Getting around SEA with reduced mobility

If the walk through SEA is too much, arrange wheelchair help with your airline before you fly. At the airport, Prospect Airport Services can take you from the Link station, garage, rental car shuttle drop-off or baggage claim to your ticket counter. Call (206) 246-1550 when you arrive. Your airline takes over from the ticket counter through security and to your gate. On arrival, the airline handles the trip from your gate to baggage claim and ground transportation. Wheelchair service is free.

SEA has one terminal, but you may still cross a skybridge or take an underground train. The wheelchair assistance page lists where you’ll find help before security and how to arrange an airline escort after check-in.

Before you set out

Tell your airline how far you can walk, whether you can use stairs, and where you need an attendant to meet you. Ask it to arrange help through screening, between connecting gates and when you land. If you’re bringing your own wheelchair or need help boarding, discuss that with the airline too. The airport lists these accessibility lines: Alaska 800-503-0101, American 800-433-7300 (TTY 800-735-2988), Delta 404-209-3434, Southwest 800-435-9792, United 313-234-6992 or 800-228-2744, Sun Country 651-905-2737 and Air Canada 800-667-4732.

For screening questions, our security checkpoints page asks you to get in touch with TSA Cares at least 72 hours before travel. You can also ask a TSA officer for a Passenger Support Specialist at the checkpoint. Wheelchair service and screening assistance are separate requests. If a companion needs to go past security with you, ask your airline whether it can issue a companion pass. A nonflying companion can also use the free SEA Visitor Pass through Checkpoint 4. Visitor Pass holders can’t use the airport’s wheelchair attendants, but they may bring their own wheelchair or mobility aid.

Don’t plan your walking limit around a generic “SEA walking time.” The Port of Seattle’s interactive map can also provide directions and distance from your current location at the airport. Check that distance for the route you’ll take. Our terminal guide shows which concourse holds your gate.

Arriving by car, garage or Link

For a private-car drop-off, look for the blue accessible loading signs on the airport drives. The upper drive serves departures and the lower drive serves arrivals. Before security, SEA’s map marks wheelchair assistance points by Doors 7, 9, 17, 23 and 27, and at Skybridge 5. Drivers can’t park or wait on either drive. If someone needs time to come inside with you, use the garage parking guide. A driver waiting to collect you can use the free SEA Airport Cell Phone Lot at 2623 S. 170th Street, then head to the arrivals drive once you have your bags.

The garage has ADA-designated spaces in General Parking on Floors 1, 3, 5 and 7. Floor 5 has stalls around each elevator lobby. You need a valid disabled permit to use an ADA stall. Reserved Parking has ADA stalls on Floor 4. SEA says those stalls can’t be reserved, so a reservation doesn’t assign you one. General Parking costs $8 per hour, $37 per day or $222 per week. Reserved Parking costs $47 per 24 hours. The separate over-height lot has four ADA stalls. It uses General Parking rates, and the elevator route runs through garage Floor 1.

The route from the SeaTac/Airport Link station crosses garage Level 4 and a skybridge. SEA measures 379 steps from the station to the main terminal. The one-way Link fare for a senior or disabled rider is $1. Take the elevator down from the platform to the mezzanine. SEA’s free Train-to-Plane cart runs between the station and garage Level 4 near Skybridges 5 and 6, daily from 5 a.m. to midnight.

Use our Link light rail guide for the station route and Train-to-Plane cart page for the cart’s boarding points and hours. Prospect can meet you at the station with a wheelchair from 4 a.m. to 1:30 a.m.

The free rental car shuttle boards on the lower drive near Doors 24 and 2. It runs 24 hours. SEA lists a ramp and wheelchair securements on each bus, with room for one wheelchair per load. At the rental car shuttle drop-off, tell the driver if you need wheelchair help. SEA says the driver will contact Prospect to meet you there. Rental vehicles with hand controls cost no extra. You’ll need to reserve one in advance to ensure availability.

Through security and out to your gate

At the ticket counter, confirm that your airline’s attendant knows your gate and your onward needs. Every public checkpoint is accessible, and each leads to every gate. Checkpoint 4 is open 24 hours. Choose your screening route with the attendant instead of walking farther solely because your boarding pass shows N or S.

Concourses A, B, C and D connect on foot after security. The Blue Line links A, B and S Stations. The Green Line links C, D and N Stations. The Yellow Line joins A and D Stations when you need to change loops. After security, you’ll find A Station across from Gate A3, where the Blue and Yellow Lines meet. Below Gates B20 and B21, you’ll find B Station. Look for C Station by Gate C11. D Station is across from Gate D2. Ask your airline attendant to include the station and elevator in your escort, particularly if your connection changes concourses.

If an elevator or train is unavailable, tell your airline attendant or a SEA staff member where you need to go. SEA lists bus service to N and S during train outages. Ask staff to arrange an accessible route for your specific trip.

Need a restroom before the next leg? The Port of Seattle lists family restrooms throughout the terminal. Its map also locates companion care restrooms with adult changing tables.

Landing and choosing a ride out

If you’re arriving from abroad, use the International Arrivals Wheelchair Assistance/Accessible lane at passport control.

Tell your airline attendant whether your ride meets you at the curb, in the garage or at the Link station. If the pickup changes, update the attendant before the escort ends.

For an accessible taxi, call SP Plus Taxi Service at (206) 708-6504 and request a wheelchair-accessible vehicle. Taxis run 24 hours and normally depart from garage Level 3. If you use a wheelchair, have limited mobility or have a vision-related disability, ask the taxi provider to meet you on the baggage claim level at Skybridge 2 near Door 10 or Skybridge 5 near Door 22. A taxi trip from SEA has a $20 minimum fare, and a $1 on-demand surcharge is permitted.

Lyft, UberX, UberPool and pre-scheduled Wingz rides pick up at stalls 1–34 in the garage Level 3 Ground Transportation Plaza. Uber Black meets you outside your chosen baggage claim door. If you need additional assistance, a rideshare driver can pick you up on an airport drive. Tell the driver you need drive pickup. Either you or the driver can call SEA Ground Transportation with the driver’s name and license plate number. See our rideshare page for the garage route.

For Link, ask for help toward the station before leaving baggage claim. From baggage carousel 16, go up one floor to the skybridge level, cross Skybridge 6, then turn left through the garage.

For King County Metro, RapidRide A, route 161 and route 156 stop at International Boulevard and South 176th Street by the Link station. Reach the stops from the north end of garage Level 4 using the pedestrian bridges. The Port says the pedestrian bridge to International Boulevard is open around the clock. The elevator and stairs on the west side of the station reach street level on International Boulevard. Overnight route 124 stops on the airport access road where it meets International Boulevard, south of the terminal, from about 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. For printed Metro timetables, go to the Ground Transportation Information Booth.

Sound Transit Express route 560 boards on the lower drive near Door 00 and serves Burien, Renton and Bellevue. Its overnight route 597 boards at SeaTac Station across the pedestrian bridge. The Port of Seattle says many scheduled airport buses have lifts. For your bus, contact Metro accessible services, Sound Transit accessibility or the Ground Transportation Information Booth.

If help hasn’t arrived, go to an information desk. Before security, an information desk sits on the ticketing level. Another is in baggage claim near Checkpoint 1. After security, look between Gates A5 and A6 in A Concourse. The ticketing and A Concourse desks offer help daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. At the desk, say which gate or door you’re waiting at. Complaints about airline wheelchair help go to the airline first. The SEA ADA Coordinator, at (206) 787-3132, answers accessibility questions and forwards any complaints it receives to the airline.

Sources

• Our wheelchair assistance, restrooms and information desks pages
• Our terminal guide, security checkpoints and parking guide
• Our transport directory