SEATTLE — As Labor Day weekend comes to a close, millions of people will drive or fly home.
The Labor Day travel period is forecasted to bring about one million travelers through Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) from September 3 to 8. Volumes are expected to be on par with last year, with the busiest days projected to be:
- Thursday, September 3 — 180,000 overall passengers through the airport (arriving, departing, and connecting)
- Friday, September 4 — 180,000 passengers
- Monday, September 7 — 180,000 passengers
For context, the highest-volume day at SEA was in August 2025, at 207,000 passengers. Overall, the busiest time of the year for SEA is the summer from June through August (unlike many other airports, which see their highest traffic during winter or spring holidays).
Arrive early. Avoid feeling rushed — get to the terminal at least two hours before your boarding time for a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight. Factor in the time you need to travel from off-site parking or drop-offs to the terminal. More than one-third of SEA’s daily passenger volume arrives at the airport before 9 a.m., causing busy conditions on the airport drives and at TSA security checkpoints. Two more peak periods occur from 2 to 5 p.m. and from 9 to 11 p.m.
Avoid traffic. Bypass the congested Arrivals and Departures drives by using public transportation, airport parking, rideshares, a taxi/limo, a scheduled airporter, door-to-door van service, or a shuttle option. When picking someone up, briefly park in the SEA Airport parking garage, entering from the International Boulevard entrance to meet arriving travelers in the terminal, then exit together through the garage without ever using the drives. You can even pick up a coffee while you’re waiting!
Think opposite. If you choose to use the drives, use the lower Arrivals drive instead of the upper Departures drive during peak morning hours, and vice versa if you’re picking someone up in the evening. Or use whichever lane is moving faster — they all go to the same terminal.
Head straight to security. Check in for your flight ahead of time and download or print your boarding pass. Review your airline’s baggage policies; if you don’t need to check a bag, head straight to the security checkpoints.
SEA is here to help. SEA Customer Care is available to support you before, during, and after your travel. Real people are providing real help on the phone, email, social media, or live chat. Once you’re at the airport, you can find our team in green from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the three Information Desks, near Checkpoint 1, by Checkpoint 4, and at Gate A6.
For information on road travel times, click here.