SEATTLE SEA-TAC AIRPORT customer review :  20 November 2009 by K Hulick   (USA)

Customer Rating :  4/5

Queuing

Cleanliness

Facilities

Seatac is one of the best laid-out US. airports. The main terminal is open and easy to navigate. There is food service on both sides of security. All security lanes go to the same gate areas, so you can easily just walk to the shortest station, not necessarily the one right by your airline. There are maybe 5 or 6 security stations - quick and efficient (or as efficient as the TSA can be). Parking is challenging, with spaces full even on low-traffic days. But the ease of airport navigation makes up for the parking problems.

SEATTLE SEA-TAC AIRPORT customer review :19 October 2009 by Glenn Dy

Customer Rating :  3/5

SeaTac airport didn't seem to have changed for the better from my very first visit in 2003. It's dark, the baggage claim areas confusing, ground staff impersonal and cold, like the airport's impression itself. I could comment though that after claiming one's baggage, the curbside pick-up is very convenient as one does not have to travel a long distance tugging one's luggage to the escalator then onto the parking area. Yes, SeaTac's image of personal items being lost seems prevailing till now. I arrived in Guangzhou from Seattle via Incheon where I requested that my baggage be claimed in its final destination which is Guangzhou. When I claimed by luggage in Guangzhou, I found out that the locks on one of my two luggages had disappeared and now I have to conduct an inventory of what I had packed inside to confirm if my stuff had been nicked. SeaTac's management should certainly look seriously on this issue as it will definitely be a negative factor in it's image of a city that is really a lovely one with friendly people and green surroundings. The airport just does not do justice to what the city has to offer.

SEATTLE SEA-TAC AIRPORT customer review : 3 August 2009 : by Elmore Poulet

Customer Rating :  2/5

SeaTac is big and confusing, with a large main terminal and remote satellite terminals out on the tarmac that can only be reached using underground trams. It is very easy for the uninitiated to get lost and it can easily take an extra fifteen minutes once inside security to get to a gate. The parking garage and rental car area are close by and convenient, but the outlying parking areas are far away and it is sometimes hard to figure out where to catch the shuttle buses. Ticket lines are not usually too bad, but, as mentioned elsewhere in this blog, the security lines are often very long and waits of forty-five minutes or an hour are not uncommon, even at this late date, when other airports have figured out how to manage their security lines. Arrive at least two hours early at SeaTac! Also mentioned elsewhere, the TSA personnel at SeaTac are right up there with the most surly and rude anywhere, definitely on the same level as those at EWR and PHL, and that's saying a lot! On the other hand, sometimes the lines are really short, and if you have extra time to kill, the food court with forty foot high windows overlooking the apron activity is a nice place to have lunch. The big wooden rocking chairs are nice! The Alaska Airlines Board Room located just inside security is friendly but can be crowded. One very serious note; SeaTac is very well known for an internal theft problem, with items disappearing from checked bags. When you travel through SeaTac you just have to expect to lose things to people that work there. It's a sad commentary on the state of travel today that this problem can't be stopped.

SEATTLE SEA-TAC AIRPORT customer review : 20 July 2009 : by L Hunter

Customer Rating :  1/5

Firstly, as an international visitor I tried to find a Sea-Tac employee OR an information desk - someone who could tell me what the correct process was in terms of locating my baggage and clearing it through customs before finding the gate to my connecting flight. No information desk to be found and no obvious employee to approach with my questions. No signage that would indicate my flight arrival number and corresponding luggage carousel, no signage that indicated how/where I could find the Terminal for my connecting flight (finally stumbled on an escalator that took me down one level and discovered that there is a small subway/monorail to transport passengers to other Terminals within the airport). I did approach two airline employees to see if they could assist me with my confusion; but alas - they seemed almost as equally confused and were definitely "cranky". Finally made it all the way to the Terminal for my connecting flight and thought I would kill some time by checking out their complimentary wireless internet connection. Tried to connect several times and was unsuccessful. Boarding time finally arrived and I had my boarding pass and picture ID checked by the agent at my Gate and was cleared to take the ramp and board my plane. Trouble was - the ramp had no less than 4 doors/exits leading off of it - each one leading to a different plane to board. There was mass confusion with passengers going off in all directions and get this - only two destination signs for four flights and neither of these signs (Edmonton and Santa Rosa) matched my destination (Vancouver). There were three of us who ended up on the wrong plane initially and had to exit the plane, back-track the ramp and find an airline attendant who could motion us towards the correct plane! Seems as there is a long history of passengers complaining about the lack of signage.

SEATTLE SEA-TAC AIRPORT customer review : 18 May 2009 : by Mike Rosenzweig

Customer Rating :  5/5

Lots to do prior to your flight - great food court and shops, and food prices are not rip offs. International arrivals are pleasant too - fast immigration and customs personnel. Only downside is after customs, you have to drop you luggage off again so that it goes to the main terminal while you take the tram to the main terminal. This is bad because when you get to the main terminal, you have to pay to use luggage carts. Overall Seattle is a great airport!

SEATTLE SEA-TAC AIRPORT customer review : 26 March 2009 : by John Wagner

Customer Rating :  5/5

I just returned to the States from SE Asia this past week, and went through Immigration & Customs in Seattle for the first time. What a pleasant and speedy experience (when compared to San Francisco or New York). The agents actually smiled! I had a fairly tight connection to Portland, but Seattle is so efficient, I made the flight easily, and I even had to go through a complete check-in and security scan since I was on multiple tickets. The only thing I have to complain about at Seattle is Anthony's Seafood Restaurant - overpriced and of mediocre quality! I will transit Seattle Seatac on my next foreign trip for sure - what a pleasure.

SEATTLE SEA-TAC AIRPORT customer review : 6 January 2009 : by B Reger

Customer Rating :  5/5

I change planes in Seattle several times a year. Great food court. Terminal announcements are non-existant but the electronic boards are kept reasonably up to date. Worst connection is Satellite N to the main Alaska terminal. If it is a tight connection you need to hustle. International arrivals are not too bad. Much more pleasant than New York, Chicago or SFO. You can clear Canadian customs before boarding your flight to Canada. Little congestion. Generally friendly people. Not perfect, but better than many.

SEATTLE SEA-TAC AIRPORT customer review : 7 November 2008 : by Sarah Bush

Customer Rating :  1/5

Seatac has a terrible international arrival terminal. We arrived from Paris on our Air France flight. The customs lines were fairly long and it took a while to get our luggage. No real explanation, just hundreds of Americans, Europeans, and other nationalities in the luggage area. The only non-english announcement I heard was in German. After having spent two weeks in Eurpoe, we were very spoiled that many Europeans spoke a little english. We missed 2 flights because airport employees were telling us, and many others, we could go out and come back in when they had no business giving half correct instructions.

SEATTLE SEA-TAC AIRPORT customer review : 7 October 2008 : by I Krisnanto

Customer Rating :  3/5

First time arriving on an international flight at SEA, I found the process quite efficient and nice compared to other major US airports. The immigration line was short and fast and the luggage came out quite quickly. The only issue was that we had to clear customs at the satellite terminal and then re-deposited our luggage to be picked up again at the main terminal. Departing was also a straightforward process though the check in and security lines were significantly longer. But it seemed that the airport staff was ready for it and the lines moved swiftly.

Seattle Airport review by Paul Browne

29 July 2008   Customer Rating :

Admittedly this is the first time that I have transited Seatac but I found the process very onerous. Arriving on a Lufthansa flight from Europe and connecting with an AC flight to Vancouver - a process that took 3 hours! Immigration Control was slow and as Canadian citizens we were not advised that we could use the Areas 5 and 6 reserved for US citizens until we were well into the lineup. Once dealt with by a very pleasant officer, we had to go thru TSA inspection which took a while by more pleasant officers (did u know that there were regulation sized plastic bags for your liquids??? I sure didn't!) and then had to take 3, count 'em, three, trains to get to the North Satellite where our Jazz aircraft departed from! And we only made it because of a helpful United Airlines employee - certainly not because of any useful signage! We probably wouldn't choose to travel via SEA again if we could help it, it was far too stressful.

Seattle Airport review by C Redman

29 July 2008   Customer Rating :

I live in Seattle and fly from here 3-4 times a year. Sea-Tac is a very efficient airport, especially if you have a flight in the late afternoon, you can be through check-in and security in 5-10 minutes, which gives you plenty of time to explore the new shops and restaurants in the central terminal just past the main security checkpoint. As far a food goes your best bet is to grab something in the central terminal being most of the concourses don't have that many options to choose from (especially the N and S satellites) even though they have been renovated, but concourse A and D probably have the best food selection. There are 4 concourses and 2 satellites which you have to take underground trains to get to. The south train station is to the left once you exit the south security checkpoint and down a couple flights of stairs, and the north station is to the right down some stairs once you get through the north security checkpoint. There is not much to do in the airport besides eat and go to shops, but the modern style and artwork inside really resembles the northwest.

Seattle Airport review by Alex George

5 April 2008   Customer Rating :

Immigration is smooth and hassle free. But coming out of the airport is terrible. The baggage claims are so confusing and the luggage carts are not free. You better carry US$3 in hand or travel with a companion. When I went alone I could neither get $3 change from some body nor any body is willing to look after luggage till I get change. This is ridiculous.

Seattle Airport review by L Pyne-Mercier

17 January 2008   Customer Rating :

Seattle residents pride themselves for being open to people and ideas from around the world. However, visitors arriving at Sea-Tac Airport could be forgiven for thinking otherwise. The airport has a terrible and confusing international arrivals system. In most airports, international visitors go through the following three steps on arrival - passport control, baggage claim, customs. Due to poor planning by the Port of Seattle, passengers arriving here need to go through several additional steps - passport control, baggage claim, customs, dropping bags on a second conveyor belt, riding an underground train to the main terminal, walking a distance to reclaim luggage and carrying luggage up and down escalators to reach the taxi stand. To make matters worse, while free luggage carts are initially made available to international visitors (a common courtesy in most airports), visitors are left to try to find US currency to rent luggage carts when they reclaim their luggage. This is most inhospitable to visitors who might lack US currency on arrival. At this point, there is little to do to remedy the situation, save to congratulate the Port of Seattle and its architects for a job very poorly done.

Seattle Airport review by Aden Hayes

4 December 2007   Customer Rating :

Just back from a mileage run that included SEA. Was there at 10:30 pm (mostly closed, but not nearly as closed as SAT at the same time), and again at 6 am. First, airport hotels. LOTS of them (a dozen or more) conveniently located on a single strip just outside the airport. Good deals on Priceline. I paid $60 at the Doubletree. You could actually walk to the hotels if you didn't have a lot of luggage, but the shuttles run frequently. Easy system for shuttles -- all on the same ring road through the airport. In the airport. Earlier comment that arrival / departure screens were few. I found the same thing -- you have to wander quite a ways to get your travel information. TSA was TSA. Here friendlier than EWR and JFK, but so are most provincial cities. There was an elite line that was barely working. Sleepy agent not interested in whether you are elite or not. Anyone who shows up can go through the elite line. What I liked: good shops (the Washington State souveniers store has nice things, there's a good bookstore) and food (Ivars open at 7 am for some excellent chowder). Airport is clean. What I didn't like: CO President's Club was a cracker box with nowhere to sit, even at 7 am. Should have checked out Alaska Air, but didn't have time.

Seattle Airport review by David Cox

11 September 2007   Customer Rating :

In transit from Calgary to Tokyo. A very disappointing airport. Very hard to find anywhere that accepted Canadian dollars. No wifi access in the terminal, although I was told that if you sit just outside the NWA business class lounge, you can sometimes get access.

Seattle Airport review by M Blanck

2 September 2007   Customer Rating :

Many airports much smaller than this one have taken the trouble to install "moving sidewalks" to increase both speed and comfort while transferring from one concourse to another for a connecting plane. SEA-TAC, instead, requires that we walk the equivalent of several city blocks, and even climb some little hills to remind us that we are, indeed, in Seattle, toting "carry-on" bags that are sometimes rather heavy. This gets old in a hurry! In the absence of moving sidewalks, couldn't they at least have trams stationed at each concourse to take people to the other concourses, and treat this as a normal way of moving from one part of the airport to another? (They do have a few little carts, generally used by handicapped people, but I'm talking about "mass transit"; i.e., trams parked in obvious places, ready for boarding by anyone - no matter how able-bodied.)

Seattle Airport review by M Sullivan

6 June 2007   Customer Rating :

SeaTac has been my home airport for about a year. Compared to other domestic US airports, SEA is probably one of the better ones I've been to. Concourse A, having been recently renovated, is modern and has plenty of shopping and restaurants. I mostly fly jetBlue and Delta out to JFK so this is the concourse where I spend most of my time. Concourses B, C, and D are older and more 1970s-like, but are serviceable and decent enough. Getting to the satellite concourses is a bit of a pain with the underground tram and all, but the good news there is that you don't have to exit/re-enter security to get there. Getting there and parking however are nightmares. The access road into the airport is being torn up to make way for light rail into Seattle. Not as bad as the Van Wyck into JFK, but expect long waits during peak travel times. Also, there is no reasonable on-airport long term parking lot. Instead, you have to park inside the upper levels of the parking garage across from the terminal and pay $22/day. Most opt to park off- airport for about $10/day depending on the lot.

Seattle Airport review by Giuseppe Gigliello

1 February 2007   Customer Rating : n/a

Arrived from Milan, via Heathrow. I found the belt system to get you baggage from South satellite to the terminal quite tricky. I had to roam in the Terminal for several minutes in order to find a screen telling me which belt to search for my belongings. Other thing is departing for a domestic flight, such as SEA-ATL as I experienced. Really quick procedures, nice and polite staff at the security screenings and especially at the check-in desks (Delta), very neat airport, good choice of food. It's also well provided by the king County public transportation system and not so far from downtown. Quite an agile airport to depart from.

Seattle Airport review by Jorgen Aberg

29 May 2006

I think Walter Mellon is too harsh on Sea-Tac airport. I arrived in SEA on a flight from Europe (travelled in economy) last week. Mind you, the immigration officer was not Mr Congeniality, but it was very quick. After the 5 minute wait for immigration, my bag was waiting for me at the conveyor belt. I had a domestic transfer, and there were several helpful people who made sure my bags were transferred. I would be thrilled if all US airports handling international flights were as smooth and efficient!

Seattle Airport review by Walter Mellon

24 October 2005

My home city is Seattle, and I frequently (7x/year) travel to Europe, and sometimes to Asia. Whenever possible I try to go through a decent international gateway airport such as SFO or EWR. The TSA and Immigration/Customs in SEA are by far the most offensive (and this is a tough standard) that I have seen anywhere in the US. These people DO vary from city-to-city. In Seattle (unlike the residents, who are generally quite nice) these folks are in some kind of Third Reich timewarp. Topping it off is SEA's unchallenged record as the slowest place to retrieve checked baggage. And as an international arrival, after waiting over 45 minutes for your bag, and getting treated like a criminal by Customs and sniffed by dogs, you have to GIVE UP YOUR BAGS again for another conveyor ride to nowhere. Amazingly despite having to take the mini-subway and a substantial walk through palatial empty new corridors with 80-ft ceilings, you STILL HAVE TO WAIT TEN MINUTES to get your bags. SEA is semi-tolerable for domestic flights, do whatever you can to avoid international travel in this unpleasant place.

Seattle Airport review by Masaki Oda

11 October 2005

B McDonald wrote about the design flaw of SEA-TAC. My comment is similar to his. I often make UA Int'l to UA domestic connection at Seattle which involves transfer from South Satellite (Where US Immigration and Customs are) to North Satellite. While it is not unusual for someone to switch terminals (like SFO, LAX or ORD), the same airline (UA) connection involves three airtrain rides. (the south satellite to the south side of the Main, the south side to the north side of main, and the north side of the main to the north satellite). This is always a painful moment in Seattle specially when the connection is tight. Can the airport authority make it simpler?

Seattle Airport review by B McDonald

1 September 2005

The SeaTac airport, as it is called by locals, is full of design flaws from the 1960s and 1970s, and is a very complicated venue to navigate, especially when one is renting a car. On my flights with Air Canada incoming from Vancouver and outgoing to Toronto, I used the N terminal both times. The N terminal is very outdated and not clean whatsoever. It has a depressing atmosphere, stenching water closets, and insufficient dining outlets. To reach the main terminal to claim bags from N, passengers must take a Subway train. While it proves to be an efficient mode of transportation, there is definitely not adequate signage. Many passengers were confused as to where to get off and on. Furthermore, after bombings in the London Underground on 7th July, I cannot say that I feel particularly safe on any Subway anywhere, whether an airport or a large metropolitan area. Baggage claim is the most poorly designed that I have ever seen. First off, there are too many belts, and few of them are being used. With so many belts, it is necessary to have screens which inform passengers of which belt a particular flight's luggage can be found on. For our particular flight, the information was incorrect. The bags are dropped from a high level, and then tumbled down to the conveyor belt. If a passenger had any fragile articles, I am sure that they would be easily broken. Furthermore, the baggage cart system does not have sufficient instructions and I wasted $2 because it did not prompt me to push the cart out of the rack. The car rental process was by far the most complicated affair at SeaTac. After waiting in line for 25 minutes to deal with the single Avis agent, we had to find our gray Cadillac. This involved taking a glass elevator to the lower level, crossing the Skybridge into the parking garage, and then taking another elevator up to the rental car area. It seemed redundant to have to go down an elevator and then up an elevator. When returning home to Canada via the SeaTac airport, we were shocked that there were only two Air Canada agents checking passengers in for one 120-person flight and one 50-person flight. Fortuanately, due to our status with Air Canada, the United agent was able to assist us (as the flight that we were taking to Toronto, AC542, is code-shared with United). Had we not had this privilege, I sincerely believe that we would have missed the flight. This is because one must trek through the piteously disorganised airport after having checked in, through security and then onto the gate. Seattle is a city with many distinguished features that tourists enjoy, whether its location on the lovely Puget Sound or its gateway to Alaskan cruises. However, it needs to have a much more updated, fashionable, and logically-designed airport to appeal to me.

Seattle Airport review by Padraic Rowan

24 August 2005

Flew to Seattle from Chicago MDW with Southwest in July. It was very quiet when we disembarked the airplane, and it was easy to see where we were going. The bags were through in no time, and we were out of the airport in fifteen minutes. On our way back, we went through security very efficiently and spent some time in the main area, with a very large glass window and high ceilings. It was busy, but it didn't feel crowded. We then made our way to the gate and were onboard in no time. It was an easy airport to navigate around, and it had a great atmosphere.

Seattle Airport review by Chanson Kinney

13 April 2005

Seattle is my home city. The airport is under a massive renovation, which will be complete... eventually (around may/June '05). All of the concourses can be reached, once through security, without leaving the security area again/ The new A concourse (delta, frontier, american, ATA, independence air, southwest..etc) is very nice with many restaurants, but is very large and if you happen to be flying Delta you will be at the very end. It also has local artwork and very very high ceilings, which make you feel almost like you are outside. The B and C concourses (Alaska/Horizon, southwest, continental, america west) are merely okay. they have been renovated but arent as nice as the A concourse and get cramped during peak times, but they both have a nice assortment of restaurants and shops and are very easy to navigate. The D Concourse (alaska) is probably the worst terminal because of its lack of space and the fact that so many flights depart from it. There are a few restaurants but they get very crowded easily so i would recommend buying food elsewhere. The S concourse (northwest, Alaska/Horizon (international), British airways, asiana, EVA, Korean, china airlines (taiwan) , SAS, Aeroflot... etc) This is the international terminal and is also used for all northwest flights. It is like terminals B and C and has a nice assortment of shops and restaurants. It doesnt get very crowded because the flights are few and far between but there is not much to do so if you have a lot of time dont go out there although the trains are convenient and you can travel between hee and the manin terminal with ease. The N concourse (United, US airways, JetBlue) This is mainly used by united although Us airways and JetBlue operate out of here too. This terminal is almost exactly like the S concourse although it does have a nice massage parlor if you need one between flights. The main terminal at SEA is being remodeled and will be finished around may 2005. This new terminal will connect all of the concourses and will have many local shops and restaurants including Anthony's, Starbucks, Ivars, and many others. It will be much the same design as the A concourse and Will have large glass windows and great views of the Horizon air gates. When this (the pacific marketplace as it is also called) opens the airport will feel much more put together and less of a work in progress. One place to stay away from is the Check in counters. They get very crowded due to the TSA screening machines in the waiting areas so expect to be crowded especially during peak times. Overall Seatac will be a very nice airport when completed but until May wont be a good representation of the beautiful city it is in.

Seattle Airport review by M Moore

15 February 2005

Seattle's SeaTac airport is a work in progress. When I moved to Seattle in 2003 from Portland, I was disappointed by the airport here. Portland's PDX is a jewel: it's beautiful, comfortable, tidy, and convenient; plus, the restaurants are outstanding and there are very good shopping options (what's not to like about browsing an outpost of the famous Powell's bookstore while you're waiting for your flight?). SeaTac, though? Something of a mess. The confusion begins on SR 518, because it's easy to misread the exit sign for the access road, end up in the wrong lane, and find yourself lost in suburbia. The weird spiral parking garages are all right, as architectural excrescences go, but again, it's not always clear how to get to the skybridges connecting them with the terminals. How many airports were designed to keep passengers from actually finding them? Again, better signage would be helpful here. Inside, one's first impression is "dark and cavernous": given how much of the year Seattle's skies are grey, more effort should have been put into bringing light into this area. You go either upstairs to the check-in counters (not bad), or downstairs to baggage claim (the layout's sensible but it's just too dark). Once you've checked in, your experience largely depends on which terminal your flight departs from; some are better than others. The new South Terminal exemplifies everything SeaTac ought to be: light, airy, roomy, and there are good places to eat. More seating is needed, though. The other terminals are pleasantly drab. Overall, they're quite clean (and the renovated restrooms are a big step in the right direction) but the restaurants and shops offer very little, and the lack of seating and electrical outlets is problematic. Service to domestic destinations is good (being the base of Alaska Airlines, one of the US's best carriers, is a nice bonus). However, international flights are limited for a city of this size and stature; there ought to be more service to Mexico, Asia, and Europe. Granted, the Port's renovation projects will do much to

Seattle Airport review by M Johnson

7 February 2005

Current food concession options behind security at SeaTac are very poor. If you anticipate having to wait out a connecting flight for a few hours, it would be wise to check out your eating options before getting on the plane bound for Seattle. The airport is working on a new food area in the central terminal behind security but that project appears to be many months away from opening. Even when this opens, it will be a very long walk from the ends of the A, B, C and D concourses, where most of the gates are located. The Port of Seattle and Seattle in general wants to offer itself up as a "with-it" location. SeaTac Airport really misses the boat.