Pittsburgh International Airport - Ticket refund and compensation in case of flight delays and cancellations

‘Ghost’ flight delays at Pittsburgh

Formerly known with the prefix Greater, Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) is a combined civil and military airport sited approximately 20 miles west of downtown Pittsburgh. The airport handles about 160 commercial flights daily to more than 36 destinations and is used by about twelve different airlines. It also serves a military function, delivering aerial refueling and tactical airlift support for the U.S. Air Force. Covering more than 52 square kilometers, Pittsburgh is among the ten largest airports in the country. Transatlantic flights recommenced from the airport in 2009 and planes now travel to Canada, Mexico, Europe and the Caribbean.

Completed in 1985, the airport control tower is the tallest owned by the FAA and reaches up 227 feet. In the original lobby area of the airport a large yellow and green compass was set into the floor area. When the new building was commissioned a replica of the original compass was installed, along with a mobile by Alexander Calder, which was relocated to the new structure. A Military Comfort Centre was opened at Gate A4 in November 2008, designed to service military personnel and their families passing through. LSG Skychefs chose Pittsburgh as the base for production for its operation in the whole of the Western Hemisphere, which produces almost twenty five million meals annually.

Rare chance of flight delays

Pittsburgh regularly features highly in customer satisfaction surveys, having been shortlisted four years in a row by OAG Worldwide as being amongst the world’s best. It was also recognized by Conde Nast Traveller’s Magazine as a top performer. This may be helped by the limited number of flights that the airport has to contend with.

Departure delay statistics and popular destinations

Out of the top ten, only the most frequent airline using Pittsburgh Airport dips below the 100% rate for on-time departures, and Republic Airlines still maintains a 93% record. The next four airlines by number of flights are Southwest Airlines, US Airways, Delta Air Lines and Endeavor Air, according to statistics by FlightStats. So if your flight is delayed long enough to warrant a claim for compensation, you are a very rare passenger indeed. The most popular international routes from Pittsburgh Airport are to Toronto-Pearson (YYZ), flown by Air Canada, Paris-Charles de gaulle (CDG) in France travelled by Delta, Punta Cana (PUJ) in the Dominican Republic, a Frontier route, Nassau (NAS) in the Bahamas, also by Delta and Cancun (CUN) in Mexico, again, flown by Frontier.

According to Flightright Data, in 2023, Pittsburgh Airport had a total of 253 scheduled flights. Out of these, 9 flights were cancelled, representing 3.56% of all scheduled flights. Additionally, 2 flights were delayed, making up 0.79% of the total. There were 11 incidents, which constituted 4.35% of all departing flights. Pittsburgh experienced notable operational activities. The most active carrier was British Airways, operating a total of 253 flights with 9 cancellations and 2 delays, reflecting consistent operational performance. Overall, the operational data from Pittsburgh Airport in 2023 showcases the significant role of British Airways in its flight operations.

Passengers delayed on ‘ghost’ flight

Despite the enviable record of Pittsburgh Airport for delays and cancelled flights, it is not infallible. A recent incident left passengers stranded in their plane for over an hour, when it landed there, with no ground crew to meet it. Somehow, the Delta flight had been marked as cancelled, after it had taken off from New York. As a result, the Pittsburgh staff decided to call it an early day, and had left the destination airport before the plane landed, leaving no-one to connect the jetway so that passengers could disembark. The embarrassing situation was resolved when non-Delta staff were given clearance to take over the procedure to enable the passengers to leave. This came on top of a four hour wait for passengers on the tarmac at New York, which had lead to the cancellation mix-up in the first place. The passengers’ compensation claims for delays had probably been drafted before the plane even touched down.

Delay, cancellation, overbooking or missed connection flight? You are entitled to:

Recently cancelled or delayed flights at Pittsburgh International Airport

Here you’ll find delays and cancellations at Pittsburgh International Airport that could entitle you to financial compensation. Use our online calculator to check your entitlement to compensation and let Flightright do the rest of the work.

What rights do I have as a passenger if my flight is canceled due to a strike at Pittsburgh Airport?

If your flight is planned to depart from Pittsburgh and there is a strike at the airport, first check if your flight is affected by the cancellations due to the strike. According to the EU Passenger Rights Regulation, you are entitled to alternative transportation or a refund of the ticket price. In addition, you may be entitled to compensation if there are no extraordinary circumstances, and it is an internal airline strike. Contact your airline for further information regarding substitute transportation, rebooking, or ticket refund as well as on-site services such as meals and, if necessary, accommodation and transportation to the hotel.

Can I get compensation if my flight is delayed or canceled at Pittsburgh due to a strike?

A flight cancellation or significant delay of more than three hours due to a strike is often considered an extraordinary circumstance, provided the strike is not within the control of the airline or its personnel. There is no entitlement to compensation in case of extraordinary circumstances. However, passengers should be aware of their rights to basic care and catering services at Pittsburgh Airport. This includes meals, refreshments, and, if necessary, accommodation, depending on the duration of the delay and the flight distance. Also, important to know: If your flight is canceled because the airline staff is on strike, you are entitled to a refund of your ticket price, alternative transportation, on-site catering, and additional compensation.