Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

Places to go. Things to do.

Here are some travel tidbits to get the week started

(The night sky above Kitt Peak National Observatory, the Burrell Schmidt Telescope. Courtesy KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/J.Dai)

Things are looking up in Tucson

You’ve likely heard of Donut Trails, Cocktail Trails, Pie Trails and Barbecue Trails.

They are all good ways to explore a city or a region.

Now there’s an Astro Trail in Tucson, Arizona that highlights night sky viewing options.

Available as a web app and printed guide, the Astro Trail is billed as your “personal guide to the galaxy,” exploring all the dark-sky-related stops in Tucson.

The trail includes world-class astronomy institutes such as Kitt Peak National Observatory and the Richard F Caris Mirror Lab where the largest telescope lenses in the world are made, to casual stargazing at national and state parks.  

We’re planning our trip there now.

San Diego Int’l Airport Presents Dance Performances Inspired by Travelers’ Stories

As part of San Diego International Airport’s (SAN) Performing Arts Residency Program, San Diego-based dance company Malahock Dance will present newly choreographed works in Terminal 2 West on January 27, 29, and February 3 at 2 p.m.

The dances are inspired by the diverse stories of nearly three dozen passengers who have traveled through the airport and reflect the dance company’s three-month residency inside the airport.

During the residency, the dancers talked with nearly 300 travelers and ultimately collected 30 oral histories from passengers of all ages about their San Diego experience.  The dancers interpreted these histories into dance, developing their choreography in the airport where travelers and visitors could witness the creative process unfold.

Airports helping to save the earth

Airports pretty much everywhere are doing what they can these days to be light on the earth.

Recycling bins at airports were once a rare sight, but now you’ll see them pretty much everywhere.

But figuring out which bin to put your discards in can be confusing.

We’ve stood in front of bins trying to figure out if our coffee cup is compostable or recyclable. And what about the lid?

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is one airport where artificial intelligence has been helping out for a while.

The airport uses an AI-assisted tool called Oscar, from Intuitive AI, that helps passengers sort waste items into the proper compost, recycling, or trash bins.

When someone walks up to the machine, which is mounted over the bins, they place an item in front of a camera for the system to analyze. Oscar then tells the user which bin to use to dispose of the item. For those worried about privacy, the cameras only capture images of the waste items presented and not the person presenting the item.

Look for the Oscar at SEA Airport in the Central Terminal, the North Concourse, the South Concourse near gate S2, and in the C Concourse near gate C17.

California’s Long Beach Airport (LGB), which officially identifies as “America’s coolest airport,” is also doing its part to save the earth and recently shared this video about all the food waste it has been keeping out of landfills.

SEA Airport gets a mascot

Mascots.

Sports teams have them. Schools have them. Theme parks have them. And airports have them too.

The Stuck at the Airport team has encountered cute mascots at airports nationwide and around the world and is delighted that our home airport, Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA) now has one too.

Just in time for the busy holiday travel season, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) debuted Jett the SEA Otter, which airport officials say is pronounced S-E-A like the airport code.

Multiple regional mascots rolled out the red carpet for Jett during the mascot’s debut in SEA’s Central Terminal.

We’re looking forward to meeting Jett and getting a selfie.

TSA’s 6 month gun tally + Happy Birthday SEA

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been screening a record number of travelers and finding lots of firearms as it does.

How many firearms?

For the first half of the year, which ended on June 30, TSA reports that it found 3,269 firearms at airport security checkpoints, an average of 19 firearms a day.

94% of all the firearms found so far were loaded.

During this period last year, TSA found about the same number of firearms: 3,251.

How’s it going now that we’re into the 2nd half of 2024?

In the first 8 days of July, TSA found an additional 166 additional firearms. So we’re off to an alarming start.

Happy 75th birthday to Seattle-Tacoma Int’l Airport

SEA easing into its 75th year

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) celebrated a milestone birthday on Tuesday with a day of festivities in the terminal and a look back at opening day.

SEA scavenger hunt

SEA created a terminal-wide scavenger hunt in honor of its 75th birthday.

Here’s the map of where to look for the scavenger hunt items and the list of what to look for next time you’re in the SEA terminal.

Love your airport? It loves you too.

Like you, airports around the country are getting ready to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

And a couple of our favorite airports have already shared a bit about what they have planned for their favorite passengers.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) customer service staff will be handing out airport-themed Valentines and branded chocolate kisses at the airport information booths and in the Central Terminal. Look for a photo booth and keep an ear out for the roving violinist.

And over at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), Volunteer Navigators will be handing out 2,000 red carnations on Valentine’s Day starting at 10 am.

For those who need a last-minute Valentine’s Day gift, Lily Palmer Flowers and Gifts, located in PHL’s B/C Connector, will have two pop-up shops selling flowers and goodies. One shop will be near the Terminal B exit and another at the top of Terminal E.

And, as we shared earlier, there will be a temporary Marriage License Bureau set up at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas.

The Stuck at the Airport romance team is gathering up Valentine’s Day activities planned for other airports, so stay tuned.

Seattle-Tacoma Int’l Airport’s 75th Anniversary

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year and plans to keep the party going all year long with in-terminal events, music, entertainment, community partnerships, artwork, and other activities. As part of the anniversary kick-off, the Port of Seattle is sharing photos from the airport’s history. Here are a few of our favorites.

United Airlines plane landing at the dedication ceremony for the new administration building at Sea-Tac.

Opening Day at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on July 9, 1949

SEA Gift Shop sometime in the 1950s.

Early SEA Bag Claim. Even then people crowded the bag delivery spot.

SEA Barber Shop – 1950s