Record travel at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport during Thanksgiving weekend
Nov 27, 2023, 1:41 PM
(Photo from 成人X站 7)
(Photo from 成人X站 7)
Holiday travel for Thanksgiving weekend was record-setting, according to the TSA.
Monday morning Seattle Tacoma International Airport was slammed with people trying to get home or get away after this holiday weekend.
Anyone who felt like the lines were long and the crowds were bigger was not imagining things.
BREAKING NEWS: Yesterday (Nov. 26), TSA screened just over 2.9M individuals at airports nationwide, which represents an agency record 鈥� the busiest day ever for air travel.
As season continues, we remind passengers to please arrive at the airport early.
鈥� TSA (@TSA)
鈥淚 picked up my bags at 11:30 and I鈥檝e been sleeping back and forth on the chair there, ” said Eileen Chavelson, as she camped out above one of the main TSA checkpoints at SEA.
She鈥檚 stuck after missing her bus back to Bellingham.
鈥淔rom 12-2, it was quiet you could hear a pin drop… And then 3 o鈥檆lock (AM) everybody showed up and I don鈥檛 know why 鈥� taking off all of a sudden, early flights I guess,鈥� Chavelson said.
SEA鈥檚 forecasts for this weekend were eclipsed by some gaudy numbers including 171,000 people going through the airport Sunday.
The slow shuffle to get home or get somewhere put Ryan Barnett among the 164,000 traveling through SEA today.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 travel much so it is a lot of people,鈥� Barnett said.
Unlike most, Barnett is traveling for business. With fog engulfing SEA Monday morning he鈥檚 hoping he can get out.
At 8:30 AM, FlightAware, the flight tracking website, said SEA had 44 delays and 4 cancellations.
It鈥檚 been so busy at the curbs that SEA extended a promotion from the weekend into Monday that provides up to 90 minutes of free parking in the garage for people wanting to avoid the traffic tie-ups at the curbside.
SEA even highlighted the program in a video and said It鈥檚 effective from 8 p.m. to midnight, the busiest time for traffic.
鈥淵ou can pick up your party in the terminal, bring them back, and get out with free parking for 90 minutes but it鈥檚 based on availability in case we get really really busy,鈥� the video stated.
The Port of Seattle released updated travel numbers for the Thanksgiving Weekend and they broke down as follows:
- Wed., Nov 22 鈥� 175,000, overall going through the airport (arriving, departing, and connecting).
- Sun., Nov 26 鈥� 171,000.
- Sat., Nov 25 鈥� 167,000.
- Tues., Nov 21 & Mon Nov 27 鈥� 164,000.
That beat the volume forecasts for Thanksgiving the port was anticipating heading into the Holiday weekend:
- November 22: 156,000 travelers departing, arriving, and connecting.
- November 26: 158,000 travelers departing, arriving, and connecting.
- November 27: 148,000 travelers departing, arriving, and connecting.
