City: Seattle, WA

Category: Getting Here, Getting Around

Telephone: (206) 787-5906, (800) 544-1965

Address: 13 miles south of downtown

Description: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, known as Sea-Tac, is run by the Port of Seattle and is a major gateway that links the United States to Asia and Europe. The airport is served by 28 airlines, and more than 32 million passengers a year come through Sea-Tac, making it the 17th-busiest airport in the country. There are three terminals: North Satellite Terminal, with 14 gates; South Satellite Terminal, with 13 gates; and Central Terminal, which houses Concourse A (14 gates), Concourse B (11 gates), Concourse C (11 gates), and Concourse D (11 gates). A shuttle train loops between the terminals and concourses to transport passengers. Sea-Tac is a hub for Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air. In the continental United States, Sea-Tac is the closest airport to Asia and is approximately nine hours by air from either Tokyo or London. There are more than 45 scheduled flights to international destinations each week.Modern and clean, Sea-Tac offers plenty of high-quality vendors. The airport has added more than 35 new restaurants and stores recently and now offers services such as frozen food storage, manicures, and massages. Sea-Tac has recently unveiled a number of useful, convenient tools for travelers. Free Wi-Fi service is now available throughout the terminals and public areas. Passenger services include ATM and change machines, currency exchange, e-mail services, and “Laptop Lane” in the North Satellite terminal, providing online access for computers, phones, fax machines, photocopying, and more. Other services include mailboxes and postal centers, notary services, send-it-home kiosks, storage, and Regus Business Centers Express. Like many aspects of Seattle, the airport is one of the greenest in the country. Sea-Tac took first place for the Best Green Concessions Practice among North American airports, by recycling more than 1,200 tons of concessions material annually—an amount equal to the weight of six Boeing 747 planes. Concessionaires also generate revenue through rebates on recyclables, and donated food that served 8,000 meals to the needy in 2008. The airport also used U.S. Department of Energy funds to add electric charging stations and replaced 200 gas and diesel ground support vehicles with electric ones. One enjoyable and unique aspect of the Seattle-Tacoma airport is its public art displays. As you make your way down the terminals and corridors, you can’t miss the collection of magnificent artwork installed throughout. The public art project at the airport features some of the region’s finest contemporary work in painting, photography, sculpture, and glass by artists such as Frank Stella, Robert Rauschenberg, and Louise Nevelson. The collection not only is inspiring, but also lends a very Seattle vibe to an otherwise practical structure.