c502cid

It might work for you, might even be an upgrade for you, but for me, it's a downgrade in service. Not the end of the world by any means, but it is worth pointing out if you have to add an extra 20 minutes to your trip.

FriendlySkies

Used the SEA "Premier" check-in and security lane last week at 4:15am (Wednesday. Check-in was very easy to get through, and then security was deserted. The AirServ agent was sitting down, using her cell phone, so we flashed our BPs, and she opened up the security line. A few people in the regular line commented on how they should have been in our line, but the agent was nowhere to be seen..

fwiw, use the x-ray on the left to avoid the Nude-O-Scope. Luckily they had both lanes open, so pax were moving through fairly quickly.

HitAndRun

It's a crapshoot with SEA peiority line. They funnel both regular as well as premier passengers to the second security area along the right wall. Also, they feed premier passengers to the right TSA podium on the regular screening area which is a major bust if this happens to you because regular passengers from the two podiums on the right end up merging to the same security line once you have had your id checked and are wainting for the metal detector of government strip search machine resulting in a line that moves at half the speed of the other security lines.

chrisdeaner

Reviving this from the dead...the premier line at SEA is getting insane. It used to be I would get there around 5-6pm and there might be 5-10 people in front of me waiting to get their BP scanned and another 5-10 people waiting at the extremely slow x-ray. Overall time in line, 10-15min. This Friday I arrived at the usual time to the line stretching to the end of the roped off area with no one verifying tickets. I was cutting it close for my flight so I jumped over to the Alaska/AA/Delta area (I actually had bought a ticket for a later Alaska flight in case I missed my UA flight but hadn't checked in/printed it out) and was shooed away by a very rude staffer that came through the line after I was halfway to the BP checker (she said I couldn't be in that line with a UA ticket even though the sign said "All Gates". She said "skyteam only" and I pointed out that AA isn't skyteam. She just stood in front of me and glared at me until I left). After returning to the UA line, I watched as the x-ray technician called for multiple bag checks with no TSA agents responding, dispite passengers walking over to tell other agents they needed someone on the far right line for a bag check. Ended up having to sprint to be one of the last people on the flight. Something seriously needs to be done here to speed things up. I know they have pre-check but a) mine hasn't started working yet and b) that's technically random so there are times someone might not get it if they're relying on it. I do have a CLEAR membership so hoping that comes to SEA soon so I can bypass the insanity.

aisleorwindow

Elite line was closed at 10pm last night for the redeye bank

And to make matters worse, the stupid TSA decided to close a station even as the line was snaking through the maze.

Is it me, or are the SEA TSA one of the worst in the system?

VA1379

This thread reminded me of my last trip to SEA. I ended up missing my flight by a few minutes due to the long security line. I ran to the UC before trying to get on the plane and came back after I failed (no overhead space). The UC agents got me on a flight connecting at ORD that was leaving 10 minutes later.

chrisdeaner

^ or should I say haha. The way things are handled there just makes no sense sometimes.

bocastephen

There are so many checkpoints at SEA, there is no reason to use the north checkpoint when it's backed-up unless you're precheck.

You can use any checkpoint at the airport, just not every elite line - the other UA-enabled elite line is the middle checkpoint between the US/AS counters, and the far-right lane often has the radiationbox disabled so that's an added bonus.

If I get denied at precheck, I just turn around and walk to the other checkpoint, and I'll often be through there and back to the N gate subway station before I would have reached the ID check if I stayed in the north checkpoint line.

SEA1K4EVR

I agree that it's a good idea to use another check point if N is too busy.. but FYI, as a UA elite you can access the priority lane at any check point at SEA.. I have done so at all checkpoints including at the S end of the terminal.

PVDProf

I only started precheck, but my understanding is that they're just supposed to steer you over to the regular elite screening line past the ID check, because you are standing right there.

More generally, I'm new in town, but from an operational efficiency standpoint, SEA (and UA at SEA in particular) are rapidly becoming one of my least favorite airports.

woodway

The other problem with the SEA elite line, especially in the morning is that the flight crews reporting for duty all like to go through that line. I've stood in line stewing while flight crew after flight crew go to the head of the line to load their belongings through xray bringing the rest of the line to a halt.

dmodemd

I have gotten turned away at the elite line at the next checkpoint over being told that checkpoint was for Alaska only ?!

Mats

The PreCheck line always seems to be closed. I have a domestic trip in a couple of weeks. Anecdotal evidence here suggests that PreCheck is open for the early AM departures. I will scan my boarding pass in advance and hope there is a magic "number 3" to indicate PreCheck eligibility.

The last few times, I've been able to dodge the full body x-ray by staying to the far right and using the elite line in the Central Checkpoint. One can usually self-direct to the metal detector in the elite line at the North Checkpoint if one is ineligible for PreCheck (such as for international flights.)

My return is out of FLL, where there is no PreCheck at all. @#$!. It's frustrating to hear the three beeps that say, "we've decided that you're not a terrorist," only to be directed to full-body radiation.

FlyinHawaiian

FYI, the PreCheck line at SEA will move from the existing checkpoint #5 to checkpoint #3 on October 21.

BH62

Oh well, (Duh!) SEA is my home airport, but I've never paid attention to which checkpoint is which. [Full disclosure: I do have an outbound flight on the 19th so I could just look.] However, although almost ashamed to ask, is #5 the one for the North Terminal where the precheck funnels off to the right along the wall? But when UA moves from the North Terminal to elsewhere (IIRC, Concourse A) then which checkpoint will be the "proper" one ... #3?