Flying into Seattle with kids

Families arriving at Sea-Tac face the same airport as everyone else, with three times the luggage and a fraction of the patience. The good news: most of the stress is about the ride, and the ride is the easiest part to plan in advance.

Car seats

Washington requires children to ride in a car seat or booster suited to their age and size, and recommends children under 13 ride in the back seat. You have two choices: bring your own seat on the plane (most airlines check them free), or ask us to provide suitable seats. If we provide them, tell us each child’s age and approximate height and weight so the right seats are installed before the car leaves for SEA.

Luggage and strollers

A family of four with checked bags, a stroller and carry-ons will not fit comfortably in a sedan. Request a luxury SUV — or let us choose from the bag count you send.

At the airport

• Choose meet & greet: your driver meets you at baggage claim and takes a trolley-load of bags off your hands.
• Keep snacks and a charged device in the carry-on for the drive — 25 minutes to downtown, closer to an hour to the far Eastside.
• Late arrival with sleeping children? A car that follows the flight means you never wait at the curb.

Plan the car seat before the flight, and the arrival looks after itself.

Which car seat does my child need?

Washington’s child restraint law (RCW 46.61.687) follows the size-and-age progression most parents know: infants and toddlers in rear-facing seats, then a forward-facing harness seat, then a booster until the adult belt fits properly — usually around 4 feet 9 inches tall. The Washington Traffic Safety Commission publishes the current details. When you book, give us each child’s age, height and weight and we bring suitable seats, or bring your own and we help install it.

Planning the flight with the car in mind

• Arrivals in the early evening often mean the heaviest traffic out of the airport; an afternoon landing is kinder to tired children.
• Check your airline’s rules for strollers and car seats — most let you check them free, some at the gate.
• Pack a small bag with snacks, a change of clothes and chargers for the ride, not in the checked luggage.

From the airport to the stay

Downtown Seattle is about half an hour from SEA; the Eastside is closer to an hour at busy times. If you are staying with family in Bellevue or Kirkland, plan the flight so the drive does not land right in the evening rush.

Heading home

Book the ride back to SEA with the arrival. We set the pickup time for check-in with children — which always takes longer than planned — and install the same seats again.