Are you planning to pick up a loved one at Seattke-Tacoma International Airport this holiday season, and would you like to meet them at the gate like in the old days? You are lucky to live in Washington, where the Sea-Tac was the first on the West Coast to create a visitor pass. The SEA Visitor Pass allows people who are not traveling to welcome visitors.
“We absolutely loved our experience with Visitor Pass!” Tana Lehman of Lynwood said when the program was piloted in 2018. “Our daughter loved to surprise her Grandpa at the gate. It reminded me of when I was younger when we’d see people off or welcome them home from their journey.”
The program grants up to 300 people visitor access to the airport each day between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m. To find out if you can be one of those 300 people, check out the countdown of the number of passes remaining on the SEA Visitor Pass application page. If you cannot select a date on the online form, the visitor slots are full for that day.
Here’s how to access a visitor pass to greet someone coming off a plane:
Photo from SEA Visitor Pass
Step 1: Apply Online
Access starts with an online application, which you can submit on the day of your visit or up to seven days in advance. It’s important to double-check that your information is accurate and to use your full legal name (as it appears on your passport or driver’s license), date of birth, and sex.
Step 2: Get TSA’s Approval
Applications are reviewed and granted by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). For those applying in advance, TSA will send an email with your approval status after midnight on the day of your visit. Same-day applicants will receive an email with their approval status within 15 minutes.
Step 3: Show your SEA Visitor Pass
Once you’ve been approved, all you have to do is show a QR code at TSA Checkpoint 3 at the airport. You’ll need to have it printed out or accessible on your phone, and you will need to show a TSA-approved ID. No QR code or ID? No entry.
Yes, kids can join you
Minors are welcome to greet a visitor at the airport, but a complete and separate online registration and approved QR code is required for everyone participating in the SEA Visitor Pass program. Here’s what Sea-Tac says on this topic:
- Visitors over the age of 15 who have a TSA-approved photo ID must complete registration online and bring the same photo ID that was used for registration to the airport with them.
- Parents or guardians of minors without a photo ID must complete registration online.
- Every adult must bring their own QR code along with the QR codes for any minors they are supervising.
- Minors must remain with an approved adult SEA Visitor Pass participant at all times.
- One adult SEA Visitor Pass participant can accompany up to five minor participants.
Things to keep in mind:
- SEA Visitor Pass holders must leave the airport by 10:00 p.m.
- Remember, you’ll go through a security machine like passengers boarding an aircraft. Do not bring items prohibited by TSA, and review the 3-1-1 Liquids Rules
- You can’t use expedited screening and trusted traveler programs like TSA PreCheck and CLEAR with the SEA Visitor Pass
- The program runs on a first-come, first-served basis
- Always check the SEA Visitor Pass webpage before you head out. The program is permanent, but the Port of Seattle has the right to cancel it or modify its rules at any time without prior notice.
- Businesses cannot use the SEA Visitor Pass—it’s a personal program.
iStock.com
Get the kids excited for the big surprise with an art project. Encourage them to decorate a welcome sign or make something special for the loved ones who boarded a plane to see your faces.
Check out the Port of Seattle’s detailed FAQ page for more information on the SEA Visitor Pass.
