Time for making flight connection from ship to SEA?

How much time should one allow for making a flight connection at the end of an Alaskan Cruise arrival in Seattle? We can walk off with our luggage and have a Princess Suite Cabin. Our best connection leaves @ 11:30 a.m. from SEA. Advice please?

Just a little search down the board finds:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2298549&highlight=seattle+flights

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2281044&highlight=seattle+flights

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2273196&highlight=seattle+flights

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2271155&highlight=seattle+flights

My usual response is ... either pier is about a 30 minute drive to SeaTac, but give it an hour to be safe. You should be at the airport 2 hrs prior for a domestic flight. Backing into that equation, you need to be pulling away from the curb around 8:30/8:45am.

When you get to SeaTac keep in mind that you can go thru ANY TSA checkpoint, not just the one associated with your gate. So if you encounter a long line, look at the other checkpoints. There are usually 4 open on cruise days. Seatac is very busy in the summer, esp on weekends when thousands of cruiseline pax are told to show up at noon or later.

Thanks! I have been thru SeaTac many times, so know the airport, but .really appreciate the advice re: how busy it is during cruise season and the multiple TSA checkpoints. We have TSA Pre Check, so that may help. Thanks again for the information!

Thanks! I have been thru SeaTac many times, so know the airport, but .really appreciate the advice re: how busy it is during cruise season and the multiple TSA checkpoints. We have TSA Pre Check, so that may help. Thanks again for the information!

We fly out of SeaTac quite often, and have the TSA Pre-chek. Has never taken us over 10 minutes to get through security even on a bad day. Most of the time we are through Pre-Check in less than 5 minutes. And we never get to the airport two hours early.

Hope that helps.:)

Thanks! I have been thru SeaTac many times, so know the airport, but .really appreciate the advice re: how busy it is during cruise season and the multiple TSA checkpoints. We have TSA Pre Check, so that may help. Thanks again for the information!

You're welcome. Glad it helped. Here's the Port's info and map for TSA.

BTW, checkpoint #1 for cruiseship pax, backs up quickly. It's is next to the door where shuttles drop off passengers so it gets overwhelmed. That's why I recommend looking at the other checkpoints.

http://www.portseattle.org/Sea-Tac/Traveler-Updates/Pages/Security.aspx

I err on the side of caution when giving advice about the airport. I've stood in line a few times for 30+ minutes. And 4 yrs ago I missed a flight due to a freeway accident, which in turn caused me to miss the airline's 45 minute requirement for checking in. I had to buy a new ticket for that flight AND the return .... paid 3 times the original cost. Lesson learned. I'd rather spend an extra hour waiting at the airport than be worrying.