Book Flights to Seattle, Washington
Seattle -- the Emerald City of Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, Amazon, Microsoft, coffee culture, and one of the world's greatest urban outdoor recreation settings -- is served by Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), a major Alaska Airlines hub and one of the 10 busiest airports in the US. Alaska, Southwest, Delta, United, and American all operate SEA.
FareOptic compares all carriers to SEA -- finding the cheapest available fare for your Seattle trip.
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Why Visit Seattle, Washington?
Pike Place, Space Needle, Amazon, Mount Rainier, and the Pacific Northwest's extraordinary natural world
Pike Place Market -- The Nation's Oldest Continuously Operating Farmers Market and Seattle's Soul
1907, Fish Throwing, Rachel the Pig, and the First Starbucks -- 9 Acres on Puget SoundPike Place Market -- a 9-acre public market overlooking Elliott Bay on Seattle's downtown waterfront (Pike Place at First Avenue), established in 1907 and continuously operated since -- is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the United States (10 million annual visitors) and the defining public space of Seattle's civic identity. The market's 85 permanent farmers, 200 craftspeople, and hundreds of small businesses occupy a warren of historic brick buildings on a bluff above the water: the Pike Place Fish Market (famous for theatrical fish-throwing, described by management consultant Tom Peters as a model of workplace engagement in his 1998 book), Rachel the Pig (a 550-pound bronze piggy bank near the market entrance -- the most photographed public art in Seattle), and the original Starbucks store (1912 Pike Place -- the first of what became the world's largest coffeehouse chain, opened 1971).
The 1907 Founding and the 1971 Starbucks -- How Pike Place Market Created Two of Seattle's Defining Institutions
Pike Place Market was established in 1907 by Seattle City Council to eliminate the middlemen between farmers and consumers who had been charging exploitative prices for produce during a financial panic. On opening day, eight farmers lined their wagons along Pike Place and sold directly to housewives -- a model so successful that within a year hundreds of farmers were participating. The market was threatened with demolition in 1963 (urban renewal plans called for replacing it with a hotel and apartments), but architect Victor Steinbrueck led a 1971 campaign that resulted in a citizens' ballot initiative saving the market (56% to 44%). Starbucks opened its first store at 2000 Western Avenue in 1971, moving to 1912 Pike Place (the current 'original' location) in 1976. The Pike Place Starbucks (which sold only whole-bean coffee initially, not brewed drinks) became the template for a chain that now operates 36,000+ stores globally.
Space Needle and Seattle Center -- The 1962 World's Fair Legacy and Seattle's Most Recognizable Landmark
605 Feet, 800 Tons of Steel, and the $4.5 Million Structure Built in 13 Months for a World's FairThe Space Needle -- a 605-foot (184 m) observation tower and rotating restaurant at Seattle Center (the former 1962 World's Fair site) -- is the most recognizable architectural symbol of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest: built in 13 months (December 1961-April 1962) for the Century 21 Exposition world's fair at a cost of $4.5 million (privately financed -- one of the first major US landmarks not to use public funds), the structure used 5,850 tons of concrete in its base and 850 tons of steel in its tower and top. The Space Needle's distinctive flying-saucer top house contains the SkyCity rotating restaurant (which makes one full rotation per hour) and the Loupe rotating glass floor observation deck (added 2018). The 1962 World's Fair -- themed 'Century 21' and celebrating the space age -- also produced Seattle Center itself (74 acres of performance and cultural venues, including the Chihuly Garden and Glass, the Museum of Pop Culture/MoPOP, the Seattle Repertory Theatre, and the Pacific Science Center).
The MoPOP (Museum of Pop Culture) -- Paul Allen's $240 Million Monument to Rock and Roll
The Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP, 1 Seattle Center, adjacent to the Space Needle) -- designed by architect Frank Gehry with characteristic titanium and steel-panel cladding in silver, gold, and deep red, opened 2000 as the 'Experience Music Project' -- was funded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen ($240 million) as a personal tribute to Jimi Hendrix, who was born in Seattle in 1942 and learned guitar in Seattle's Central District. The building's exterior was designed by Gehry to suggest a smashed electric guitar from an aerial view (it does not). MoPOP's collection includes Jimi Hendrix's guitar equipment, Kurt Cobain's hand-written lyrics (Cobain was from Aberdeen, Washington, 100 miles southwest of Seattle), and artifacts from Science Fiction and Fantasy (The Expanse, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica). Paul Allen (1953-2018), who built the MoPOP, also owned the Seattle Seahawks (NFL) and Portland Trail Blazers (NBA) before his death from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Amazon and Microsoft -- Why Seattle Is the Second American Tech Capital
Two $1 Trillion Companies, 70,000 Tech Workers, and the Urban Campus That Transformed South Lake UnionSeattle is the headquarters of Amazon (whose 50-block South Lake Union campus, including the iconic Amazon Spheres -- three interlocking glass domes housing 40,000 plants and 800 Amazon employees -- transformed a former car dealership district into a $20 billion mixed-use development) and is the founding location of Microsoft (founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1975, and relocated to Bellevue, Washington, 1979 -- Microsoft's main campus is in Redmond, 15 miles northeast of Seattle). Boeing -- founded in Seattle in 1916 by William Boeing -- was headquartered in Seattle for 86 years until its controversial 2001 relocation to Chicago (2001) and subsequent move to Arlington, Virginia (2022); Boeing's commercial aircraft assembly still occurs in the Everett, Washington facility (30 miles north of Seattle), where the 777 and 787 assembly lines are accessible via the Boeing Future of Flight tour.
The Amazon Spheres -- How Jeff Bezos Built Three Glass Biomes in Downtown Seattle for $4 Billion in Real Estate
Amazon's Spheres (opened January 2018, 100 Main Street, Seattle) -- three interlocking glass-and-steel spheres containing 40,000 plants from 400 species across 30 countries, maintained at 72°F (22°C) year-round at 60% humidity -- were built as employee workspace ('the natural world connects people to innovative thinking,' according to Amazon's design rationale) at a reported cost of $4 billion for the broader South Lake Union campus. The Spheres are open to the public for free tours on weekends (book 6+ weeks in advance via Amazon's website). The broader Amazon transformation of South Lake Union converted an industrial neighborhood (car dealerships, light manufacturing) into one of the most expensive urban real estate markets in the US -- displacing an estimated 15,000 lower-income residents between 2010 and 2020 and contributing to Seattle's severe affordability crisis (median home price $900,000+).
Mount Rainier, Olympic Peninsula, and Pacific Northwest Nature -- The Outdoor Recreation Capital of America
14,411-Foot Glaciated Volcano, Old-Growth Rainforest, and Puget Sound Island Ferries Within 90 Minutes of SEASeattle's extraordinary location -- on an isthmus between Puget Sound (west) and Lake Washington (east), 60 miles northwest of Mount Rainier (14,411 feet/4,392 m, the highest peak in the Cascades, glaciated year-round with 26 named glaciers), 140 miles west of the Olympic Peninsula (Olympic National Park -- the only place in the contiguous US with temperate old-growth rainforest, alpine wilderness, and 73 miles of Pacific coastline in one park) -- makes it the pre-eminent outdoor recreation base in the United States. Washington State Ferries (the largest ferry system in the US) departs from downtown Seattle's Colman Dock to Bainbridge Island (35 minutes -- the most scenic commuter ferry ride in the US), Vashon Island, and multiple Olympic Peninsula ferry terminals.
The 1980 Mount St. Helens Eruption -- Why Pacific Northwest Volcanoes Are Not Merely Scenic
The May 18, 1980, eruption of Mount St. Helens (96 miles south of Seattle) -- triggered by a magnitude 5.1 earthquake that caused the largest recorded landslide in history (2.3 cubic miles of rock), which reduced the mountain's height from 9,677 feet to 8,365 feet in seconds and generated a lateral blast that flattened 230 square miles of forest -- killed 57 people, 7,000 large animals, millions of fish, and created the largest volcanic disaster in recorded US history. The Cascades Range (of which both Rainier and St. Helens are part) contains approximately 20 potentially active volcanoes -- Mount Rainier, at 14,411 feet and 35 miles from Seattle, is considered the most dangerous of the Cascades stratovolcanoes because its extensive glaciers (largest on any US peak outside Alaska) could generate devastating lahars (volcanic mudflows) reaching the densely populated Puget Sound lowlands. USGS monitoring of Rainier is continuous and constitutes one of the most intensive volcanic hazard monitoring programs in the world.
How to Find Cheap Flights to Seattle
Alaska Is the Dominant Carrier at SEA -- Mileage Plan Has Outstanding International Partner Value
Alaska Airlines holds ~45% of SEA capacity and is the default choice for most Seattle travelers. Alaska's Mileage Plan is particularly valuable for international redemptions: Alaska miles can be redeemed on British Airways (Europe), Cathay Pacific (Asia), Japan Airlines (Asia), Qantas (Pacific), and Finnair -- often at lower mileage rates than those airlines' own programs. For Seattle-based frequent travelers, Alaska Mileage Plan is among the best domestic programs for international redemptions.
Book Summer Seattle Early -- July and August Are Peak Travel Season with Highest Fares
Seattle's summer (July-August) is famously spectacular -- the Pacific Northwest's Mediterranean summer brings 75-80°F (24-27°C) days, 16+ hours of daylight, and almost no rain. This concentrated perfect-weather window drives extreme summer demand: summer fares from East Coast markets often run 40-60% higher than November-April. Book summer Seattle flights 6-8 weeks ahead for the best available fares; last-minute July-August Seattle seats are among the most expensive domestic markets.
September-October: Best Value Timing for Seattle -- Same Weather, Lower Demand
September and early October offer nearly identical weather to July-August (warm, dry, clear) with meaningfully lower fares (demand drops after Labor Day). The summer crowds thin at Pike Place Market, Mount Rainier, and Olympic Peninsula destinations. Autumn color in the Cascades (mid-October) is spectacular. October-March is Seattle's rainy season -- budget for indoor activities and bring waterproof gear.
Consider Portland (PDX) for Some Itineraries -- 3-Hour Drive or 45-Minute Alaska Flight
Portland International Airport (PDX) is 180 miles (3 hours by car on I-5) south of Seattle -- a realistic alternative for some travel itineraries, particularly if your final destination is between the two cities (Mount St. Helens, Columbia River Gorge, Willamette Valley wine country). Alaska operates 45-minute nonstops between SEA and PDX throughout the day. For flights not available at SEA, checking PDX fares and adding a SEA-PDX hop (or rental car one-way) is sometimes the most cost-effective approach.
Airlines Flying to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
Alaska Airlines
Seattle's Home Carrier -- Largest Hub at SEA, Founded in Alaska and Based in SeaTacAlaska Airlines -- founded in Anchorage in 1932, headquartered in SeaTac (adjacent to SEA) -- operates Seattle-Tacoma as its primary hub and largest operation, controlling approximately 45% of SEA's total capacity. Alaska operates nonstops from Seattle to virtually every major US market and to Alaska destinations (Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan, and 20+ Alaska communities). Alaska's West Coast network is the most extensive of any carrier: SEA nonstops reach Los Angeles (LAX, 40+ daily on a major-market basis), San Francisco (SFO), Portland (PDX), San Diego (SAN), San Jose (SJC), Oakland (OAK), Sacramento (SMF), and dozens of smaller West Coast markets. Alaska's Mileage Plan is consistently rated among the most valuable domestic frequent flyer programs -- particularly for international redemptions via Alaska's oneworld partners (American, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Qantas).
Key Routes
LAX to SEA (2h 30m nonstop, 10+ daily; SFO to SEA (2h 30m nonstop; SAN to SEA (2h 30m nonstop; ORD to SEA (3h 45m nonstop; BOS to SEA (5h 45m nonstop; JFK to SEA (6h nonstop; PDX to SEA (45m nonstop
Southwest Airlines
Seattle's Largest Low-Cost Carrier -- Bay Area, Southern California, and Western NetworkSouthwest Airlines operates a substantial Seattle operation with nonstops to key Western markets (SFO, OAK, SJC, LAX, LAS, PHX, DEN, SAN) and cross-country routes (MDW, BWI, HOU, DAL, MCO, BNA). Southwest's SEA-LAS corridor (Las Vegas being the most popular domestic leisure destination from Seattle) is among Southwest's highest-frequency Pacific Northwest routes. Southwest does not appear on Google Flights or other aggregators -- check Southwest.com for complete SEA low-fare options.
Key Routes
LAS to SEA (2h 30m nonstop; SFO to SEA (2h 30m nonstop; LAX to SEA (2h 30m nonstop; DEN to SEA (2h 30m nonstop; PHX to SEA (2h 30m nonstop; MDW to SEA (4h nonstop
Delta Air Lines
Salt Lake City and Atlanta Hub Connections -- Seattle's Southeast and Global Network GatewayDelta Air Lines connects Seattle to its Salt Lake City (SLC) and Atlanta (ATL) hubs, providing SEA travelers with access to Delta's Southeast and global network. Delta also operates Seattle nonstops from Minneapolis (MSP), Detroit (DTW), New York (JFK/LGA), and Boston (BOS). Delta and Alaska share codeshare agreements on Seattle routes, making the combined SEA offering one of the most connected of any major US city. Delta's SLC-SEA route is heavily used by Mountain West skiers traveling to Seattle for Pacific Northwest outdoor recreation.
Key Routes
SLC to SEA (1h 30m nonstop; ATL to SEA (4h 30m nonstop; MSP to SEA (3h 15m nonstop; JFK to SEA (5h 45m nonstop; DTW to SEA (4h 30m nonstop
United Airlines
San Francisco, Denver, Houston, and Chicago Connections -- SEA's Secondary Network CarrierUnited Airlines connects Seattle to its San Francisco (SFO), Denver (DEN), Houston Bush Intercontinental (IAH), and Chicago O'Hare (ORD) hubs. United's SFO-SEA route directly competes with Alaska's most important California corridor. United's ORD-SEA and IAH-SEA routes provide Midwest and South access for SEA travelers. United's Asia partnership through SFO (ANA, Singapore Airlines) makes SFO-SEA a routing for Seattle travelers heading to Asia via SFO.
Key Routes
SFO to SEA (2h 30m nonstop; DEN to SEA (2h 30m nonstop; ORD to SEA (3h 45m nonstop; IAH to SEA (3h 30m nonstop; EWR to SEA (5h 45m nonstop
Things to Do in Seattle, Washington
Essential Info for Your Seattle Trip
State
Washington (WA)
Airport Code
SEA — Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac)
Currency
USD — US Dollar
Time Zone
PST (UTC-8) / PDT (UTC-7) in summer
Airport to Downtown
Link Light Rail: $3.50, 38 min. Rideshare: $35-50, 25-40 min. Taxi: $45-55.
Mount Rainier Distance
60 miles SE (1.5-2h drive). Paradise Visitor Center (5,400 ft) open May-October. Snow at summit year-round.
Rainy Season
October-May: overcast, 38 in/year total rain (less than NYC). July-September is famously dry and sunny.
Emergency Number
911
Most Popular Airlines
Best Airlines for Domestic & International Routes
Frequently Asked Questions on Flights to Seattle
Everything you need to know about booking cheap flights to Seattle, Washington (SEA)
What airport serves Seattle?
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (IATA: SEA), commonly called Sea-Tac, serves Seattle and the greater Puget Sound region. The airport is located 14 miles (22 km) south of downtown Seattle in the city of SeaTac -- approximately 25-35 minutes by car or rideshare ($35-50 to downtown). Link Light Rail (Seattle's light rail) runs from the airport to downtown Seattle (King Street/Westlake stations) in 38 minutes for $3.50 -- the most cost-effective airport connection option.
What is Seattle known for?
Seattle is known for: (1) Pike Place Market (1907 public market, fish throwing, original Starbucks); (2) the Space Needle (1962 World's Fair landmark); (3) Amazon (headquarters and the Amazon Spheres in South Lake Union); (4) Microsoft (founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, headquartered in Redmond); (5) Boeing (founded in Seattle 1916; assembly in Everett); (6) coffee culture (Starbucks, 150+ independent roasters); (7) Nirvana and grunge music; (8) the Seahawks (NFL) and Sounders (MLS); and (9) the Pacific Northwest's extraordinary nature access (Mount Rainier, Olympic Peninsula).
When is the best time to visit Seattle?
Best weather: July-September (warm, dry, very long days -- Seattle gets more summer daylight than Miami). Best value: September-October (same weather, lower crowds and fares). Rainy season: October-May (Seattle averages only 38 inches of rain per year -- less than New York, Atlanta, or Miami -- but it is spread across 150+ rainy days, giving the city its famously overcast reputation). Major events: Seafair (August -- hydroplane racing and Blue Angels air show on Lake Washington); Bumbershoot music festival (Labor Day weekend); Seattle International Film Festival (May-June).
How do I get from Sea-Tac Airport to downtown Seattle?
Link Light Rail: from the Sea-Tac Airport station (underground, below the airport) to Westlake Station (downtown) in 38 minutes, $3.50. Runs every 10 minutes (15 minutes late night). Rideshare (Uber/Lyft): $35-50 to downtown, 25-40 minutes depending on traffic. Shuttle Express: $18-22 shared shuttle to central Seattle hotels, 45-60 minutes. Taxi: $45-55 metered, 25-40 minutes. Rental cars available at the consolidated rental car center (connected by the Airport Link people-mover, not the same as Link Light Rail).
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