Handful of non-flyers shop, meet travelers at Pittsburgh airport gates

Brenda Smith could hardly stand still as she waited with balloons and an empty stroller at Pittsburgh International Airport's Southwest Airlines gate watching as the passengers filed off the plane.

She had waited a year to see her daughter and granddaughter and didn't want to wait a minute longer for them to get their luggage and walk to the curb-side pickup, but instead wanted to greet them right as they got off the plane.

She was thrilled to learn that it was the airport's first day of a new program that allows for just that.

"It's super exciting," said Smith, of Dunkirk, N.Y., tears in her eyes. "You get to see them sooner."

Her daughter was equally thrilled.

"It's nice not having to lug everything off the plane and get luggage by yourself, especially with children," said Carrie Smith, who traveled with her 1-year-old from Orlando on Tuesday morning.

Brenda Smith was among the roughly 60 people who by noon had shown up to the airport to get a myPITpass on the first day for the program.

Some were there to greet loved ones or see them off, while others wanted to shop and check out how the airport has improved in recent years.

Alena Evans and Darrell Vincent, of Bridgeport, W.Va., got passes to walk their daughter and grandson to the gate, who were flying back to Phoenix after a visit.

Pamela Mancini and her toddler came to get a pass to see off her husband, who was catching a flight.

The Pleasant Hills couple wanted to acquaint their son with the airport and experience some of the kids' activities without being rushed.

"It's good practice for him so he's not scared when we're traveling," Pamela said of her toddler. "He loves the escalators."

Dan Zunko came to see how the airport has changed in the decade since he had last been through security.

"I used to visit the airport for the shops, but since the terror attacks, I wasn't able to enjoy it," said Zunko, of Reserve.

Since 9/11, airports could no longer allow people beyond security without a plane ticket.

Pittsburgh International is the first airport with a program of this kind since 9/11, according to the U.S. Transportation Security Administration.

People can get a pass from 9 a.m. to 5 a.m. Monday through Friday — the least busy time for the airport, officials say.

The roughly 60 people who had shown up for a pass by noon was about the same amount the airport was expecting, said Bob Kerlik, airport spokesman.

"We expected a slow and steady pace of people coming throughout the day," Kerlik said. "This is not something that will affect the (security) lines."

The program received some push back.

The union representing flight attendants at American Airlines strongly opposes the program , worried it will set a bad precedent that will lead to other, busier airports such as those in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago, to adopt similar programs.

Bo Hamlett, who lives in Mars and flies weekly, agreed with the union's concerns if the program were to expand to larger airports.

"The woman in front of me didn't know she had to take her earrings off," he said. "So it'll bring more people like that."

Theresa Clift is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 412-380-5669, tclift@tribweb.com or via Twitter @tclift.