Feasible to Leave Airport During 10 Hour Layover in SEA?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 74
Feasible to Leave Airport During 10 Hour Layover in SEA?
Through my finely honed skills at booking optimal flights, I find myself with a 10 hour layover in SEA this Sunday (FAI-SEA-KEF-ARN). That's a bit much of SEA even for an Alaskan like me!
I've never, ever considered leaving the security area during a layover in SEA, even with TSA Precheck, but with 10 hours to kill, it would be nice to head downtown to do some exploring. Complicating matters is that I'll have a carry-on roller bag with me, which I'd really rather not drag along with me on the train and exploring.
I realize that in these post-911 days, there are no easy places to safely dump luggage for a few hours.
So, do I have any good options? Are there in fact places I can stash my bag while I'm exploring, maybe nearby off-airport? (I'm tempted, of course, to check a bag, but with international flights and a tight itinerary the first few days I'm leery of that.)
Otherwise, I'll just bring a stack of reading that I'm way behind on.
Thanks for any suggestions!
Don
I've never, ever considered leaving the security area during a layover in SEA, even with TSA Precheck, but with 10 hours to kill, it would be nice to head downtown to do some exploring. Complicating matters is that I'll have a carry-on roller bag with me, which I'd really rather not drag along with me on the train and exploring.
I realize that in these post-911 days, there are no easy places to safely dump luggage for a few hours.
So, do I have any good options? Are there in fact places I can stash my bag while I'm exploring, maybe nearby off-airport? (I'm tempted, of course, to check a bag, but with international flights and a tight itinerary the first few days I'm leery of that.)
Otherwise, I'll just bring a stack of reading that I'm way behind on.
Thanks for any suggestions!
Don
#2
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Through my finely honed skills at booking optimal flights, I find myself with a 10 hour layover in SEA this Sunday (FAI-SEA-KEF-ARN). That's a bit much of SEA even for an Alaskan like me! I've never, ever considered leaving the security area during a layover in SEA, even with TSA Precheck, but with 10 hours to kill, it would be nice to head downtown to do some exploring. Complicating matters is that I'll have a carry-on roller bag with me, which I'd really rather not drag along with me on the train and exploring. I realize that in these post-911 days, there are no easy places to safely dump luggage for a few hours. So, do I have any good options? Are there in fact places I can stash my bag while I'm exploring, maybe nearby off-airport? (I'm tempted, of course, to check a bag, but with international flights and a tight itinerary the first few days I'm leery of that.)
http://www.kensbaggage.com/storageservices.html
#3
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An alternative to downtown would be to take a brief taxi/Uber ride over to the airplane museum or whatever the one near SEA-TAC is called.
The Boeing plant is far on the other side of downtown from the airport. Their tours require reservations in advance and probably don't operate on Sundays.
You could rent a car and leave the luggage in the trunk. Unfortunately SEA now has a car rental center located some distance from the airport terminals, so you lose some time compared to many similarly sized airports. In addition to downtown [there's a tour of the "underground city", a good art museum, obviously the Space Needle, an art/glass exhibit that I think is permanently shown in a gallery in the little park around the Space Needle (plus more in one of the hotels, IIRC the Sheraton by convention center), the market, and in a small park along the way toward the U of Washington campus, a salmon "ladder" that's fun to see when the fish are active], you could take some scenic roads and bridges and perhaps check out the wine tasting rooms in Woodenville.
The Boeing plant is far on the other side of downtown from the airport. Their tours require reservations in advance and probably don't operate on Sundays.
You could rent a car and leave the luggage in the trunk. Unfortunately SEA now has a car rental center located some distance from the airport terminals, so you lose some time compared to many similarly sized airports. In addition to downtown [there's a tour of the "underground city", a good art museum, obviously the Space Needle, an art/glass exhibit that I think is permanently shown in a gallery in the little park around the Space Needle (plus more in one of the hotels, IIRC the Sheraton by convention center), the market, and in a small park along the way toward the U of Washington campus, a salmon "ladder" that's fun to see when the fish are active], you could take some scenic roads and bridges and perhaps check out the wine tasting rooms in Woodenville.
#4
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pretty sure I saw the door open at Ken's when I arrived a couple weeks ago
it's about a 35-40 minute trip on the Link Light Rail to downtown (cost is ~$3) ... Sun is pretty chaotic with usually three cruise ships in port, but there are a ton of interesting things to see and do, and an abundance of good food and drink
this thread is from a couple years ago but still pretty relevant
I would make sure to get back to the airport ~2 hours before the KEF flight departs because TSA lines have been really nasty the past few months
it's about a 35-40 minute trip on the Link Light Rail to downtown (cost is ~$3) ... Sun is pretty chaotic with usually three cruise ships in port, but there are a ton of interesting things to see and do, and an abundance of good food and drink
this thread is from a couple years ago but still pretty relevant
I would make sure to get back to the airport ~2 hours before the KEF flight departs because TSA lines have been really nasty the past few months
#5
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a GREAT option if you are at all interested in aviation history
... a tour of the "underground city", a good art museum, obviously the Space Needle, an art/glass exhibit that I think is permanently shown in a gallery in the little park around the Space Needle (plus more in one of the hotels, IIRC the Sheraton by convention center), the market, and at the Hiram M Chittenden Locks in Ballard in a small park along the way toward the U of Washington campus, (which is NOT on the way from the airport or downtown toward UW), a salmon "ladder" that's fun to see when the fish are active. ...
Last edited by jrl767; Jun 24, 2016 at 9:47 pm
#7
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 1,617
Just realize that while you may have Pre-Check with AS, you don't have Pre-Check with Iceland Air so allow for some extra time to stand in a non-pre-check TSA line, and take off your shoes, take out your laptop, etc, etc.
#8
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Kens is operational and a great place to store the bag.
for PreCheck, yes FI will not offer it. if you feel you must have it, buy a refundable domestic ticket, check in and use the BP to go through, then cancel it for a refund.
#9
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: DL Gold; AS MVP Gold
Posts: 145
Through my finely honed skills at booking optimal flights, I find myself with a 10 hour layover in SEA this Sunday (FAI-SEA-KEF-ARN). That's a bit much of SEA even for an Alaskan like me!
I've never, ever considered leaving the security area during a layover in SEA, even with TSA Precheck, but with 10 hours to kill, it would be nice to head downtown to do some exploring. Complicating matters is that I'll have a carry-on roller bag with me, which I'd really rather not drag along with me on the train and exploring.
I realize that in these post-911 days, there are no easy places to safely dump luggage for a few hours.
So, do I have any good options? Are there in fact places I can stash my bag while I'm exploring, maybe nearby off-airport? (I'm tempted, of course, to check a bag, but with international flights and a tight itinerary the first few days I'm leery of that.)
Otherwise, I'll just bring a stack of reading that I'm way behind on.
Thanks for any suggestions!
Don
I've never, ever considered leaving the security area during a layover in SEA, even with TSA Precheck, but with 10 hours to kill, it would be nice to head downtown to do some exploring. Complicating matters is that I'll have a carry-on roller bag with me, which I'd really rather not drag along with me on the train and exploring.
I realize that in these post-911 days, there are no easy places to safely dump luggage for a few hours.
So, do I have any good options? Are there in fact places I can stash my bag while I'm exploring, maybe nearby off-airport? (I'm tempted, of course, to check a bag, but with international flights and a tight itinerary the first few days I'm leery of that.)
Otherwise, I'll just bring a stack of reading that I'm way behind on.
Thanks for any suggestions!
Don
No matter what you're interested in, I'd definitely recommend spending some time in the city, even if your layover was half of what you have.
#10
Join Date: Sep 2005
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Posts: 3,256
A mix of some good info in this thread, and some really bad misinformation/ignorance.
Overall good: yes, Kens should still be a going concern, and an obvious place to drop your bag. Give them a call first to check open hours and what you can expect to pay. But consider checking that monster for your next leg - do you really want/need to lug that along with you? Might be cheaper to check it than store it for half a day...
The"airplane museum" is the Museum of Flight (MOF). It's located on Boeing Field, which is NOT on the other (far) end of the Seattle area. It does NOT require a reservation. Boeing Field is easy and quick to get to from Seatac if you have a car. If you don't, it's a bit of PITA to reach. Without a car, I'd take a taxi (without bad traffic, about 15 minutes dive from Seatac). The MOF is great if you have an interest in aviation, probably a yawn-fest if you have none. BTW, the other aviation museum/facilities that were probably referenced are at Everett's Paine Field, much further away to the north. There are actually a bunch of interesting facilities there, all of which seem to have been conflated (all of which have more restrictive hours and availability): there's the Boeing Factory Tour, Flying Heritage Collection, Historic Flight Foundation, etc. Those are not really practical for a quick visit unless you are really dedicated and organized, have planned ahead, and have wheels.
Note that traffic in Seattle is generally nightmarish now (the city - and the airport - is so overcrowded I hardly recognize it anymore, sigh...). Allow yourself way more time than you think it could possible take to get anywhere. It's Gay Pride weekend, too, (plus multiple sports events going on) which will make traffic worse than usual. At least Obama's just left town (an hour ago), so large swaths of the city won't be completely shut-down iike they have been for the past 24 hours, just the regular gridlock as is the new norm.
Overall good: yes, Kens should still be a going concern, and an obvious place to drop your bag. Give them a call first to check open hours and what you can expect to pay. But consider checking that monster for your next leg - do you really want/need to lug that along with you? Might be cheaper to check it than store it for half a day...
The"airplane museum" is the Museum of Flight (MOF). It's located on Boeing Field, which is NOT on the other (far) end of the Seattle area. It does NOT require a reservation. Boeing Field is easy and quick to get to from Seatac if you have a car. If you don't, it's a bit of PITA to reach. Without a car, I'd take a taxi (without bad traffic, about 15 minutes dive from Seatac). The MOF is great if you have an interest in aviation, probably a yawn-fest if you have none. BTW, the other aviation museum/facilities that were probably referenced are at Everett's Paine Field, much further away to the north. There are actually a bunch of interesting facilities there, all of which seem to have been conflated (all of which have more restrictive hours and availability): there's the Boeing Factory Tour, Flying Heritage Collection, Historic Flight Foundation, etc. Those are not really practical for a quick visit unless you are really dedicated and organized, have planned ahead, and have wheels.
Note that traffic in Seattle is generally nightmarish now (the city - and the airport - is so overcrowded I hardly recognize it anymore, sigh...). Allow yourself way more time than you think it could possible take to get anywhere. It's Gay Pride weekend, too, (plus multiple sports events going on) which will make traffic worse than usual. At least Obama's just left town (an hour ago), so large swaths of the city won't be completely shut-down iike they have been for the past 24 hours, just the regular gridlock as is the new norm.
#11
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS
Posts: 2,292
Yes, Seattle is worth a trip from the airport.
Pride parade starts at 11am on Sunday and festivities continue throughout Capitol Hill and Seattle Center (space needle, experience music project and Chihully Glass gardens.).
Expect more crowds than usual and allow more time.
Weather will be perfect, 78-80 and sunny. A great opportunity for some pics of the city.
Enjoy the emerald city.
Pride parade starts at 11am on Sunday and festivities continue throughout Capitol Hill and Seattle Center (space needle, experience music project and Chihully Glass gardens.).
Expect more crowds than usual and allow more time.
Weather will be perfect, 78-80 and sunny. A great opportunity for some pics of the city.
Enjoy the emerald city.
#12
Join Date: Oct 2007
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Better option than Ken's: Check bags with AS skycap outside - and they both hold the bags - AND check them in to your flight for you - for $7 per bag. Even some CSA's don't know about this - it's a miracle! And then, take the lightrail downtown, or Uber. Perhaps with a strategic stop at one of the nice little shops in SODO....
#13
Join Date: Dec 2001
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#14
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The"airplane museum" is the Museum of Flight (MOF). It's located on Boeing Field, which is NOT on the other (far) end of the Seattle area. It does NOT require a reservation. Boeing Field is easy and quick to get to from Seatac if you have a car. If you don't, it's a bit of PITA to reach.
Today and tomorrow are particularly good days to visit, since it's the Grand Opening weekend for the new Aviation Pavilion where they're exhibiting a bunch of historic airplanes in a huge covered space next to the aviation high school for the Seattle area! Cool stuff. http://goo.gl/5E6s8y
Last edited by brizone; Jun 25, 2016 at 6:26 pm Reason: Add ORCA purchase location