Lines at Sea-Tac Airport no longer a warning but a reality

It has been easy to ignore the warnings in the past, but doing so now could come back to bite travelers at Sea-Tac Airport.

KIRO Radio’s Josh Kerns reports he stood in a security line for nearly an hour Thursday morning as people try to get a jump on spring break travel.

“We’ve heard all the warnings about long lines at Sea-Tac Airport,” Kearns said. “I can tell you this time, they’re not just a warning, they are a reality.”

Related: Sea-Tac travelers attempted to bring these items onto a plane

Sea-Tac is expected to accommodate more than 50,000 people every day between March 31 and April 17. With extra security screenings by TSA, travelers can almost guarantee they will be waiting in long lines before getting to the gate.

“The biggest message here is don’t ignore the warnings,” Kerns said.

More people also means more waiting at the drop off/pick up zones. But, just in time, Sea-Tac announced ride-share drivers are now allowed to pick up passengers in addition to dropping them off starting today, March 31. Up until now, pick ups were taxi territory.

“This is something our customers — our travelers — have been asking for for a while and it’s taken us about a year to go through the whole process to look into what’s going to be best for us and moving forward to help benefit our customers,” airport spokesperson Perry Cooper said.

The ride-share companies will have to meet a fuel-efficiency target and track drivers to make sure they only pick up from Sea-Tac’s third-floor garage.

The ride-share agreement is on a one-year pilot program.

And, of course, there’s always light rail to help travelers get in and out of Sea-Tac without having to add to the congestion. Thanks to the latest light rail stations in the University District and Capitol Hill, even more people will have the option of using the service and avoid unnecessary headaches.

Related: Latest breakthrough brings ‘us’ closer to 2021 goal

Follow @https://twitter.com/mynorthwest