Booking Cascade PDX-SEA

[jackal]

With luck, I'll be landing in SEA at 4:54am. If I don't make that flight, I'll be arriving at 5:24am, and last ditch option is 5:54am.

I was originally going to take the express Metro bus from the airport to the train station, but a friend reminded me that the Link light rail system is now open. Looks like there's a free shuttle from the airport to the Tukwila station and that total transit time shouldn't exceed 55 minutes (10 minutes max to wait for the bus, 10 minute ride to the station, 7.5 minutes max to wait for the train, and just under 30 minutes travel time to the International District station).

With a 7:30am departure, all of those flight arrival times should work just fine.

But I wanted to check (specifically with those familiar with SEA) to make sure I wasn't going to run into any SNAFUs with this plan.

And there's a nice back-up, too: If my 5:54am arrival is late, or if I can't get that flight and am stuck on the 2:30am departure (arriving at 6:54am), it looks like I'm just a short bus ride (cab if absolutely necessary) from the Cascades station at Tukwila (7:45am departure).

Only problem there is that there isn't a QT machine or ticket agent at TUK. If I get it squared away before 7:00 or so, I suppose I could call Amtrak and cancel my SEA-PDX and see if they can do a TUK-PDX ticket for pick-up on-board from the conductor.

Would that work? Any holes in my plan?

 

[AlanB]

I was originally going to take the express Metro bus from the airport to the train station, but a friend reminded me that the Link light rail system is now open. Looks like there's a free shuttle from the airport to the Tukwila station and that total transit time shouldn't exceed 55 minutes (10 minutes max to wait for the bus, 10 minute ride to the station, 7.5 minutes max to wait for the train, and just under 30 minutes travel time to the International District station).
With a 7:30am departure, all of those flight arrival times should work just fine.

But I wanted to check (specifically with those familiar with SEA) to make sure I wasn't going to run into any SNAFUs with this plan.

Those living in SEA may know better if things have improved, but about the only potential problem that I can see is that the lines at the Tukwila Station to buy tickets have been rather long in the morning since the opening of the line. There are only two TVM's at Tukwila, which at least so far have not been enough to handle demmand. Hopefully this situation is now easing, especially if more people have started to use the ORCA card, something that I took full advantage of while in Seattle.

But if there are lines, you could loose a half an hour trying to buy your ticket, unless you already have an ORCA card.

 

[jackal]

I was originally going to take the express Metro bus from the airport to the train station, but a friend reminded me that the Link light rail system is now open. Looks like there's a free shuttle from the airport to the Tukwila station and that total transit time shouldn't exceed 55 minutes (10 minutes max to wait for the bus, 10 minute ride to the station, 7.5 minutes max to wait for the train, and just under 30 minutes travel time to the International District station).
With a 7:30am departure, all of those flight arrival times should work just fine.

But I wanted to check (specifically with those familiar with SEA) to make sure I wasn't going to run into any SNAFUs with this plan.

Those living in SEA may know better if things have improved, but about the only potential problem that I can see is that the lines at the Tukwila Station to buy tickets have been rather long in the morning since the opening of the line. There are only two TVM's at Tukwila, which at least so far have not been enough to handle demmand. Hopefully this situation is now easing, especially if more people have started to use the ORCA card, something that I took full advantage of while in Seattle.

But if there are lines, you could loose a half an hour trying to buy your ticket, unless you already have an ORCA card.

Are you talking about the Cascades or the Sounder? Do they sell Cascades tickets on the TVMs there (a la the Surfliner)?

 

[zephyr17]

I was originally going to take the express Metro bus from the airport to the train station, but a friend reminded me that the Link light rail system is now open. Looks like there's a free shuttle from the airport to the Tukwila station and that total transit time shouldn't exceed 55 minutes (10 minutes max to wait for the bus, 10 minute ride to the station, 7.5 minutes max to wait for the train, and just under 30 minutes travel time to the International District station).
With a 7:30am departure, all of those flight arrival times should work just fine.

But I wanted to check (specifically with those familiar with SEA) to make sure I wasn't going to run into any SNAFUs with this plan.

Those living in SEA may know better if things have improved, but about the only potential problem that I can see is that the lines at the Tukwila Station to buy tickets have been rather long in the morning since the opening of the line. There are only two TVM's at Tukwila, which at least so far have not been enough to handle demmand. Hopefully this situation is now easing, especially if more people have started to use the ORCA card, something that I took full advantage of while in Seattle.

But if there are lines, you could loose a half an hour trying to buy your ticket, unless you already have an ORCA card.

Are you talking about the Cascades or the Sounder? Do they sell Cascades tickets on the TVMs there (a la the Surfliner)?

Neither. That are talking about the new Link light rail line that just went into service between Tukwila and Seattle. It doesn't really have anything to do with the Cascades or the Sounder (although the ORCA card is good on the Sounder).

 

[AlanB]

Those living in SEA may know better if things have improved, but about the only potential problem that I can see is that the lines at the Tukwila Station to buy tickets have been rather long in the morning since the opening of the line. There are only two TVM's at Tukwila, which at least so far have not been enough to handle demmand. Hopefully this situation is now easing, especially if more people have started to use the ORCA card, something that I took full advantage of while in Seattle.

But if there are lines, you could loose a half an hour trying to buy your ticket, unless you already have an ORCA card.

Are you talking about the Cascades or the Sounder? Do they sell Cascades tickets on the TVMs there (a la the Surfliner)?

Neither. That are talking about the new Link light rail line that just went into service between Tukwila and Seattle. It doesn't really have anything to do with the Cascades or the Sounder (although the ORCA card is good on the Sounder).

Correct, I was refering to the machines that dispense the LRT tickets.

 

[jackal]

Those living in SEA may know better if things have improved, but about the only potential problem that I can see is that the lines at the Tukwila Station to buy tickets have been rather long in the morning since the opening of the line. There are only two TVM's at Tukwila, which at least so far have not been enough to handle demmand. Hopefully this situation is now easing, especially if more people have started to use the ORCA card, something that I took full advantage of while in Seattle.

But if there are lines, you could loose a half an hour trying to buy your ticket, unless you already have an ORCA card.

Are you talking about the Cascades or the Sounder? Do they sell Cascades tickets on the TVMs there (a la the Surfliner)?

Neither. That are talking about the new Link light rail line that just went into service between Tukwila and Seattle. It doesn't really have anything to do with the Cascades or the Sounder (although the ORCA card is good on the Sounder).

Correct, I was refering to the machines that dispense the LRT tickets.

Sorry, I had the Tukwila Sounder/Amtrak station stuck in my head because that's the last thing I mentioned. Forgot the Link station was also called Tukwila!

You think there would be a huge line at 6:30am?

 

[AlanB]

You think there would be a huge line at 6:30am?

I don't know for sure and I don't recall the articles stating at what times there were lines, they just said that there were lines during the first week during rush hour, and also when there were baseball games downtown, at the Tukwila station. And 6:30 AM is rush hour.

I myself saw those lines, not for rush hour, but for a baseball game when I rode it on a Sunday two weeks ago.

Again, not trying to panic you. Things may have calmed down a bit now as more people get monthly passes or ORCA cards.