azuljugo

Hi all, I have a pretty tight connection at Sea-Tac (just over an hour) between a Horizon Air flight from Wenatchee (EAT) to a Northwest flight to Amsterdam (AMS). Both were booked as KLM codeshares on the same reservation, so I should be able to check my luggage all the way through to Amsterdam.

It is my understanding that Horizon maintains gates in Concourse B as well as the South Satellite terminal, so I am wondering if I'd have to pass through security again if my first plane pulls into Concourse B. If I arrive into the South Satellite terminal, does anyone know how close the Horizon gates are in relation to Northwest's gates?

Thank you for your help!

p.s. On the return trip I'm terminating in Seattle so I thankfully won't have to deal with a connecting flight in addition to customs.

BLI-Flyer

All gates at SEA are connected inside security. If you are flying EAT-SEA, you are going to land at the C concourse 90% of the time, and at the South Satellite the rest of the time. Horizon used to use one gate in the B concourse, but I haven't landed there in a few years and I fly this route all the time. If you land at the C concourse, you'll need to take the train to the south satellite. Just walk towards the A concourse and you'll see the signs on the left. By the way, the flight time from EAT-SEA is almost always an overestimation. The flight takes around 25 minutes, but the schedule usually says 40. An hour should be plenty of time. The south satellite isn't very big, you won't have any trouble finding your gate.

Gardyloo

Horizon flights can come to B, C or the South Satellite (although I think only international flights from Canada actually arrive at the satellite.) Whichever, getting to your departure gate is no problem - look for signs for the train to the South Satellite. No security, and all the gates in the South Satellite are within a couple minutes' walk of the escalators/lifts up from the train station.

azuljugo

Thank you both for your responses, very helpful stuff

mwaialeale

I get into SEATAC on Hawaiian Air at 10:15 PM Concourse B. I have a 10:50 PM Alaska Air flight to catch from Concourse C. (Booked thru Orbitz)

Anyone know how long the walk is (or if it's a tram?) and if I'll make my flight? What time does Alaska Air close the plane door?

What happens if I miss the connection?

I already know my luggage won't make it so I am bummed

jackal

It is possible to do the route by tram, but it would take two transfers and probably at least 15-20 minutes (if not more--if the tram timings are bad and you have to wait for one).

IIRC, Hawaiian uses some of the B gates closest to the main terminal area. Assuming your AS flight goes out at the end of the C concourse pier, you could probably make the walk if you hustle in about 10 minutes, maybe 15 to be safe. You'll come out of the Hawaiian gate, turn left, walk about 3 minutes to the main hallway, 3 minutes straight through the central atrium area, and then maybe a 4-5 minutes' walk left down the C concourse. It's pushing it, but it's doable--IF you can be off the Hawaiian flight fairly quickly (and keep in mind the door to the AS plane closes 10 minutes before departure, so you have to be walking up the jetway no later than 10:30pm, and if it's that late, you'd better be sprinting or flagging down one of those cart drivers).

You might mention to the FA before landing that you have a 25-minute connection and was hoping you could maybe get off the aircraft first.

BLI-Flyer

It is possible to do this if you hustle. The important question is what happens if you miss the connection. Did you book this as one itinerary, or did you book it as two separate tickets? If you booked it as one ticket, you'll be booked on the next available flight (probably the next morning since this is a 10:20 pm flight.) If you booked it as two separate flights, you're at the mercy of AS as to whether or not they will rebook you and whether they will do it without any charges. Do whatever you can to sit as close to the front of the plane as possible so you can be off and on your way quickly.

Ocn Vw 1K

mwaialeale, welcome to FlyerTalk! For added suggestions, I'll move this to our Travel->West forum, which covers SEA. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz.

yamaka

It partly depends on where you are heading on the connection. If you are getting on of the small Horizon flights that go under Alaska you will almost certainly be leaving from C2 which is at the terminal end of the C concourse, and will save you several minutes. A few of these flights sometimes leave from the North or South satelitte, in which case you will be really pushed to make it.

Okimom

My family (hubby, 4 year old, 2 year old and 2 month old) and I are going to be flying into Seattle from Japan on the Patriot Express next weekend and then connecting to a domestic flight (haven't booked the tickets but they will probably be either Southwest or Delta). How much time do I need to leave for customs, collecting luggage, check in, security etc? Our bags won't be checked through since we are flying a military flight so we will have to check in our luggage again at Seattle. Im trying to limit the amount of time I need to spend there since my children aren't good with sitting around terminals for to long. Id rather use their patience during the flight rather than before hand. Also is there any kid areas at Seattle I can let them run off some steam and any kid friendly food choices? Once last question: Do they have NoS at Seattle? I haven't checked and that is one thing I will not subject my child to even if it means a pat down.

Thanks in advance and sorry about all the questions, I haven't flown through Seattle before and Im trying to make it as painless as 24+ hours of travel can be on young children.

BLI-Flyer

There's a children's play area in the Central Terminal right across from the Seattle Taproom. There are also lots of food choices in the Central Terminal area. All of the terminals are connected inside of security. Here's a map: http://www.portseattle.org/about/maps/cte.shtml You should leave a decent buffer to retrieve and recheck your luggage. Depending on what time of day you're coming through, lines at security can be pretty long. I'd probably build in at least 3 hours, but I don't travel with small children so YMMV.

BearX220

At Seattle, all international arrivals dock at the South Satellite terminal because that's where the only customs shed is. Baggage retrieval can be painfully slow -- it's not unusual for the carousel not to start turning until 45 minutes after the plane lands. As your incoming and ongoing flights will be on two separate tickets I would allow at least three hours if not more for your transfer. You know that if you miss the second flight because the first is late, you're out of luck, right? The second carrier is under no obligation to rebook you; you'd probably have to buy a new set of tickets.

It's a weird, unwieldy, time-consuming setup here for arriving international pax. You claim your checked baggage, get it through customs, then are forced to surrender it again to ride a long conveyor belt back to the main terminal. You will meanwhile ride a train back there also, where you get your bags back for good at another, post-security carousel. You will also have to go through two security screenings, one as you leave the customs area, another when you reenter the airside zone to catch your next flight. As it happens all Delta flights depart from the South Satellite also but you'll still have to go back to the main terminal to check your bags with DL or Southwest.

So here's what I think you'll have to do:

1. Try to check in online for your onward flight before you depart Japan and print out your boarding passes. That could save you some line-standing time in Seattle.
2. When you arrive at SEA, do immigration, go downstairs and claim your bags, pass though customs, put your checked bags on the conveyor belt, go through security, and get on the train to the main terminal.
3. At the main terminal get off the train and go upstairs. Get your bags back.
4. Go upstairs one more level to the departure level, find the DL or Southwest desk (both north of where you'll emerge) and check your bags for your next flight. If the line is long, go outside to the curb and use the redcaps to save time; tip a few bucks. May work only if you have your online boarding passes in hand; I'm not sure, I never check bags.
5. Go back through security. DL flights depart from the S (South Satellite) gates, Southwest from the B gates. There are four TSA checkpoints to choose from, and they all give access to all gates. Yes, we have the Nude-o-Scopes but they are deployed erratically and I haven't had to go through one yet. Sometimes they're not turned on in the early mornings at all. You can usually eyeball and avoid them by choosing the right sub-line at a given checkpoint.
6. Get to your gate a good 40 minutes before departure and they'll likely let you board first with your small children. The kids' play area mentioned by BLI-Flyer is a goodly walk from the B gates and a train ride from the S gates, so keep you eye on the clock if you stop there.
7. There is plenty of kid-friendly food at the airport, especially in the big central food-court area.

Good luck!

SoCal

If your next flight is on Southwest, your bags wouldn't be checked through no matter what airline you arrive on. They don't have interline agreements regrding bag transfer. To eliminate the need to print your boarding pass right at 24 hours before your Southwest departure, and to increase the chances of boarding when there are still multiple seats together, this could be a time to pay the $10 extra for the early boarding option on Southwest.

3 hours sounds generous, though we don't know the time required for disembarkation, Immigration and Customs getting off a military flight. We also don't know your scheduled arrival time and the options you have for your domestic flight departure time. Do you arrive at the main terminal? While you don't want to sit around the airport longer than necessary, if you miss your connecting flight you could end up waiting even longer, and possibly have to pay for rebooking or a higher ticket price if your original price is no longer available on a later flight (depending on the airline).

BLI-Flyer

See the quote from BearX220 in the message immediately prior to yours.

SoCal

Saw it. Asked because it's a military flight. Didn't know if they have special facilities in the area.