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SEATAC International Arrival

Old Mar 7, 2017, 8:17 pm
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Last edit by: wylek
In the south (international arrivals) satellite you go through immigration, then pick up your checked luggage, then proceed to customs.

Arriving passengers
Upon exiting agriculture and baggage inspection, passengers ending their journey in Seattle will exit to the right (following the green walls). They will board the train to the main terminal, taking smaller luggage with them, but placing larger luggage on the belt to be claimed at Baggage Claim 1 of the main terminal.

Connecting passengers
Upon exiting agriculture and baggage inspection, connecting passengers will go left (following the orange walls) and check their luggage for the next flight. Agents from Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines will be available to help their passengers recheck and re-book any connecting flights if needed. If transferring to other airline carriers you will exit and recheck your bags at your airline's ticketing counter on the pre-secure side of Sea-Tac.


Sea-Tac Airport consists of one main terminal (with four concourses), and two satellites.

Note: A new "international arrivals facility" is scheduled to open in Fall 2020 Spring 2021. It will increase the number of international-capable gates (from 12 to 20) as well as the number of bag claim carousels (from four to seven).


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SEATAC International Arrival

Old May 29, 2015, 6:47 am
  #1  
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SEATAC International Arrival

I will be flying into Seattle for the first time on Korean Air. As I understand, all international arrivals use the South Satellite terminal and Immigration and customs take place in the same terminal. Obviously, in order to clear customs, I have to collect my baggage which I expect will be delivered in the same terminal.

Now comes the part that confuses me : I read that I have to recheck my baggage after clearing customs and reclaim it in the main terminal before I can exit Seatac !

Could somebody please explain how this is done ???
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Old May 29, 2015, 8:36 am
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SEATAC International Arrival

Are you connecting to another flight in Seattle? or is Seattle your final destination?
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Old May 29, 2015, 8:51 am
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After customs bags are put on a second conveyor which takes them to the main terminal while you (and your carryons) ride an automated train from the satellite. You retrieve your bags from the carousels in the main baggage claim area, then exit to the street.

If you're connecting at SEA, your bags will be tagged for the continuing flight, and you'll recheck them after exiting customs too, then head to your connecting flight after clearing security.

http://www.portseattle.org/Sea-Tac/P...al-Travel.aspx
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Old May 29, 2015, 11:12 am
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Originally Posted by Adam1222
Are you connecting to another flight in Seattle? or is Seattle your final destination?
Seattle is my final destination
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Old May 29, 2015, 11:22 am
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Thank you Gardyloo.
That is most helpful.
Just wondering doesn't this recheckin lead to chaos at the final baggage collection carousel if there is more than one flight arriving ?? Or are there separate conveyors for each flight leading to different carousels ?
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Old May 29, 2015, 11:22 am
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Originally Posted by lazyzee
Seattle is my final destination
Then just claim your baggage in the custom area for inspection, and exit with your luggage onto the awaiting tram. (No need to place the baggage on to the second conveyer unless you have too many luggages)

Jiburi
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Old May 29, 2015, 11:32 am
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Jiburi is correct, you can exit out of customs with your bags. The train exiting the customs area is segregated for those arriving in Seattle, and those transiting. When the train meets the main terminal, arriving passengers take a left and go up the escalators to the baggage claim and ground transport area. Transit passengers arrive in the sterile area and can go right to their gate.

In the customs area itself, there are three carousels and it will be crowded. These will be clearly labelled. The flights from ICN all arrive within an hour or so of one another, but before the crush of most of the European arrivals.
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Old May 29, 2015, 11:37 am
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I will be having only one medium sized bag which I can easily roll. If I can take it on the train then that's great. But I read somewhere that it is mandatory to recheck all luggage. Could frequent fliers please clarify.
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Old May 29, 2015, 2:59 pm
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Originally Posted by lazyzee
I will be having only one medium sized bag which I can easily roll. If I can take it on the train then that's great. But I read somewhere that it is mandatory to recheck all luggage. Could frequent fliers please clarify.
We'll move the forum for your post for additional feedback.

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Old May 29, 2015, 3:15 pm
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Originally Posted by lazyzee
I will be having only one medium sized bag which I can easily roll. If I can take it on the train then that's great. But I read somewhere that it is mandatory to recheck all luggage. Could frequent fliers please clarify.
Just snap the barcoded checked-bag tag off the luggage handle as you heft it off the pre-Customs carousel, slip it into your pocket, walk through the chokepoint, turn left and get on the train with your bag, and keep moving. Nothing will happen to you and it will save you the rugby scrum on the landside / other end at the second carousel.
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Old May 29, 2015, 6:00 pm
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Originally Posted by lazyzee
But I read somewhere that it is mandatory to recheck all luggage. Could frequent fliers please clarify.
That used to be true a number of years ago but hasn't been the case for several years now.
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Old May 29, 2015, 9:56 pm
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Thank you all - your comments have been most helpful.
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Old May 29, 2015, 11:39 pm
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Domestic connection

I would like clarification for connection pax to canada ...

im arriving ANA from NRT, connecting to a delta flight to YVR 3 hours later. YVR tix not on same ticket as international flight.

So i will clear immigration, pick up bags, and clear customs in south terminal.

Still in south terminal, i proceed to a delta transfer desk for check in, boarding pass & recheck bags, before transiting to another terminal?

Nothing complicated being a canadian connection?

thanks in advance
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Old Jun 4, 2015, 6:54 pm
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Originally Posted by jiburi
Then just claim your baggage in the custom area for inspection, and exit with your luggage onto the awaiting tram. (No need to place the baggage on to the second conveyer unless you have too many luggages)

Jiburi
I have never bothered with the 2nd conveyer, and rarely see anyone bother with it either!
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Old Jul 13, 2015, 5:44 pm
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Originally Posted by ozmouse
So i will clear immigration, pick up bags, and clear customs in south terminal.

Still in south terminal, i proceed to a delta transfer desk for check in, boarding pass & recheck bags, before transiting to another terminal?
In the south (international arrivals) terminal you clear immigration, then pick up your checked luggage, then proceed to customs. After clearing customs, you take the airport subway train to the Main Terminal to pick up your luggage on Carousel 1 (it's always this carousel for international arrivals) in Baggage Claim.

After this you would then do the checking in, and checking in of bags, for your Delta flight from Seatac to Vancouver at the Delta counter in the Main Terminal.

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