SEA Security: The 5:45 A.M. Crowd

Not for the first time we arrive at the airport to find the security lines long and backed up at this early hour.

We bypass the main line by going through the elite lane but there's another line once we've flashed our IDs and the TSA employee peered at our passports with that funny little light.

A semi-poignant moment occurs when a young woman asks us if she can go in front of us as her flight to Denver is due to leave in eight minutes. We and others agree but there was still a delay and we wish her well as she finally runs toward the escalator and the train to N Gate. There's no way she'll make her flight, which was connecting her to Pittsburgh and then New York.

After we arrive at the Red Carpet Club, Kathy goes upstairs to look for her, with the plan of signing her in here as our guest and getting some concierge help, but she wasn't to be found. As far as we know she had to head back to the main terminal, try to get on a later flight, and then navigate the security line again.

Moral of the story: Arrive earlier than you think you need to at the airport.

Our flight to DEN leaves at 7:12 a.m. so we have to time for a cup of coffee. We have a 2 1/2 hour layover in DEN before flying to ABQ in a CRJ, so for us it's shaping up as a leisurely day, at least so far.