Tips for the upcoming holiday travel rush at Sea-Tac

SEA Airport is going to be busy for the Fourth of July holiday travel period, and TSA is asking travelers to get to the airport early and be prepared.

“We got through it, just give yourself extra time,” Candice Wynn, a passenger said. “It seems like it’s very busy compared to the airport in California we flew out of, John Wayne, and this airport is much busier than John Wayne.”

In the last week, SEA had its second and third busiest days.

“Anytime we have anything that slows down the process multiply that by 60 or 70,000 people and that’s what can cause delays,” Lorrie Dankers, a TSA spokesperson said. “We work with the airlines to determine how many tickets have been sold, how many seats on those planes are booked, that’s what determines how many people come through the checkpoint that’s what determines our staffing plan looks like.”

The busiest times for checkpoints at SEA are between 5:00 a.m. and 12:00 Noon and from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. But the busiest hour overall is consistently 9:00 a.m.

“The number of people coming to the checkpoint can change but do know that we are here and ready to screen you,” Dankers said.

If you’re planning on flying, make sure to get to the airport at least two hours prior to departure for domestic flights and three for international.