Anyone got tips for clearing security easily? Preferably how to get a WTMD? I will be flying on American and am eligible for PreCheck, if that helps.

While I'd love to take a stand at every airport I fly out of, SEA is a little too far from home for me to rent a car and drive home.

All the way at one end of the ticketing area (as I recall, it was to the left as you face the counters), there's a smaller security area. It was WTMD only (two lines feeding a single WTMD machine).

Only reason I know it was there was they sent us down there because of a longer line at the other security spot.

That would be checkpoint 5 according to tsastatus.net? And stay as far left as possible? Or just go through the elite lane and you're fine?

I've never been to SEA, so the info on the site is a little confusing.

If you're eligible for the magic lane for Uebermenschen, stop worrying. TSA CP 5 - quickest way to get there is stop at the Alaska ticket counters, go to the first opening to the CPs, go right. The Uebermenschen lane is over to the right of CP 5. The sign is clear and tells you where to go. Go in and go all the way down until you see somebody, present your boarding pass and get the magic triple beep and go. There's no NOS in the Uebermenschen lane.

Make sure you have entered your magic number. I don't know what happens if you don't get the magic triple beep, I've been through three times and always gotten it.

It is to the far RIGHT. DON'T go to the regular Elite lane. That just gets you to the ordinary experience faster.

Not getting the beep worries me (I'm assuming that's associated with LLL - never heard beeps at DFW)? I am 6/6 at DFW, so I'm sure my luck is about to run out, and soon.

I guess what I'm asking is, is tsastatus.net wrong about the elite line leading to a WTMD? My husband is not PreCheck eligible and it would be nice to stay with him if possible - although I have no problems leaving him to fend for himself with the naked scanner if it really comes down to that.

I do not mind taking off my shoes and removing liquids and laptops in this case - I am really aiming for a WTMD.

Edited to delete questions that you already answred - need more coffee!

As of last month, far left at CP 5 was still WTMD only (open to all, not just elite), middle line(s?) had NOS (forget which type) but was turned off and far right was Pre-Check (couldn't really observe what the pre-check "rejects" were doing). From what I saw, most of the other CPs only had one NOS operational, very easy to SDOO.

Ok, sounds like left lane of checkpoint 5 is the winner. I'll wait in a longer line to avoid getting groped (I don't do backscatter, which is appears is what SEA has), just wish my flight wasn't so early in the morning.

I have zero experience doing SDOO, so this is all very helpful. My "other" home airport is MMW only, with the WTMD always blocked off. Maybe other airports are better about it?

Self directed opt-outs are pretty easy at Seatac. I'm not Pre-check eligible yet, so I can't speak for what would happen if you don't get the beeps. But at all the checkpoints, you can pick your own line after document-check. And, since the security lines move slowly, you'll have plenty of time to see which lines lead to WTMDs. Usually at checkpoint 5 that's the far left lane, though occasionally it's blocked off. The good news is that all the checkpoints are within a minute or two's walk, and all connect to any gate.

Seatac is my home airport--I fly out of there two or three times a month. It's an easy SDOO almost all the time, which is just as well, since the TSOs tend to be among the most 'bark-and-bite' prone I have ever encountered.

Before Pre-Check started in SEA, I tried to SDOO to that lane at checkpoint 5, but was thwarted by a TSO saying "go there" to the other side of the checkpoint. I just turned around and used a different checkpoint.

If you wander around the airport and look, you'll find a few lanes here and there that have the NoS turned off. In fact, a few weeks ago when passing through, all the NoS were turned off and had "maintenance request forms" on them at checkpoint 4.

Unfortunately we have a 6 am flight, so I'm not sure how long we can wander around.

I wonder what happens if you ignore them...

Don't worry about the 6 am flight time, it'll still be pretty busy at Seatac at that hour. Give yourself a few minutes to check out the security checkpoints--other than the northern most one, all of the lines of the others are fully visible before you get into the line for document check. (The north checkpoint's far right lane is usually WTMD only, but I don't use it unless I can't find a WTMD open lane at the other checkpoints, since you can't actually see if it'll be safe before you get in line and commit to that checkpoint.)

The others are easy to scope out first. If you feel self conscious, just put a cellphone to your ear and pretend you're on the phone as you stroll by the checkpoints and check them out. No problem... After the document check, you are free to pick your own security line, so pick the one with the WTMD and you're home free.

I'm connecting through SEA arriving on an AA flight and on to a Horizon flight with about a 2 hour layover.

Will I (1) have to leave the secure arrival area and re-enter (2) if so, is there a Pre-check entry point available and (3) have time to use the AS Board Room?

All gates at SEA are accessible airside. No need to reclear security.

The guy physically blocked the lane off and shooed us to the other side. Other airports it's possible to ignore the TSA people directing traffic (SJC comes to mind).

No need to re clear security and you should have plenty of time to visit the BR. Remember: QX flights board 20-25 minutes before departure, unlike the 30-40 minutes that is printed on the BPs.

Thanks for the advice!