SEATAC, Wash. — Get ready for some long lines to fly out of Seattle.
The winter holiday travel rush kicked off Thursday, with more than 2 million people expected to pass through Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) in the coming weeks.
KOMO News reporter Theron Zahn was at Sea-Tac Thursday morning, noting that large lines were already forming by 3:30 a.m.
“The crush has been growing ever since,” he said.
Travel this year at Sea-Tac is expected to be up by 2% over last year, but down by about 5% from the record numbers in 2019.
While you might think the winter holidays are the busiest time at Sea-Tac, the summer travel period is busier.
The busiest day over the holiday season at Sea-Tac is expected to be Friday, with 172,000 people projected to arrive, depart, or connect.
For Thursday, about 164,000 travelers are expected at Sea-Tac. Travelers there said they haven’t run into many issues.
“It’s been great. It’s been simple. We didn’t hit much traffic, and everything went well,” said Cole McCurdy, who was traveling to Texas.
Meanwhile, others said even if things were going smoothly, they planned for the worst-case scenario.
“I rarely check a bag at holiday time, and this time I did, so I’m nervous about it, but I always make sure I’m there ahead of time. When they suggest you be there two hours ahead, make sure you’re there 2 hours ahead,” said Leslie Barranger.
If you’re traveling through the ferry, long lines should be expected as well.
Officials expect more than 600,000 people to make their way onto a state ferry between Friday, Dec. 20, and Wednesday, Jan. 1. Those boarding in a vehicle should plan for long lines and wait times.
SEE ALSO | TSA begins use of ‘facial match’ technology at Sea-Tac airport checkpoints
For those looking to save on airfare, Expedia suggests that the cheapest days to fly are Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, while the most expensive days will be from Friday through Dec. 22.
Nationwide, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) expects to screen nearly 40 million people between now and Jan. 2. That’s up by more than 6% from last year.
Just a few weeks ago on Dec. 1, the TSA had its busiest day ever with nearly 3.1 million passengers screened at the nation’s airports to wrap up the Thanksgiving holiday travel period.
