IATA Code: SEA – Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

April 19, 2019 by thetravelercarl

International Air Transport Association (IATA) Location Identifier uses a 3-letter code to identify locations of airports throughout the world.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport or also referred to as Sea-Tac Airport is the primary commercial airport servicing the Seattle metropolitan area in the US state of Washington. It is located in the city of SeaTac which is south of Seattle and northeast of Tacoma. SEA is the largest airport in the Pacific Northwest region of the continent and is owned and operated by the Port of Seattle. The airport has flights to cities throughout North America, Europe, Middle East and Asia. It is the primary hub for Alaska Airlines. It is also a hub and international gateway to Asia for Delta Air Lines.

SEA has about 80 gates with 4 concourses and 2 satellite buildings. I arrived in concourse A from DFW airport. It was exhausting since I just got off of work and went directly to the airport for my flight to Seattle to meet my mum. I got in Sea-Tac Airport at 0045H PST. The airport was ginormous and tidy. They have this high ceilings that made it look more airy and spacious. The whole area was lit with lights not too blinding, just the right glare. The signs were positioned right where tourists can see them and not get lost. The flight boards were well-monitored so, everything that happened in the air, the travelers were aware. It was the first day of Spring but the temperature inside was well-maintained. Security wise, they never failed to make the passengers feel safe and secured. Restaurants and stores were everywhere, lining the hallway to your boarding gates by stalls.

When it was my flight back to Texas, departure was not stressful. It was organized. My flight was at 0500H but the airport was jampacked with travelers. It was still spacious though. The boarding gates were linked thru a train passing through the 6 different concourses.

Sea-Tac Airport is an international gateway of the United States and it is expanding due to the increase number of passengers. Washington State is a must-see state, thus, the airport should be able to accommodate all the guests it can get. It’s a good thing, SEA can do it.

Virginia Is For Lovers

June 22, 2017 by thetravelercarl

It’s been a couple of weeks that I haven’t gone on a road trip so, when I got 6-day off from work, I packed my bag and headed out. It was a battle between New England states or the Carolinas. I posted it in my Facebook account on where to go and I have decided to go down south since there were more reasons to visit the places. The first stop on my 4-state road trip was in Virginia because Virginia is for lovers.

Virginia is a state located on the Atlantic coast of the United States of America and is part of both the Southern and Mid-Atlantic of the nation. Virginia has been nicknamed the ‘Old Dominion’ due to its status as the first English colonial possession established in mainland North America, and was also labeled as ‘Mother of Presidents’ due to eight of U.S Presidents were born in the state. I was in the western part of Virginia. I made a quick stopover at Virginia Visitor Center and the lovely lady told me to visit some of their local sites. Thus, I had these attractions on my list and have visited these places;

Virginia Visitor Center

Big Walker Lookout

Big Walker Lookout

Big Walker Lookout is located in Wytheville, VA. It is a 100-foot observation tower located in the Wythe county. The tower is atop a peak near the Big Walker Mountain Tunnel and overlooking the East River Mountain Tunnel. The tower is accessed from the Big Walker general store. The lookout tower is open to the public and the cost to climb is US$6 for adults and US$4 for children.

I Climbed the Tower ticket

Big Walker Lookout Tower

Big Walker Lookout Tower with the view of the hanging bridge

The Swinging Bridge

Big Walker Country Store

Battle of Wytheville

View atop of the tower

View of Wytheville

View of Wytheville

View of Wytheville

View of Wytheville

View of Wytheville

The climb of the tower was a little shaky but it was worth the view on top. To purchase the ticket, just go to the country store since they offer it along with foods, souvenirs, and fun with other guests. I met other travelers and had fun walking the swinging bridge.

Shot Tower Historical State Park

Shot Tower Historical State Park

Shot Tower Historical State Park is a state park located near the town of Austinville and is the centerpiece in the Jackson Ferry Shot Tower. The shot tower was used for the creation of ammunition. The tower is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Other side of the Shot Tower

Inside the Shot Tower

The River Crossing

The state park is wide. It has a biking and hiking trail. Just a tip: if you plan of visiting the park, just park your car at the foot of the hill or on the dirt path than on the state entrance. Parking fee cost US$5. I paid it and I found out that other visitors were just on the dirt path. But I am helping the state park generates some income so, it was a win-win situation.

The whole road trip in Virginia was a blast. It was unplanned but I did get some decent tourist attractions in the county I have visited. Those may not be as popular as Virginia Beach or the metropolis of Richmond but they were an eye catch for people like me who are nature and history lovers. Indeed, Virginia is for lovers.

IATA Code: ATL – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

April 28, 2017 by thetravelercarl

International Air Transport Association (IATA) Location Identifier uses a 3-letter code to identify locations of airports throughout the world.

ATL or known as Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is a major airport hub in a capital city of the state of Georgia, Atlanta. It was only a stopover in ATL that I got to see the airport from my flight in Cancún back to Cleveland. Of course, whenever I travel in a new location, I made sure to see and roam around the site for me to explore and say something good about it.

My flight from Cancún via Delta airlines deplaned in gate F. Upon getting out of the plane, every travelers went to the immigration area to officially enter the country. Those who only have connecting flights can proceed directly to their respected gates. But since my next flight was just domestic, so I have to go through immigration process. I was nervous that time if I can go back inside my new home country since there were a lot of issues about travelers not able to get in the United States due to staying in the country illegally added with the ban that the president has signed to the 7 Arab countries. Anyway, the process of getting back to the United States was hi-tech. We were ushered by immigration officers and airport personnel to the kiosks for entry receipt. Since I am a legal permanent resident, I went to the kiosk which was a machine that scanned my green card, took a picture of me and verified important information. After all those information, the machine generated a receipt that I have to present to the immigration officer. It took about 5 minutes while waiting on queue and it was my turn to approach the IO. He took my receipt, my green card, and my passport. He asked me how many days I stayed in Mexico and if I brought with me some things that were not approved to bring inside the US such as meat, plants and etc. Once done with the questioning, I got in the other side of the desk and finally I can breath and say, I’m back home.

I passed through baggage claim which was really spacious. In baggage claim area, it also has restrooms and a long hallway to walk to your next boarding gates or even to the exit.

Baggage Claim Area

Upon getting out of the baggage claim area, I was welcomed with this sign. I was overwhelmed, it felt like it was my first time to set foot in the United States. Without even second thoughts, I snapped a picture of it.

ATL – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

Travelers were then ushered by airport personnel for security check. The airport personnel were really friendly and accommodating and even made jokes with me. It was like a welcome gesture that I never had when I entered the US few years back. The security check took only about a minute. I’m already a pro on what to remove and where to place your things since I used to travel a lot.

After security check, I got to the concourse F area. I was amazed how ginormous the airport was. It has 7 concourses from A, B, C, D, E, F, and T. The reason they have trains to every concourses for passengers to catch their flights.

Concourse F

Airport Train

The train ride in the airport is smooth itself. It has a wide space for travelers and the interval is frequent like less than 5 minutes. On the train, you can even look on the railway if you happen to occupy the first coach.

First Coach of the Airport Train

Inside the Airport train

Accessibility to other boarding gates is as easy as counting. Escalators, directions, signs, and TV monitors were everywhere to help and guide guests to where they are going and where they need to be. It helped to prevent missed flight.

The Train Gate

Escalators going to other concourses

I was in Delta Airlines concourse and restaurants, stores and cafes were also in every corner of the terminal. Any passenger waiting for their flights won’t go hungry, bored, and misinformed. The airport also offered free access to the internet via wi-fi and if batteries of the phone is running out, don’t have to worry since there are a lot of charging stations.

Delta Airlines in ATL

As an airport review for ATL, it is one of the better airports I have gone to. It was neat, tidy, passenger-friendly, spacious and well-equipped for travelers who need a place to wait and stay while plane and flights are on queue. For more details, you can check their site by clicking here.