|
|
|
SEATTLE AIRPORT Passenger Reviews and Traveller Reports
|
|
|
|
|
SEATTLE SEA-TAC AIRPORT customer review : 7 March 2010 by S McMillan (USA)
|
Customer Rating : 4/5 |
 |
| Queuing |
| Cleanliness |
| Facilities |
I’ve been traveling to Seattle quite often. The best thing about the Seattle airport is the
fact that they have a Link light rail station connected via walk-way to the airport. For
$2.50 I can get from the airport to less than a block away from my corporate office. And for
an additional $6.90 I can ride the ferry over to Bainbridge to meet up with my parents. (The
ferry is free heading back into Seattle.) I generally fly Virgin America which seems to be
assigned gates in Siberia. Rumor has it there are more dining choices at the food court which
is good, since pick’ins are pretty slim down by the low number gates. There is a Starbucks
adjacent to the concourse, so at least you can get something there while you are waiting on
your flight. The airport itself seems to be clean and well maintained. Baggage handling is
prompt and the security lines move quickly and are staffed by friendly people.
SEATTLE SEA-TAC AIRPORT customer review : 31 January 2010 by Lijing Han (China)
|
Customer Rating : 3/5 |
 |
| Queuing |
| Cleanliness |
| Facilities |
Connecting flights coming from overseas? Seattle airport is set up to receive only one type
of connecting flight, the kind where the airport of origin can tag your bags through to the
final destination. However, when coming from some developing countries where your final
destination (in the US) cannot be on your international itinerary, the airports will not tag
your bags through to the final destination. As a result, when exiting customs in Seattle and
given the choice of leaving security or going the route of "connecting flights" one should
choose to leave security and collect their bags at the baggage claim of their international
airlines, then recheck in with their domestic airline. If your domestic flight is not on the
same itinerary as your international flight (eg. you booked it online, but your international
flight was bought overseas) then the connecting flight sky hops have no idea where to send
your bag (it's not on the tag). The main reason for this is that they "assume" your bags are
checked through to your final destination. They fail to ask this important question and do
not realize that every customer does not have the background to distinguish that there are
multiple kinds of "connecting flights." However, if they do not ask you the airline and CITY
where you want your bag to go, it will be lost in the airport. The airport is not small and
you will be walking back and forth between the international baggage claim and your domestic
airlines trying to figure out where the bags went. This is a common problem at this airport,
as reported to me by the lost baggage clerk in San Diego. He said that military coming from
Narita, through Seattle, have this issue all the time. If the Sky Hop does not ask you where
you want your bag to go, make sure you tell him. If he says "we'll take care of everything"
make sure that you discuss the destination as part of the "everything." Most likely he will
tell you to take your bag off of the conveyer belt that is headed to another airline and put
it on the belt that will take it to the international baggage claim. (In Seattle, after going
through customs, the passenger takes a tram to the other terminals, but the bags go on special
conveyer belts, either to the next airplane, or to the baggage claim). Please, be careful.
If you are not, you may have a very difficult time finding your bag, or anyone who knows where
your bag went.
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.
|
|
|
If you experience any problems submitting comments on the above link, please use our general
Feedback Page |
|
|
|