Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial beginning of the summer season at Sea-Tac International Airport.

The Port of Seattle offers these summer traffic numbers at Sea-Tac:

• The busiest travel days for Memorial Day weekend are projected to be Thursday, May 26 and Friday, May 27th with over 95,000 travelers expected each day.
• For the 11th straight month, passenger traffic at Sea-Tac has gone up. The month of April saw an increase of 5.4 percent over the same month in 2010. The April 2011 total is only 2.9 percent below the peak year of 2008.
• Through April, 2011 passenger traffic is up 4.9 percent compared to 2010. That is ahead of the airport's projection of a 1 percent increase for the year. In 2010, total passengers at Sea-Tac exceeded 31.5 million.
• In terms of travelers, August is traditionally the busiest month of the year followed by July, June and May [by contrast December is 7th and November 10th]. August 2010 saw over 3.2 million passengers.
• An average summer day (June-August) will see nearly 100,000 passengers (inbound and outbound) through the airport.
• The largest day for 2010 was August 15th with over 108,000 passengers.

Traveling Internationally? Port officials suggest signing-up for Global Entry.

Frequent international travelers can significantly speed up their clearance process through U.S. Customs and Border Protection by enrolling in Global Entry, an expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the U.S. A five year membership is $100. Visit http://www.globalentry.gov/

Port staffers also offer the following summer travel tips:

• Do Some Advance Planning - Confirm your travel details and make sure the name on your boarding pass and your government-issued ID match.
• Pack with Security in Mind - Know what is and isn't allowed in carry-ons and checked luggage by checking the TSA website.
• Get your Boarding Pass Early - Print it online before you arrive or use convenient check-in kiosks in the airport garage or at airline check-in counters. Passengers with only carry-on baggage can go directly to the security checkpoint. Passengers with luggage can go to airline bag-check points.
• Check the status of your flight online or via text messaging - Go to www.portseattle.org for updates online or through email and text messaging.
• Arrive at least two hours before your flight - give yourself time to get through security.
• Park in the Airport Garage - Save time, stay dry and be close. No shuttles, covered skybridges and you are right next to the terminal.

More information on these and other travel tips for those heading to the airport or picking up passengers, can be found at http://www.portseattle.org/seatac/traveler/traveltips-holiday2010.shtml