Check-in and security at Pittsburgh International Airport
Everything before the checkpoint happens in the Landside Terminal: airline counters and bag drop on the departures level, curbside check-in at the curb, and screening at the security checkpoints — after which the Skybridge carries you to every gate.
The check-in experience
- Departures level — airline ticketing counters and bag drop sit on the departures level of the new Landside Terminal, reached from the upper roadway.
- Curbside — American Airlines operates curbside check-in at the terminal curb.
- Documents — bring photo ID (REAL ID-compliant for US domestic flights) and your boarding pass; international travellers need passports.
Security checkpoints
- Screening is on the departures level of the Landside Terminal; wait times are published on the airport’s Current Wait Times page (Standard, TSA PreCheck and CLEAR lanes are shown live).
- The airport recommends arriving 2 hours before domestic and 3 hours before international departures.
- PIT was among the first US airports to use TSA Credential Authentication Technology, which verifies travellers by government-issued ID instead of a boarding pass at the checkpoint.
- After screening, follow signs to the Skybridge — it delivers you to the airside centre core for all four concourses.
Special assistance
- Request wheelchair or mobility assistance through your airline when booking, or at the counter on arrival; airport staff can arrange help across the terminal.
- The airport runs a Sunflower Hidden Disability lanyard programme, sensory room (Presley’s Place), nursing rooms, family restrooms and animal relief areas.
- Credential Authentication Technology lanes accept government-issued ID — check current TSA guidance before you travel.
Getting to check-in
- By car: drop-off on the upper roadway of the Landside Terminal; the Terminal Garage connects by covered walkway (3–5 minutes).
- By bus: the 28X Airport Flyer and coaches arrive at door 9 on the Ground Level — ride the incline up to the departures level.
- By ride share: drop-off at door 7 on the Ground Level, then ride the incline Level 1 to Level 3.
Weekend mornings and holiday peaks are the busiest; the airport’s live wait-time page shows checkpoint queues before you leave home.