Most would be travelers are pleased by the wide variety of cheap traveloptions they have to choose from including cheap airplane tickets, discount hotel rooms, and cheap vacation packages. However, some older travelers yearn for thegood old days when passengers families could bid them farewell or greet theirarrival at their airline gates.
Everything changed after 9/11, with only ticketedpassengers being permitted past airport security checkpoints.
The Pittsburgh International Airport has figured out a wayto allow a friend or family member to walk right out to the gate and give ahug, a kiss, or a balloon to loved ones as they exit a plane after a longflight or board flights.
Non-ticketed people, as of September 5th, havebeen given access to gates, shops, restaurants, and artwork located beyond thesecurity checkpoints year-round with the approval of the TransportationSecurity Administration (TSA).
Before passing through airport security they will need tocheck in at a special desk, show a valid government issued photo ID (DriversLicense or Passport), and have their names checked against No-Fly lists. They will then be issued a myPITpass. After obtaining this pass guests will proceedto go through screening at security checkpoints same as airline passengers.
Currently passes will only be issued Monday through Fridayfrom 9 am to 5 pm and will be valid only for the day they are issued. These times were selected to avoid thebusiest times at the airport and at security checkpoints. If security lines become long, people seekinga myPITpass will have to wait until the lines slow down.
While the TSA has express support for the myPITpassprogram, it has noted that the agency has not had to hire any additional staffbecause of the program. Although TSAdoes not expect the myPITpass program to negatively impact checkpoint waittimes, there are no plans to expand the program at this time.
There are a number of reasons for someone not flying ormeeting other fliers may want to get a pass and spend time on the secure airside of PIT airport. There are shops andrestaurants not available elsewhere in the city, such as Armani, Bar Symon,Hugo Boss, Tumi, and others. The airportis also home to a high-quality art collection that displays a giant AlexanderCalder mobile, Andy Warhol works, and a new center core terrazzo floor thatdepicts iconic Pittsburgh neighborhoods.
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