Connecting at Seattle-Tacoma after an international flight: how much time you need

Seattle-Tacoma is one of the few US airports that gives a number: for a connection after an international flight, it recommends scheduling at least 120 to 180 minutes between flights. Processing can take 60 minutes or longer at peak times, such as holidays, summer, or when several international flights land at once.

Why it takes longer here: bags first

Seattle's international arrivals facility uses a bags-first process: you claim your checked bags before passport control.

1. Claim your checked bags, even if you're connecting and they're tagged through.
2. Passport control and customs, with your bags.
3. Stay to the right after customs. Airline counters there recheck your bags and can help with rebooking.
4. Security screening. The connection checkpoint in the international arrivals facility is open from 6 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. Pacific Time.
5. After screening you're in Concourse A, and can continue to your next gate.

If you arrive late at night

If the connection checkpoint is closed when you get there, you have to exit to the public side of the airport and go through one of the main security checkpoints instead. That adds time, so late arrivals need an even longer layover.

Other things to know

• Expedited screening program lanes are only at the main terminal checkpoints, not at the connection checkpoint.
• Some airlines may require you to exit and recheck your bags on the ticketing level instead. Ask your airline.
• Domestic connections don't go through this process. Read is a 1-hour layover enough?

Read international to domestic connections for how customs connections work across the US.

Follow the long flight

Add both flights to FlyingOver before you travel. You'll follow the long-haul flight offline and see its estimated arrival, so you know early how much of your 2 to 3 hours you'll have left.