Seattle-Tacoma Airport completes construction of north concourse just in time for an anticipated travel spike

On Thursday, just a few days before the US opens its borders to vaccinated international travelers on November 8, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport celebrated the end of major construction work in its North Satellite Modernization Project.

The North Satellite building is nearly 50 years old and the estimated $ 710 million renovation that began in 2017 includes significant seismic upgrades, 20 gates (8 new, 12 remodeled) and some sustainability features: captured rainwater for toilet flushing , approximately $ 21 million of recycled building materials used in the project and renewable natural gas, a lower carbon alternative to traditional natural gas, which is often made from landfill waste.

The North Hall has also borrowed from the Pacific Northwest aesthetic, with an emphasis on large windows and natural light, a few local restaurants (Skillet, Bambuza Vietnam Kitchen), and artists known for their work with natural materials, including a life-size, abstracted one Sculpture of the root structure of a Western Red Cedar by John Grade.

U.S. travelers have been able to fly overseas from the airport for months, but on Monday the U.S. will lift the 18-month restrictions that have barred international travelers from entering the U.S. Foreign nationals flying to the U.S. will be required to provide proof of vaccination and a negative COVID test (either PCR or viral) done within the last 72 hours; Unvaccinated US travelers returning to the US must demonstrate a negative COVID test within 24 hours of departure. Foreign visitors crossing land borders from Canada and Mexico are required to provide proof of vaccination, but no test result is required. The lifting of travel restrictions, a recent lull in pandemic numbers, and the completion of the north hall are all just coming as the airport prepares for what is likely to be a busy holiday travel season. Contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more information.

At a Travel Trends event Thursday night to celebrate the reopening of the Northern Satellite, hospitality and travel industry experts said they were already seeing an increase in travelers and were looking forward to more.

“We’re so ready,” said Matt Hagerman, executive vice president of Columbia Hospitality, a Seattle-based company that owns resorts, hotels, golf courses and other real estate in the United States. “For months we had no customers – closed restaurants, empty hotels – so a new appreciation for guests.”

Kevin Lemme, an executive at Alaska Airlines, said flights were already full. “Right now our capacity is 50% of 2019 levels,” he said, “but our bookings are only down 10%.”

Those who travel tend to travel big – fulfilling the “Revenge Travel” prophecy that industry trackers debated months ago.

“One-third of our travelers add star ratings to their hotels – they went to three-star hotels and are now staying at four-star,” said Nissy Atassi, Expedia’s senior director of global communications. “2022 will be the year of the GOAT trip, the ‘greatest trip of all time’.”

https://www.seattletimes.com/life/travel/seattle-tacoma-airport-completes-construction-of-north-concourse-just-in-time-for-an-anticipated-travel-spike/