Wielding a sledgehammer, a million-mile frequent flier destroyed a traditional ticket counter at Seattle-Tacoma Airport yesterday, ushering in what Alaska and Horizon called the first airport of the future in the lower 48 and the opening of the first phase of their $18 million facility. The patented design, which replaces traditional ticket counters with islands of check-in and bag-check areas, reduces passenger wait times. The facility was opened to Alaska Airlines customers on Tuesday and will be expanded to Horizon Air customers in early 2008. After destroying the counter, the passenger became among the first customers to check in for a flight using the new facility. Alaska Airlines introduced the Airport of the Future design in 2004 at Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage, Alaska. The project cut in half the average check-in time there.