SEA Airport Braces For The Last Big Travel Weekend Of Summer

SEATTLE — The last big summer travel rush is here, and the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has a busy few days ahead as Washingtonians take to the skies through the long Labor Day weekend.

The Port of Seattle expects hundreds of thousands of travelers will pass through SEA for holiday trips, with Friday forecast to be the busiest of the bunch. Port officials expect this year's Labor Day travel volumes will reach 90 percent of their pre-pandemic levels, with the airport running about 10 percent busier than the same time last year.

With fall fast approaching and kids heading back to school, air travel in August outpaced July, logging an estimated 4.7 million visitors for the month. So far this year, overall passenger volumes at the airport are 37 percent higher than in 2021.

Here are the busiest days and travel times at SEA over Labor Day

Busiest days:

1. Friday, Sept. 2: 155,000 passengers
2. Thursday, Sept. 1: 149,000 passengers
3. Monday, Sept. 5: 146,000 passengers

Longest waits for security checkpoints:

• 5 a.m. - 10 a.m.
• 2 p.m. - 5 p.m.
• 9 p.m. - 11 p.m.

According to the airport, a few factors are helping propel the travel rush, including newly available airlines and destinations, a 263 percent growth in service to Mexico and Central America, and a 100 percent rebound in travel to Europe. Turkish Airlines and Finnair began service at SEA earlier in the season, and Air Tahiti Nui will begin nonstop service to French Polynesia in October.

Travelers who plan to park at the airport will be able to a new "automated parking guidance system" to help search for a spot. Work is complete on half of the parking garage's eight floors, with bright LED lights above each space indicating whether they are available. Visitors can also get to the airport using rideshares, the Link light rail, and other public transit options.

Here are a few more tips from the Port of Seattle for navigating a busy travel season:

• Get here early! Depending on your needs, you may need more time. Make sure you’re at the airport at least two hours before your boarding time for a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight
• Masks are not required at the airport, but highly recommended by the CDC to wear during travel. Check your destination’s COVID-19 requirements for entry. If needed XpresCheck has testing available on the baggage claim level.
• The SEA Airport parking garage continues to be busy. Think of alternate modes of travel to get to the airport or arrive 45 minutes earlier to find a place to park.
• Worried about the checkpoints? Use SEA Spot Saver to reserve your spot in the TSA line and avoid congested security lines at the airport
• Download (or update!) the flySEA App for live checkpoint wait times. As a bonus, it also is a one-stop resource for traveler alerts, parking spot tracker, maps, and more info
• Be prepped with your airline ahead of time! Make sure you check their baggage policies, check in, and have all their apps downloaded for efficient travel. See our best baggage tips!
• Use Order SEA, our mobile ordering service, including gate delivery for food from all over the airport or pick up so you can grab and go to your gate.
• Get ahead of the game! Download your airline’s app to check-in to your flight, download your boarding pass, and pay for your bag.