skittles Remix and CVS vending machines
- Near Gate N19 — Emerald City Market
From Wednesday, November 26 to Monday, December 1, just over 900,000 travelers will travel through SEA.
The busiest days are projected to be:
- Sunday, November 30 — 180,000 estimated overall travelers (arriving, departing, and connecting)
- Wednesday, November 26 — 170,000 passengers
- Monday, December 1 — 166,000 passengers
To make airport pick-up and drop-off easier this holiday season, the first 90 minutes are free in General Parking from November 24-30 and December 22-28, 7 p.m. to midnight only. The goal is to clear up congestion at the departures and arrivals areas.
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