Trying out the SEA visitor pass program at Seatac Airport

*After a long pause since the ransomware attack this summer, the SEA visitor pass program is back!!*

The hubby and I did long-distance back in college between Vancouver BC and California for about three years. I loved that in the USA he could walk me right to the airplane and say goodbye like I saw people do in the movies. We could eat together. We could have a bit more time at the airport. But of course that all changed after 9-11. Everything about air travel changed. We took off our shoes. We dumped out our water bottles. We toted our liquids in little plastic baggies. My 11-year old guys haven’t known air travel any other way than this sterile, somewhat scary procedural ordeal. So when I heard about the SEA visitor pass program it reminded me of the old romantic days when we didn’t have as much fear in air travel and I wanted to check it out.

Seattle Airport is among a handful of other airports that have visitor programs

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is one of four or so airports in the USA that currently allow non-passengers in the post-security side of the airport even if you aren’t traveling that day. Tampa Airport has an All Access Pass, Pittsburgh (also claims they are the first airport to have this) has a MyPitPass, Detroit has a DTW Destination Pass and now Seattle has a SEA Visitor Pass. Do you know if your airport has a visitor pass now too?

There are a few steps to get a SEA Visitor Pass at Seattle-Tacoma Airport in Seattle

Before you do anything you need to apply online. So far it seems like you can only book a week in advance but if there is availability on the website you can also apply the day of your visit too. I’m hoping to hang out with my sister and her family in March when they take off on a big trip from Seatac airport so I’ll be checking the site a lot in the next little while just in case they start extending the booking period.

In order to apply you need to start at the online site, have a form of TSA approved ID and type in your full legal name, birthdate and gender as it appears on that piece of identification. Only 100 visitors can use the SEA visitor pass a day so if you are not able to book the day you want it is probably at capacity. Once you fill out the form you get a confirmation email. If you are wanting to visit with other people, each person needs to fill out this information and each person needs their own form of TSA approved ID.

After this step you wait for TSA approval. If you apply for a same-day pass you will find out if you are approved in about 15 minutes. If you apply for a date in the future you will find out after 12 am on that day. I applied for my pass a few days ahead of time and sure enough, a little after midnight I received my approval. If you are approved you get a QR code that you need to show with a form of TSA approved ID and show up at the Security checkpoint that they tell you to go to. When I went it was Security Checkpoint 3 and it sounds like this is still where you need to go. (As always, check the actual Seatac website to make sure you have the most up to date information. I’m not sure what happens or who you can talk to if you don’t get approved.)

Once you get to the airport just follow the directions on the emails you receive. If you have questions you can check out the FAQ’s on the airport website and ask at the airport for help when you arrive-I went on one of the first days of the program and people at the Seatac airport helped me out when I couldn’t figure out where I needed to go.

And once you have your pass? What is there to do at Seatac Airport?

Now that you have your SEA visitor Pass you can explore from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m and you can stay in the airport until 10pm. (Again check to make sure these times are still valid) I visited during the holidays and caught a few glimpses of some fun celebrity guests (like Santa and a few festive friends) and had a nice lunch at the Sam Choy’s Poke to the Max. I also sat for a little while and watched the planes take off and land and it was so relaxing to watch them knowing that I wasn’t going anywhere that day. If you need more ideas of what to do at Seatac Airport, the hubby and I visited the airport spa when we had some time because of a delayed flight a little while ago. I am not sure if you can visit the lounges on a SEA visitor pass but I saw that you can buy an Alaska Airlines lounge day pass on my friend’s instagram and that would be such a fun place to spend some time.

I’m really excited to try and send my sister and her family off on their trip when they go later this year and I am so thankful that airports are looking to become more passenger friendly and fun to hang out in again. We’re especially lucky in Seattle because our airport has some really fun places to eat and shop too! Do you also like hanging out at airports when you are not going on a trip?

Terumi

Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys.  She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live.  She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)