Seattle Tacoma International Airport Arrivals (SEA)

Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is also known as the Sea-Tac Airport, due to its location in the area of SeaTac, and is a large American Airport serving the cities of Seattle and Tacoma, and the western areas of Washington. It is rated as the sixteenth busiest airport in the country, in terms of passenger traffic, and is known as a busy airport for aircraft movements as well. A number of important airline companies serve the airport, and passengers on Seattle Tacoma International Airport arrival flights have access to many facilities and ground transportation options.

This American airport is the primary hub for the airline carrier Alaska Airlines, and is also a hub for Horizon Air. These two companies handle the majority of the airport’s passengers and fly to and from a number of local and international destinations. Passengers can fly from Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Newark, Phoenix, Orlando, Houston, Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta and Honolulu on Alaska Airlines, and from Bellingham, Portland, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Victoria on flights offered by Horizon Air. Flights from many other destinations are available from these two airline carriers as well. Further domestic and international airline carriers serving Seattle Tacoma International Airport include Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, AirTran Airways, Frontier Airlines, Virgin America, US Airways, Air Canada, Air France, Condor, Sun Country Airlines, Korean Air, Icelandair, Lufthansa, British Airways, Emirates, EVA Air, Hawaiian Airlines and Hainan Airlines.

In 2011 the airport handled approximately 32.8 million passengers, mostly arriving or departing on domestic flights to or from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Chicago and Phoenix, and on international flights to or from Vancouver (Canada), Tokyo (Japan), Seoul (South Korea), Amsterdam (Netherlands), Victoria (Canada) and London (England).

Seattle Tacoma Airport is found in the state of Washington (WA), to the south of Seattle and to the north of Tacoma. It very nearby to the areas of Burien, Normandy Park and Tukwila, as well as Renton and Kent. On its western side lies the Puget Sound (and Vashon Island) and to the north-east is the Washington Lake, with Mercer island in its centre. The airport handles a large number of incoming tourists – people who are arriving to enjoy the many world-class attractions of Seattle. The city’s main features are often considered to be the breathtaking waterfront with its numerous shops, seafood restaurants and maritime industries, the Seattle Centre, which is a large and very popular amusement park, the Pike Place Market, Discovery Park and the Washington Park Arboretum. Many tourists also enjoy the Space Needle, an iconic landmark built for the 1962 World Fair, and the Boeing Factory, that holds regular tours showing off the production of the famous Boeing airplanes. Nearby attractions include the Tillicum Indian Village on Blake Island, the Mount Rainier National Park, Mount St. Helens and Snoqualmie Falls. Victoria of British Columbia, just across the waters of the Puget Sound, is a popular trip as well for activities such as whale-watching, and is well known for its historical attractions.

Passengers arriving at Seattle Tacoma International Airport will find an airport that is efficient in its operations, and well organised facilities. It consists of a Central Terminal that branches out to four concourses, as well as two satellite terminals a little further from the main building. The concourses are lettered A, B, C and D, while the satellite terminals are referred to as the North and South Terminals. The terminal or concourse of arrival will mainly depend on the airline company with which the passenger is flying, but also on the origin of the flight. All international flights, besides those from airports with US border preclearance facilities, will arrive at the South Terminal. Passengers will then clear immigration, pick up their checked luggage and proceed to customs. Once the customs’ procedure has been completed, luggage items are placed on a high-speed conveyor for delivery to Baggage Claim. At the main terminal, international passengers will collect their belongings from Carousel One in the baggage claim area. The entire process could take between thirty and sixty minutes. International passengers with a connecting flight will need to re-check their baggage and then pass through one the TSA security screening checkpoints.

At the airport, arriving passengers will find a large number of shops and restaurants, as well as currency exchange services, a full-service US Bank, US Bank ATMs, free wireless internet connections, internet phones, lost and found services and an impressive conference centre. The conference centre is ideal for all business events, and consists of eight rooms that are suitable for a varying number of guests. The larger rooms are the London and Beijing Rooms, while a smaller room is the Tokyo room, seating up to ten people. Catering and various business services can be arranged. Seattle Tacoma Airport is completely accessible to disabled passengers, with elevators, suitable restrooms and pavement ramps. Special assistance can be arranged with either the passenger’s airline company in advance of arrival, or with the company Huntleigh, that is contracted by the airport to provide their services. General airport enquiries can be directed to one of the airport volunteers.

Travelling to Seattle and many other nearby areas from the airport is easy by train, bus or taxi. The Link Light Rail service is available most hours of the day, and can take passengers as far as the Westlake Station in downtown Seattle. A journey which is only $2.75 per person. A public bus service is also available to Seattle, and many private shuttles serve the airport. Transport by private/shared-ride shuttles should be arranged in advance, however, some companies also accept ‘walk-up’ passengers. By taxi is also a convenient way to travel, but is usually more expensive than the buses and trains. Passengers who prefer a private vehicle can rent a car from one of the airport car hire companies, such as Avis, Hertz, Budget, National or Enterprise. They are found at a separate and new Car Rental Facility that is just a short bus trip from the main terminal.

Live Seattle Tacoma International Airport arrivals can be viewed online, or the airport can be contacted for general enquiries at (206) 787-5388 or (800) 544-1965.