Welcome to Thanksgiving eve, the busiest day this holiday week at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

A forecasted 160,000 passengers are expected to pass through the airport Wednesday, according to airport officials, as people fly to holiday destinations or arrive here for a visit home.

While dreaming of the family stuffing recipe may not be enough to get you through the travel chaos, these tips to spend less time in line for security and passenger pickup and drop-off just might.

The next busiest day this week at Sea-Tac is expected to be Friday, after people tuck into a plate — or two or three — of their favorite holiday food and start to make their way home.

More holiday travel help

Reserve your spot in the general security line

If you have a flight that leaves between 5 a.m. and 1 p.m., there’s no need to wait in a line to go through security, according to Sea-Tac spokesperson Perry Cooper.

Advertising

Last summer, Sea-Tac piloted a “spot saver” program in which people can schedule in advance a 15-minute window to go through security during peak travel hours. This way, travelers who don’t have TSA Precheck or another premium service can just walk up during the designated time and skip waiting up to a half-hour in the general security line, he said.

People can reserve a slot up to 72 hours in advance or while at the airport. The program is available at TSA checkpoints 2, 3 and 5, which lead to all gates.

Meanwhile, you’re already out of luck for prebooked parking at the airport, which is sold out for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Prebooking, however, does not reserve a spot, and the airport does not offer parking reservations.

There’s a good chance you could score a “drive-up” parking spot, but it’s not guaranteed, Sea-Tac says.

Switching the levels

Mornings are a busy time for the upper-level departure lanes outside the airport. Then in the afternoons and evenings, the opposite situation occurs: The lower arrival level becomes backed up.

According to Sea-Tac’s analysis, the morning peak for the departure drive is between 5 and 7 a.m., and the evening peak for arrivals is between 8 and 11 p.m. Often, that means cars are stretched back to the ramps.

Advertising

Sea-Tac installed signs last summer advising people to use the opposite levels during those times. You may have an especially speedy pick up if your traveler doesn’t have checked baggage, Cooper said.

Baggage claim is on the lower level of the terminal, so people getting off a flight at Sea-Tac without bags can walk directly through the ticketing area on the upper departure level without needing to take an escalator or elevator.

Wait in the cellphone lot, not shoulders

A persistent problem occurs when people park illegally on the shoulders of the road leading to the airport when waiting for a pickup call, according to airport officials. This not only creates congestion, it’s also a safety hazard.

The cellphone lot was improved this year to include a new entrance and road. Previously, cars entering and leaving the cellphone lot had to pass each other, creating a hazard, Cooper said.

Editor’s note: An initial version of this story inaccurately stated that Wednesday is the busiest day of the year at Sea-Tac Airport. It also included inaccurate information about parking at the airport, which does not offer parking reservations.

Material from Seattle Times staff reporter Amanda Zhou and The Seattle Times archives is included in this report.