02/23/2024

I went to the airport, but not to fly. I went to the airport purely to ride trains! The subway is past security, so you may think I’d need a ticket. However, we have something called SEA Pass that you can apply for a week in advance or even same day and get a response in 30 minutes.
I was on my way to the area, but my prior plans canceled, and that’s when I applied for a SEA Pass! 20 minutes later, I was given my QR Code!

In this video, you can see me board Link from my local stop, ride to the airport, walk into the airport, ride all of the subway, and then exit the airport!

SeaTac Airport has 3 subway lines:
North Loop
South Loop
Shuttle
The North Loop links the north side of the terminal to the N Gates, and is the only way to get to N Gates. The South Loop links the south side of the terminal to the S Gates, you can only use the South Loop if you are going to your gate or are arriving from a domestic flight. If you are an international arrival, you must use the world’s longest bridge over an active taxiway to get to the main terminal, and unfortunately the bridge is reserved for international arrivals only, so I’m not able to use it. Finally, the Shuttle Train is a one car train that goes back and forth from North Loop to South Loop, you may think one car isn’t enough, but it doesn’t see a lot of ridership.

The two loops have 2 trains going in a circle that adds up to a frequency of every 2 minutes. Most of the time, all trains are empty, but when a flight is deboarded, the stations will fill up, and it usually takes two trains to pick everyone up. The Shuttle Train runs back and forth on a single track, it doesn’t see a lot of riders, which makes its 5 minute frequency perfectly fine!

Pro tip: Going to Link from any of the southern gates? Take the shuttle north. Going to a bus from any of the northern gates? If your bus goes directly into the loading and unloading area, take the shuttle south, if it’s on International Boulevard, follow signs to Link and go over the road.

I had such a fun time! I’m definitely going to do this again, but I’m gonna pack better so I don’t get robbed of $5 for a cheese stick and 2 hard boiled eggs again.


Questions? Comments? Suggestions?
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