The first time I walked into Paine Field’s terminal, I actually stopped and looked around to make sure I was in the right place. There were fireplaces. Leather chairs. Floor-to-ceiling windows with mountain views. It looked more like a fancy hotel lobby than an airport. I kept waiting for someone to tell me this was the VIP lounge and I needed a special pass. Nope – this is just how Paine Field is for everyone.
After flying out of here maybe a dozen times now, I’ve figured out most of how this place works. It’s tiny, it’s nice, and it operates completely differently than SeaTac. If you’re about to fly out of Paine Field for the first time, here’s what I wish someone had told me.
Table of Contents:
- ✈️ The Basics – What Is Paine Field?
- 🚗 Getting to Paine Field
- 🅿️ Parking – Simple but Limited
- 🎫 Arrival and Check-In Process
- 🔒 Security – The Best Part
- 🏢 The Terminal – Lounge Life
- 🚪 Gates and Boarding
- 🍽️ Food and Drink Options
- 🛍️ Shopping – Don’t Get Your Hopes Up
- 🛬 Arriving at Paine Field
- 💭 Honest Pros and Cons
- 💡 Tips From Someone Who Flies Here Regularly
- 🏨 What’s Nearby
- ❓ Questions Everyone Asks
- ✈️ Final Thoughts
✈️ The Basics – What Is Paine Field?
Paine Field (airport code PAE) sits in Everett, about 25 miles north of Seattle. It’s been around since the 1930s – used to be a military base during the Korean War, then became Boeing’s main manufacturing and test flight center. You’ve probably driven past it on I-5 and seen those massive Boeing buildings.
Commercial passenger flights didn’t start here until 2019. So the terminal is only like six years old – everything’s new and clean instead of being cobbled together over decades like most airports.
The terminal is really small. I want to say it’s got three gates? Maybe just two that are active most of the time. The whole place is roughly the size of a decent grocery store. They handle maybe 10-11 flights per day total. SeaTac does that many in 20 minutes.
Current airlines: Just Alaska Airlines as of early 2026. Frontier was here for a few months in 2025 but they pulled out. So it’s all Alaska now.
Where you can fly: Phoenix, Las Vegas, LA, San Diego, San Jose, Orange County, and Honolulu in the summer. I think Portland is starting in 2026. That’s it – eight or nine destinations, all western US.
🚗 Getting to Paine Field
Address is 3220 100th Street SW, Everett. Just search “Paine Field Terminal” in your GPS and you’ll find it.
From I-5, take exit 189 for Highway 526 West. Follow that for a few miles, take the 100th Street exit, turn right, and the terminal’s right there. Pretty straightforward. Signs everywhere once you’re on 526.
Parking lots are basically in front of the terminal. Premium parking is right across the street from the entrance. No shuttle buses, no trying to remember which garage level you parked on. Just park and walk.
Uber and Lyft both work here. There’s a rideshare pickup area at the curb – super easy. No public transit yet though. They keep talking about light rail eventually but that’s years away. For now you need a car, rideshare, or a professional Seattle airport transportation service if you want someone else to do the driving.
🅿️ Parking Situation
Paine Field has maybe 200-250 parking spaces? Something like that. I’ve never had trouble finding a spot, even on busy days, but during Thanksgiving or Christmas I could see it filling up.
Premium parking (the close lots) is $34 per day. If you park a full week they give you one day free, so that works out to like $200-something for the week. Economy lot is $24 per day and it’s a five-minute walk to the terminal. No shuttle – you just walk.
First 15 minutes are free in all the lots, which is nice for quick drop-offs.
There’s a cell phone waiting area that’s free for the first hour. After that it switches to regular parking rates. When I pick people up, I just wait there until they text me, then pull up to the curb.
I’ve seen people use valet parking right at the terminal but I’ve never tried it myself. Looks smooth though.
Oh, and there are a few EV charging spots in the main lot. I think there’s a fee to use them but I’m not sure how much since I don’t drive an EV.
🎫 Check-In and Security
They recommend arriving 90 minutes early. That seems like overkill to me – I usually get there an hour before boarding and that’s plenty. But maybe don’t cut it too close on holidays.
Check-in is simple. Alaska has a few kiosks – three or four maybe? Plus a couple of agents at the counter if you need help. I just check in on my phone before I leave home. If you’re checking bags, you drop them at the counter. Line is usually short, five minutes max.
Security is where Paine Field really shines. They’ve got three security lanes – two regular and one TSA PreCheck. Sometimes they convert a regular lane to PreCheck if it’s busy.
I have never waited more than 10 minutes here. Usually it’s five minutes or less. Even during busy times. The whole setup just moves fast because there aren’t that many people.
TSA PreCheck works here and it’s worth it if you fly a few times a year. The PreCheck line is even faster than the already-fast regular line.
Standard TSA rules – liquids in a bag, laptops out, shoes off unless you have PreCheck. Nothing special, just way faster than SeaTac.
After security you’re immediately in the terminal. No trains, no long walks. Just turn toward your gate and you can see it from where you’re standing.
🏢 The Terminal Experience
The whole terminal is basically one big lounge with gates on either side. It’s designed to feel like a nice hotel lobby, and honestly it works.
There are two working fireplaces (yeah, real ones), leather chairs and couches everywhere, high tables with stools, huge windows with views of the Olympics on clear days. Fresh flowers, wood beams, local art on the walls. They play quiet music – usually Frank Sinatra or something similar. The whole vibe is calm.
Every seat has power outlets and USB ports. WiFi is fast and free – I’ve done video calls while waiting for flights without issues.
There’s a concierge desk near the entrance. Never needed to use it but I’ve seen people asking questions there.
It’s quiet here. Like, actually quiet. No announcements blaring constantly. People talk in normal voices. You can see your gate from wherever you’re sitting so there’s no stress about missing boarding.
🚪 Gates and Boarding
Three gates – A1, A2, and A3. All visible from the main seating area. The gates have their own seating with the same outlets and USB ports. Big windows so you can watch your plane arrive.
Boarding is standard Alaska stuff – groups 1 through 9 or however many they do now. Gate agents seem more relaxed than at SeaTac. Maybe because they’re not dealing with hundreds of stressed passengers.
One thing I noticed – they start boarding maybe 40 minutes before departure instead of 30. I think they pad the schedule because the plane turnarounds are tight.
🍽️ Food Options (Limited)
This is where the small size becomes a problem. You’ve got two places to eat and that’s it.
Upper Case Bar: Sit-down restaurant between the gates. Full bar with cocktails, wine, beer. Food menu has burgers, sandwiches, salads. I’ve tried their turkey club a few times – pretty good, fresh ingredients, locally sourced stuff. Airport prices though – $15-18 for a sandwich. But better quality than typical airport food.
Nice atmosphere. You can sit at the bar or tables. Views of the planes taking off.
Beecher’s: Quick service spot with grilled cheese and mac and cheese. Same Beecher’s from Pike Place Market. The mac and cheese is legit – rich, creamy, actual cheese. Not cheap but good if you’re into mac and cheese.
There’s also a little market area with snacks, drinks, magazines. Basic convenience store stuff.
Coffee situation is weak. Just Starbucks coffee at the bar or market – no dedicated coffee shop with the full menu. If you need your specific triple-shot-whatever drink, get it before the airport.
Breakfast options are basically just pastries unless you want a full meal at Upper Case Bar. If you’re catching a 6 AM flight, eat before you come.
🛍️ Shopping (Don’t Expect Much)
Small news shop with magazines, books, snacks, souvenirs. That’s it. If you need to kill two hours, bring a book or download something to watch. The shopping won’t entertain you.
🛬 When You’re Arriving
Arrival is even faster than departure. Get off plane, walk into terminal, head straight to baggage claim. One carousel. Bags usually come out within 10-15 minutes.
The exit is right there next to baggage claim. I’ve been in my car 15 minutes after landing. Try that at SeaTac.
If someone’s picking you up, text them from baggage claim and they can be at the curb in two minutes from the cell phone lot.
💭 What’s Good and What Sucks
What I love:
- Speed – you really can get from parking to gate in 20 minutes
- No crowds
- Beautiful terminal that doesn’t feel like an airport
- Security is fast
- Easy parking
- Way less stressful than SeaTac
What drives me nuts:
- Only flies to like 8 cities
- Maybe 2-3 flights per day to each place
- One airline only
- If your flight’s cancelled, good luck – next one might be tomorrow
- Food choices are minimal
- Nothing to do if you show up super early
- Weather delays seem more common here
The big issue is flexibility. At SeaTac, if your morning flight is cancelled there are usually five more that day. Here, you might be stuck overnight.
💡 Things I’ve Learned
Don’t arrive more than an hour early. You’ll run out of stuff to do. The terminal is small and there’s limited food and shopping.
Bring your own coffee if you’re particular about it. The coffee here is basic Starbucks.
Check weather before you book. The runway here is shorter than SeaTac and I swear flights get delayed in fog more often. Had a three-hour delay once that wouldn’t have happened at SeaTac.
Have a backup plan if your flight gets cancelled. Know where nearby hotels are or if you can rebook on SeaTac.
Those nice chairs by the fireplace? Anyone can sit there. It’s not a paid lounge. Just grab a seat.
Gates are close but pay attention to boarding calls. It’s quiet so it’s easy to zone out.
🏨 What’s Around
Boeing Future of Flight is right next door – you can tour the factory where they build 747s and 787s. Pretty cool if you’re into planes.
There’s also a military aircraft museum nearby but I haven’t been yet.
Hotels within 10 minutes – Holiday Inn, Hampton Inn, whatever. Useful for early flights if you live far away.
Standard chain restaurants nearby – nothing special but food is available if you need it.
❓ Common Questions
People always ask me if Paine Field is cheaper than SeaTac. Not really – Alaska charges basically the same fares from both airports. Sometimes one’s cheaper, sometimes the other. Just check both when booking.
Can I fly international?
No. All domestic except Hawaii if that counts.
Is there a lounge?
No paid lounge but the whole terminal is designed like one and it’s free for everyone.
What if I miss my flight?
Alaska will rebook you but there might not be another Paine Field flight that day. They might put you on SeaTac which means figuring out how to get there.
Can I rent a car?
Not at the terminal. There are rental places nearby but you’d need to arrange pickup.
How early should I really be there?
An hour is fine. Maybe 90 minutes during Thanksgiving or Christmas. The security line just isn’t long.
✈️ My Take
Paine Field is basically the opposite of SeaTac in every way. Small versus huge, quiet versus loud, simple versus complicated.
For me living north of Seattle and flying to Phoenix or Vegas a few times a year? It’s perfect. The convenience beats everything else. I don’t need 50 restaurants or duty-free shopping. I just want to get on my plane without stress.
But when I’m flying across the country or internationally, I’m going to SeaTac. Paine Field can’t help me there.
Try it once if you live north of Seattle and you’re going to one of their destinations. The experience is different enough that it’s worth checking out. You’ll either love it or miss having more options.
Don’t expect it to replace SeaTac though. It’s a small regional airport that does one thing really well – getting North Sound residents to western US cities with minimal hassle. And for that specific purpose, it’s actually great.
