Associated Press
SEATAC — Officially, the word from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is to show up at least two hours before your flight.
But as holiday crowds pack the airport, some passengers are offering alternative advice: Try to be three hours early, if not more.
"This is horrible. They never told me it would be like this," said Linda Lindsay of Everett, who arrived 90 minutes before her flight to Los Angeles. "The airline should have told me to get here three, four hours ahead of time."
Some people reported missing their flights.
"I’m going to grow a beard before I get to the front of that line," traveler Greg Powers told KIRO-TV on Friday. "This is just nuts. Nuts! It’s crazy! It’s nuts."
Lines at security checkpoints snaked around and around the concourses.
Cars jammed the curbside drives at Sea-Tac on Friday, causing gridlock and backups that at times kept people from getting to their gates promptly.
Because of heightened security following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, people are no longer allowed to see their loved ones off at their gates. That means curbside drives are choked with greater numbers of people being dropped off.
"Our drives are taxed to the limit," said airport spokesman Bob Parker. "It will be much more convenient and a lot less hassle for people to go to the garage, even if they’re just dropping people off."
Inside the airport, he said, "The lines are long, but they’re orderly."
Still, many travelers on Friday reported having to wait more than an hour in line.
One traveler said it took her an hour and a half just to find a parking space, which meant she had to reschedule her departure time to 3 p.m., three hours later than originally planned.
"They told us it would take an hour," Theresa Savage told KIRO-TV as she stood in line "But this doesn’t look like an hour."
Others said they weren’t surprised, given the push for tighter security.
"This is what I was expecting," said Diane Spencer of Federal Way. "I already heard it was going to take about three hours to get through all the lines and security."
Some tips from airport officials: Don’t bring wrapped Christmas presents. Keep government-issued identification ready to display at the ticket counter, security checkpoint and before boarding the plane. And allow plenty of extra time.
Associated Press
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