Top 10 Ideas for SEA Visitor Pass Access

With the launch of the SEA Visitor Pass program that provides access to the post-security side of the airport for people who aren't flying, we have a few good ideas on what to do.

Learn more at program rules and Frequently Asked Questions.

1. Light up somebody’s life

With a star-shaped lantern from Fireworks Gallery, a Seattle-based, women-owned boutique 
Central Terminal, open daily from 6:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

2. Get some holiday cheer

• Catch the SEAson of Light parade from Dec. 16-24
• Come for the Retail Night Market in Central Terminal on Dec. 19
• Put some SEA in their stockings
• Or, search for other things to do at the airport

3.  Make moments that matter

Just like ZacharyCohn‏ (@ZacharyCohn) did:
“On Saturday, I picked my girlfriend up from the airport. But thanks to the @SeaTacAirport "Visitor Pass" pilot program, I could surprise her at the gate with flowers!”

4. Attend a business meeting  

If your teams are in the air more than they’re at their desks, maybe it’s easiest to meet them at the airport. The Club at SEA, which has two lounges at Sea-Tac International Airport, has separate rooms for groups up to 10 people. Get a day pass or reserve a room for the lounges in Concourse A or the South Satellite.

5. Surprise your service member

Surprise your service member at their domestic arrival gate and buy them dinner at the many restaurants on the post-security side before they check into the USO for their early morning flight.

6. Feed your vegetarian daughter before she goes back to college 

Put a great meal in her before she heads out at Floret, the airport’s only dedicated vegetarian restaurant, with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options from small-scale local producers. A sister restaurant to Café Flora in Madison Park, minus the drive into the city.
Concourse A, 5 a.m. – 10 p.m.

7. Do an art walk

Sea-Tac Airport’s art collection features 65 pieces of art and some of the finest contemporary work in glass, sculpture, photography, painting, and sound. Art is created by 20th century artists of great renown, such as Frank Stella, Louise Nevelson and Robert Rauschenberg. Many more are by regional and emerging artists who vitalize the collection with wit, charm, beauty, and occasional irreverence. Download the STQRY app and do a walking tour to learn about every piece.

8. Get your jam on

•    Listen to live music in the terminal

•    Shop at the Sub Pop store, the only store in the area for music, apparel, books, art, and travel items that celebrate the record label’s role in the Pacific Northwest music community for the last three decades. 
Concourse C Gate, 6 a.m. – 10 p.m

•    And on your way out on the non-secure side, visit the Pearl Jam exhibit, showcasing the posters that illustrate one of the band’s core values — the ability to foster a climate of creation, act as a patron for other artists, and to comment on our society.

9. Take your kids planespotting

Watch the planes come and go from all over the world. Here are a few handy guides: 

• NYC Aviation’s What Is Planespotting Guide helps identify the aircraft type and registration numbers. 
• The Points Guy’s Illustrated Guide to Aircraft 
• And a guide to planespotting at Sea-Tac that says the best spots at Sea-Tac are:
  C Gates facing west for photographs in the morning
  The North and East sides of the South Satellite for photos of arriving and departing traffic

10. Catch up with your college roommate during their layover

Catch up on life over a beer and small plates at Starbucks Evenings.
Central Terminal
Open 24 hours a day

Or savor a butterbeer macaron and a glass of champagne with your BFF during her layover at Lady Yum macarons. They serve signature flavors like honey lavender, raspberry chardonnay, and espresso fudge alongside mini-bottles of sparkling and local wines. And, pick up a few for your holiday party. (We won’t tell that you did not make them yourself.) The airport location is the only south side location, and will save you the drive to Kirkland or downtown Seattle. 
C Terminal, near Alaska Airlines, open seven days a week
•    Sunday – Wednesday: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
•    Thursday – Saturday: 6 a.m. – 8 p.m.