This summer has already been crazy busy at Seattle-Tacoma Airport. The airport broke its all-time record twice in August, with about 198,000 people traveling through in a single day.
Now airport officials predict a Labor Day weekend air travel surge. They expect 187,000 travelers on Friday and 193,000 on Monday. That’s 9% more people than last year’s Labor Day weekend.
SEA Airport Makes Changes to Handle Crowds
To deal with all these travelers, improvements have been made to manage the Seattle-Tacoma Airport passenger traffic. In June, they added four new security lines. Now 93% of passengers wait 30 minutes or less to get through security, which is much better than before.
The airport was supposed to get new high-tech security gates called “eGates” this month to make things even faster. But airport officials said Monday that those won’t be ready for Labor Day weekend.
There’s also construction happening near where Alaska Airlines passengers check in, so travelers need to plan for that too.
Tips for SEA Airport Labor Day travel
Chris Guizlo, who works for the Port of Seattle, has advice for people flying this weekend. “Think about how you’re getting to and through the airport, so not just trying to get to your destination,” Guizlo said.
Airport officials suggest travelers should:
- Get to the airport earlier than normal
- Have someone drop them off at arrivals instead of departures to avoid traffic
- Book parking spots ahead of time if driving
- Allow extra time because of construction
Why So Many People Are Flying
Three main things are causing this travel boom. First, Sea-Tac now offers more flights to different places than before. Second, more tourists want to visit Seattle for vacation and business trips.
The biggest reason might be cruise ships. “This year is expected to be our busiest cruise season for those cruises to Alaska,” Guizlo explained. Many people fly into Seattle to start their Alaska cruise vacations, which adds thousands more travelers to the airport.
This Labor Day weekend will test whether the improvements can handle the record travel at SEA Airport. With better security lines and more staff, airport workers hope travelers won’t face long delays despite the huge number of people flying.
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*Banner photo by flexpoint from pixabay
