Cheap flights from
Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA)

The airport code for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is SEA.

There is not an on-site hotel at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. However, the Hilton Seattle Airport Hotel is right across the street and accessible via a sky bridge from the terminal. It has an outdoor pool, business center, fitness center, and pet-friendly rooms. Rooms start at $200.

Central Terminal: The Central Terminal has a USO Lounge and American Express Centurion Lounge. The lounge has a healthy snack bar and a menu featuring local produce, a full-service bar, outlets at every seat, and large TVs. The lounge is available for American Express Platinum and Business Platinum card holders, as well as DeltaSkyMiles Reserve card holders.

Concourse A: Concourse A is home to The Club SEA, Delta Sky Club, and the United Club. The Club SEA has workstations with printers, snacks and beverages, and digital newspapers and magazines. It can be booked up to six hours before a flight for $50 per passenger, though guests cannot use the club until three hours before their flight. The two-level Delta Sky Club has showers, a full-service bar, flight monitors, internet terminals with printers and copiers, and spa services. The lounge is available for business and first-class passengers, as well as American Express Platinum and Delta SkyMiles Reserve card members. The United Club also has a buffet and full-service bar, as well as computers with printers and complimentary newspapers and magazines. It is available for United Polaris or business class or for those with Star Alliance Gold status.

Concourse C, D, and North Satellite Terminal: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is a major hub for Alaska Airlines (the airline is headquartered in Seattle, despite its name), and all three of these terminals have Alaska Airlines lounges. The North Satellite location is the flagship lounge and has a fireplace, large windows with views of the Olympic Mountains, a made-to-order espresso menu, a pancake machine, barista service, and a full-service bar including local microbreweries. The other two lounges also have full-service bars, more limited hot and cold food options, and seats with power outlets. Those flying first class can access the lounges for free, but passengers can also purchase a day pass for $50 or membership for $300-$450 per year, depending on the type.

South Satellite Terminal: This terminal hosts the British Airways First and Terraces lounges, as well as another The Club at SEA location. The British Airways lounge has a buffet with sandwiches and other food, a full-service bar, a business center, and showers. There is a separate area for first-class passengers. First-class and business-class passengers flying on British Airways or a Oneworld partner can access the lounge with a boarding pass. British Airways Executive Club Silver or Gold members and Oneworld Emerald or Sapphire members can also enter.

Service animals must be leashed at all times. Non-service animals must be in a kennel. There are nine pet relief areas throughout the airport, both outside and inside security. Areas inside the terminal have waste bags, paper towels, hand sanitizer, and trash cans.

Pet relief areas:

• Concourse D on the subway level (inside security)
• Concourse S on the mezzanine level near the escalators (inside security)
• Concourse N on the train level near the restrooms (inside security)
• Central Terminal across from Hudson News (inside security)
• International Arrivals on the mezzanine level in the US Customs area (for international arrivals only)
• Outdoors on the north end of the airport near door 33 and Alaska Airlines (outside security)
• On the south end of the airport near door 5, by international ticketing (outside security)
• On the south end of the airport near baggage claim and door 1 (outside security)
• On the first level of the parking garage near the elevators (outside security)

Seattle-Tacoma has one terminal with six concourses.

Central Terminal: The main terminal has the A, B, C, D, N (for North), and S (for South) gates.

Concourse A: Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Delta Air Lines, Japan Airlines, JetBlue, and United Airlines operate out of Concourse A. The Club SEA, Delta Sky Club, and the United Club are all in this concourse, as well as the Capitol Hill Food Hall, Starbucks, DutyFree, and other dining and retail options.

Concourse B: Aer Lingus, Frontier, and Southwest Airlines depart from Concourse B. This concourse also has a TUMI, Hudson News, and numerous dining options, from McDonald’s to Pacific Northwest-inspired LouLou Market and Bar.

Concourse C: Concourse C is home to Alaska Airlines and one of its lounges, though the airline also operates out of other terminals. You’ll also find a Beecher’s Handmade Cheese shop, Le Grand Comptoir wine bar, Hachi-Ko Japanese dining, and other shopping and dining options.

Concourse D: Concourse D hosts American Airlines and Alaska Airlines and an Alaska Airlines lounge. There’s also a local gift shop called Fireworks, Ballard Brew Hall, Poke to the Max, Starbucks, and more.

North Satellite: Alaska Airlines departs from North Satellite as well, and this is where the airline’s flagship lounge is. The North Satellite has a SEA Roast Coffee House, a Wendy’s, Tundra Taqueria, and other dining options. On the retail side, there’s a Pike and Pine gift and convenience store and a Filson store.

South Satellite: AeroMexico, Air France, ANA, Asiana Airlines, British Airways, Condor, Emirates, Eurowings, Eva Air, Hainan Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Icelandair, Korean Air, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Volaris and Xiamen Airlines all depart from the South Satellite terminal. This concourse has a DutyFree and Hudson News store, as well as a Dungeness Bay Seafood House, Tap and Pour bar, Greedy Cow Burger, and Peet’s Coffee.

CLEAR is available at Checkpoints 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 in SEA.

TSA PreCheck is available at SEA Checkpoints 1 and 4.

Global Entry is available for international arrivals at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Enrollment is available on arrival at the Global Entry desk during international arrival hours, which depend on the day.

Airline guidelines typically recommend arriving at the airport two hours before a domestic flight. For international trips, they recommend three hours or sometimes even longer, due to extra security checks, customs, and the fact that more people check more baggage for international trips. But do you really need to be there that early? It depends on a few things.

How big is the airport, and where is your gate? Seattle-Tacoma is busy and large. The train between terminals takes about 5 minutes.

Are you checked in? Most airlines won’t allow you to check-in after a certain point, typically typically 30-60 minutes before departing. This is where checking in online comes in handy. Sometimes you can’t check in online, and in those cases you should make sure you arrive before the cutoff window.

Are you checking luggage? Airlines also have a stop point where they will no longer accept luggage, usually 45-60 minutes before a flight.

How busy is the airport? Seattle-Tacoma is one of the busiest airports in the country, with an average security wait time of 17 minutes. But if you’re traveling around a holiday, during summer, or on busier days like Friday and Sunday, it can be much longer. At these times, it’s better to err on the side of arriving early.

At the bare minimum, it’s wise to arrive at Seattle-Tacoma at least one hour before your flight, but 1.5-2 hours is a safer bet on most days. During peak times, 3-4 hours in advance may be necessary. The airport itself recommends two hours for a domestic flight and three hours for international flights.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is about 14 miles from downtown Seattle, depending on where in the city you’re departing from.

There are several options for traveling from Seattle to SEA.

By taxi or ride share: Downtown Seattle is less than 20 miles from the airport, and you can get there by car in about 20 minutes with no traffic, though we suggest allowing at least 30 minutes at most times. Costs range from about $40-$50, depending on demand.

By public transportation: Seattle’s Link light rail takes 38 minutes from downtown to the airport. There are stops downtown, at the University of Washington, in Beacon Hill, and elsewhere. Fares range from $2.25 to $3.25 one-way, depending on your age.