11:45 AM flight out of Seattle

[smeck]

Leaving Seattle on the 23rd of July. We have a 11:45 flight whats the odds of making that flight? Nervous about it but really no choice all other flights get us back the following day.

[FlyerTalker]

Given the dearth of additional information you provided, I'd have to give you the answer of "A qualified, uncertain, maybe". Ship, scheduled disembarcation, airline, destination/routing, transfer/taxi....all make it a lot easier to help out.

 

In the meantime, let me find that old Ouija board stuffed in the garage somewhere. Or the Magic 8 Ball.

[wrp96]

I'm not sure of your chances, although from other posts I've seen, I would say not the greatest. Don't know what cruise line you are on, but make sure you go to the purser's desk when soon after you board and let them know of your early flight so they can help you get off as early as possible.. If your cruiseline has the self-disembark option, plan to use that. Don't use cruise line transfers or a shuttle, as you usually have to wait on other people to get to the airport. Have a private car waiting or rely on a taxi to take you to the airport.

[Shorex]

Here's a recap of cruise ship activity in Seattle on Sunday, July 23. The Westerdam (passenger capacity 1848), the Sun Princess (passenger capacity 1950) and the Norwegian Star (passenger capacity 2240) all dock at 7 am. The Westerdam and Sun Princess will dock at terminal 30, and the Norwegian Star at terminal 66. The Norwegian Star's website notes that disembarkation begins about 2 hours after docking, that's typical.

 

If all three ships are full, or close, roughly 6000 people will be clamoring to claim roughly 12000 bags, and most of them will be boarding taxis and buses for the airport.

 

There are steps you can take to increase your chances of making the flight. (Think of yourself as being on the Amazing Race and you only have to beat 4000 people to the airport.:D)

 

Print your boarding passes online before you disembark. Arrange with the concierge to be first in line to clear the ship. Keep your bags with you instead of putting them out in the hall the night before. Dash to a cab instead of waiting for a bus to fill up.

 

At the airport, bypass the loooong lines because you already have boarding passes! Proceed directly to the kiosks for printing bag tags. Know exactly which security line is best because you have printed out a map of the terminal in advance and you know how to get to your concourse. Zip through security because you are wearing slip-on shoes (SEATAC makes you remove shoes), all metal objects are secured in your carry-on, etc.

 

I think you're good to go!

[wrp96]

Here's a recap of cruise ship activity in Seattle on Sunday, July 23. The Westerdam (passenger capacity 1848), the Sun Princess (passenger capacity 1950) and the Norwegian Star (passenger capacity 2240) all dock at 7 am. The Westerdam and Sun Princess will dock at terminal 30, and the Norwegian Star at terminal 66. The Norwegian Star's website notes that disembarkation begins about 2 hours after docking, that's typical.

 

If all three ships are full, or close, roughly 6000 people will be clamoring to claim roughly 12000 bags, and most of them will be boarding taxis and buses for the airport.

 

There are steps you can take to increase your chances of making the flight. (Think of yourself as being on the Amazing Race and you only have to beat 4000 people to the airport.:D)

 

Print your boarding passes online before you disembark. Arrange with the concierge to be first in line to clear the ship. Keep your bags with you instead of putting them out in the hall the night before. Dash to a cab instead of waiting for a bus to fill up.

 

At the airport, bypass the loooong lines because you already have boarding passes! Proceed directly to the kiosks for printing bag tags. Know exactly which security line is best because you have printed out a map of the terminal in advance and you know how to get to your concourse. Zip through security because you are wearing slip-on shoes (SEATAC makes you remove shoes), all metal objects are secured in your carry-on, etc.

 

I think you're good to go!

 

You forgot to mention where he also had absolutely no metal in any part of his body, pockets emptied out before he got in the security line, etc.

 

Oh, and he better not be traveling on one-way tickets of any kind because that would almso automatically grant him a one way do not pass go ticket to extra security.

[smeck]

More info as requested. I'll be flying on American Airline and I'll be cruising on the Star.

[FlyerTalker]

The good news is that you're on American rather than United or Alaska. The reason is that those airlines are the big dogs in SEA - with big crowds. AA only flies to ORD, DFW, STL and JFK from SEA.

 

You should be OK but not a lot of breathing room. Do OLCI (On-Line Check In) from the ship the night before and you'll be a step ahead of the game. American departs from the A concourse, and has their ticket counter towards the end of the terminal. TIP: If it looks like the departure ramp is backing up due to outbound traffic, have your taxi drive you to the arrival area. Get out there and go up to the departure level (escalators and elevators available) avoiding the dropoffs upstairs.

 

Here is the Airport Website where you can get more information on the airport itself. It's not a well laid-out website for travellers -- in order to find the terminal maps, you have to go to the "About" section - as counter-intuitive as you can get. Here is a direct LINK to the map section.

 

There is a security checkpoint behind the AA counter. That's the fastest route, though if very backed up, you can use the center checkpoint as all airside is connected. After security, head to the left to the AA gates.

 

I'm assuming you are going to ORD. The good news is that AA has a lot of flights heading there, so if you miss your 11:45, you have other possibilities during the day. Check a schedule and see what else can work to get you to your ultimate destination, either on AA through ORD or another airline. Have that info handy to assist the gate agent find you a new flight if you miss your 11:45. Contingency planning is something you should do in advance.

 

Any more questions, just ask.

[smeck]

Thank you flyertalker you were a great help.

[FlyerTalker]

Forgot to mention....follow up on Shorex's suggestions on ship concierge and taxi. If you can, get the taxi to head NORTH on Alaskan Way (the street fronting the waterfront) and have them then cut over to Elliott Ave and onto the Viaduct. Have the cab drive south on Rt. 99, then Rt. 509 to the airport. Probably faster than going through the city to get to I-5. (Also physically shorter distance - it's 14 miles via this routing)

 

At Sea-Tac, you WILL have to take off your shoes....if you don't, you get secondary screening. Of course, the TSA says that it's optional, but at SEA, they "punish" you by sending you for more wanding and probing. Also, have all the metal out of your pockets and in the carry-on while in line, so you can get quickly through security.