Sea-Tac Braces For 1 Million Travelers Over Thanksgiving Week
Find the busiest travel days, peak airport congestion times, and a few reminders for the 2019 Thanksgiving week in Western Washington.
By Lucas Combos, Patch Staff
Nov 18, 2019 5:46 pm PT | Updated Nov 18, 2019 5:49 pm PT | Courtesy of Patch.com
The day before Thanksgiving is projected to be the busiest of the holiday travel week. (Shutterstock / Kenneth Sponsler)
SEA-TAC AIRPORT, WA — With a busy Thanksgiving travel week nearly upon us, Sea-Tac Airport is sharing some updated tips to keep things running as smoothly as possible over the holiday. More than one million travelers are expected to pass through Sea-Tac between Monday, November 25 and Monday, December 2, according to airport estimates. Phase 2 of a 693,000 square-foot expansion project will not be ready for passengers until 2021.
Busiest Upcoming Holiday Travel Days at Sea-Tac
Wednesday, Nov. 27: 163,500 passengers
Sunday, Dec. 1: 150,000 passengers
Tuesday, Nov. 26: 143,500 passengers
Monday, Dec. 2: 142,500 passengers
Friday, Nov. 22: 140,000 passengers
Peak Congestion Times
Departures:
4:30 a.m. - 7:30 a.m.
11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Arrivals:
11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
8:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.
Holiday Travel Tips from Sea-Tac
To circumvent peak congestion times, drop off passengers on the Arrivals level during morning travel hours. During evenings, meet passengers on the Departures level.
Download the airport's updated app to see the latest wait times and get a jump on planning using the interactive map.
Check the City of SeaTac website for any planned road work that may require a detour or additional time.
Arrive two hours early for domestic flights, and three hours earlier for international travel.
Review TSA security protocol to prevent delays at checkpoints.
View more holiday travel hacks on the airport's Traveler Tips website.