50° and Light rain
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(Don Wilson, Port Photographer)
BY KIRO RADIO NEWSDESK
Volumes at Sea-Tac Airport traffic are still about 30% – 40% below pre-pandemic levels. But as the crowds begin to increase, travelers are more likely to have to wait in line.
“Had pretty stable TSA checkpoint lines as of late,” said airport Kate Hudson. “Sometimes waits of 20-25 minutes — rarely at this point, to have something over 30 minutes.”
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Hudson recommends arriving two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights. Thursday, Fridays, Sundays, and Mondays are the busiest days, if you have the luxury of planning.
Travelers can also take advantage of a new program at Sea-Tac called “spot saver.”
“It’s a free program for general screening, and it allows you to essentially reserve a spot or stand in the virtual queue to go through the checkpoints,” Hudson explained.
Spot Saver is available every day before 12pm at checkpoints Two and Five.
Hudson says that they expect to be back to 2019 levels in the next few years.
