If you’re gearing up for holiday travel, get ready for a busy day at the airport. To make your flight as smooth as possible, we’ve put together a survival guide to navigating PIT. Safe travels, yinz!
🚌 Get to the Airport
The gold standard for commuting to the airport is asking a friend or family member for a ride, but if you’re getting there on your own, you have three options.
The cheapest option is the 28X Airport Flyer bus, but make sure you factor in extra time for traffic and any bus transfers.
Want to get dropped off directly out front? Grab a rideshare from Uber or Lyft.
If you’re driving yourself, we recommend booking parking online. You’ll get a slight discount and be guaranteed a space.
🚦Speed Through Security
Streamline the process with TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, or CLEAR. Tip: If you’re arriving between 4-7 a.m., the only spot that takes TSA PreCheck is the alternate security line upstairs.
If you do get stuck in a long line, take a deep breath and remind yourself that it (hopefully) won't be this way forever. The airport's undergoing major renovations that include a larger, speedier security area.
🦕 Check Out Public Art
Once you’re past security, take the train to the gates. With a remodel underway, this will be the last holiday season with the train running!
After you get off the train, say hi to the enormous T. rex skeleton. There’s a lot of public art in the terminal, so stroll around the gates and check out the Sense of Place program, which highlights regional history, culture, and innovation. You’ll find exhibits about Heinz ketchup, the Tuskegee airmen, and Andy Warhol. Plus, kids can romp around an indoor playspace designed in collaboration with the Children’s Museum.
(You can enjoy even more art when you return from your destination. Admire the wax figures of George Washington, pioneering journalist Nellie Bly, and Hall of Fame Steeler Franco Harris by baggage claim.)
🍪 Grab A Snack!
Need something more filling than a bag of pretzels and a complimentary pop? Grab a local bite at Penn Brewery or Primanti Bros., or buy some macarons from Gaby et Jules as a last-minute gift. If you’d like a local cocktail before your flight, Wigle Whiskey has a bar in the airport.
Prices at PIT shouldn’t be too outrageous because of a policy that’s supposed to keep costs comparable to what you’d find outside of the airport. There are audits to make sure that’s actually happening, though past surveys found that some stores still jacked up prices.
🛬 Land Safely at PIT
Problems at baggage claim? You might need to contact the airline directly, but the airport also has a lost and found number: (412) 472-3525.
There’s also a helpline for issues at the parking lot: (412) 472-5050. The airport can even come to the rescue if you need to jumpstart your car!
If you’re picking up family members, remember not to loiter in front of the baggage claim doors. Instead, wait in the extended lot — there’s no charge for your first hour there.
