If you are traveling this holiday season there is a good chance that you will find yourself at Sea-Tac International Airport as you leave our fair city for, presumably, snowier pastures. Any seasoned traveler will have their seats reserved and a rental car waiting shortly after landing but even the most efficient traveler might be surprised by the regulations around transporting gifts that are often tucked away in their suitcase for the holidays. Or maybe you have been so busy wrapping things up the office you might have forgotten to purchase a something to wrap? But, as often the case, the holidays are as much about the journey as the destination so read ahead for our tips on how to plan ahead for holiday travel:

It can be tempting to wrap gifts before your flight so you can spend as much time as possible enjoying family, and a holiday cocktail, when you arrive. But the Transportation Security Administration advises against pre-wrapping gifts with paper and tape in case they set off an alarm in the security line. You can always pack along gift bags for ease but if you are a traditionalist when it comes to gift wrapping they might not measure up. Luckily, you will find two wrapping stations post-security at the Central Terminal at Sea-Tac Airport and a crew of holiday “elves” who will provide wrapping services from December 16th-24th between 6:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. with proceeds benefiting USO Northwest.

Now it is entirely possible that holiday gift shopping has not been your top priority this season. But the good news is the local retailers at Sea-Tac make picking up a last minute holiday or hostess gift as easy as skipping the line via T.S.A. Pre-Check. One of our favorite options is the coveted holiday gift sets at glassybaby (A Gates) that retail at $75 per votive. If you are looking for something sweet you can pick up the “Woodland Buck Holiday Gift Box” from Seattle Chocolate (C Gates), a $25 box includes 36 truffles. The perfect hostess gift comes in the form of a box of Lady Yum macarons (C Gates). You can select different flavors of the whimsical French-inspired treats and have them packaged in festive boxes to go.

Photo courtesy of Sea-Tac Airport

For the music lover in your life, swing by the Sub Pop Airport Store in the Central Terminal. The Seattle-based record label recently launched a new clothing collection that features, among other designs, this “Fremont Flannel” button up shirt. For a full list of shopping destinations at Sea-Tac click here; you explore holiday travel tips from the T.S.A. here.

“Sea-Tac Airport is changing for the better, and this December it’s about the journey and the destination for our holiday travelers,” says communications manager Kate Hudson. “Sea-Tac Airport is home to retailers and restaurants from the Northwest, as well as brands from around the world, that provide passengers with incredible experiences worth lingering over during the holiday season.”