I hate you Sea-Tac.
Let me count the ways…
1. Where the hell do people go to get a cab or get picked up?
I’m still confused by this. There’s the bottom level, where you get your luggage. Then there’s the upper level, where you check in. There’s a different cab area, that’s across the street. And even a place to hitch a ride on the roof. Okay, not really. But I wouldn’t be surprised.
2. The worst, longest lines ever.
I’ve been to many airports. Big ones (Atlanta-Hartsfield) and small ones (Flint, Michigan). I’ve been to the ones where you enter a weird enclosed chamber that blows wind at you (Fort Lauderdale). I’ve been to dangerous/smelly/get me out of here ones (Philly). And I’ve been to ones that don’t have any order at all (Bogota).
But Sea-Tac takes the cake on having the worst wait for security check ins. I’m normally in line for at least a half hour, if not much more, every single time, at different times, on all days. I’ve had to run to catch a plane, even though I arrived at the airport 2 hours before take off, because of the slow ass security check line. I’m not sure what they’re doing wrong, but it needs to be corrected. Fast.
3. Lost Luggage
I’ve never had a smooth experience with getting my luggage at Sea-Tac. Usually, I’m chasing it down, waiting at one area and then being told I have to wait at another area and then wait for a really long time while annoying kids climb over the conveyor belt as their stupid parents just stand there with blank looks on their faces.
4. Maybe I’m just jinxed.
I’ve never had major delays or problems with planes until I started flying at Sea-Tac. Last year, I was trying to get to Florida, when before take off, something happened to the plane. We couldn’t get off the hot, muggy plane until the problem was solved, 3 hours later. Because of this delay, I was stuck in Houston for a night. Sure, I arrived safely or whatever, but I couldn’t help being slightly irriatated that 1/8 of my vacation was spent talking to shitty airline people, being sent to a shitty hotel off some shitty highway, where I had to eat shitty food with the shitty $10 voucher I also had to wait for.
Sure, this probably has nothing to do with Sea-Tac per se, but since most of these flying frustrations happen here I have to blame them.
And that’s really it. No hard feelings okay? I mean I have to get places. Maybe you’ll change one day. But since I know that won’t happen any time soon, I’ll just have to keep hating everything about you.
I think it must be you… I’ve had nothing but good experiences there, and compared to where I used to be stuck flying out of on a frequent basis (O’Hare), I’d take Sea-Tac any day…
hmmm….I’m going with the jinxed theory. I’ve never had an issue at Seatac *knockonwood*. Hey, think about it this way, it can only get better, right?
ps – I would be upset also if I was stuck in Houston, absolutely horrible airport and city!
I’ve rarely had any issues flying out of Sea-Tac. My average wait time in a security line has been under 20 minutes, usually closer to 10, and even when I used to fly up here once a year and so wasn’t a native, I never really had a problem getting a cab or a shuttle.
I have had lost luggage, but that was the airline’s issue, not the airport’s.
The food options are decent, for an airport anyway, and the bathrooms are some of the best of any airport I’ve been in. I love the fact that the stall doors in a lot of the bathrooms open OUT. Incredibly helpful for a woman traveling with two carry-on bags trying to get in and out of the stall with said bags.
I’ve never had any serious issues with SeaTac either. Some of that may be tied to my habit of taking flights either very early in the morning or very late at night, but even so I don’t think I’ve ever had to wait even as long as 30 minutes.
I’ve had to wait in long lines the two times I’ve been to Seatac. But at the Vegas airport, where there are also long lines, they at least move quickly.
With the exception of the abysmally long security lines, I don’t mind Sea-Tac. I’ve waited 20-30 minutes to get through security. OTOH, I’ve waited 20-30 minutes for security in a number of other airports, too.
Still, DFW is a far worse place. It’s what I think Purgatory looks like. It used to be Hell, but then they replaced the TrAAin with that monorail and things got better.
Never had problems with Sea Tac either. Except they always have the longest waits for incoming luggage. Thats why I do all carry on now.
Man, I KNOW your pain! I fly out of many airports but SEA-TAC would be the idiot child of airportdom!
for such small security lines they are slow – I was in a line last month where the checker stared at the documents AND US Passport for 5 mins for EVERYONE! aughhh!
at least SeaTac has been updating the airport and adding massive dep/arriv. screens – but still – I’m dreading today as I am flying out to Newark and off to Frankfurt…I know Newark never lets me down….
Ciao!
Knocking on wood while saying that I can’t remember the last time I’ve waited more than fifteen minutes at SeaTac for security, but like others I avoid checking luggage like the plague. The wait times there are painful. As for taxis, follow the signs to ground transport. It’s kind of weird to have to go to the parking lot and then downstairs for the cab lines, but maybe it reduces congestion on the way in?
Dylan – The new terminal at DFW is the nicest terminal I’ve been in. It flows well, too.
SeaTac was fine this morning. No long lines and the new terminal was mostly empty.
Screw the cabs: there’s always a too-long line (on the upper car level, #4? I believe?) for too few cabs.
When you get your baggage from the carousel, walk over to the nearest courtesy phone and order a town car from one of the limo companies. They cost EXACTLY the same for a Sea-tac to downtown run (or wherever your final desination may be); the cars are much nicer, newer & cleaner; they can generally pick-up within 10 minutes of calling; there are NO lines – although you WILL get disgruntled stares from all the people lined up for cabs, since the town cars pick up from the same location; AND you get to feel like a "big shot" for at least the 20 minutes of the drive home.