How a British Airways link has made this US city a must visit
Following the airline’s reinstatement of its direct route, we talk to Visit Pittsburgh’s chief executive about this intriguing city in Pennsylvania
The return of British Airways’ direct service to Pittsburgh gives agents extra impetus to include this affordable and dynamic city in US itineraries, says Jerad Bachar, chief executive of Visit Pittsburgh. The service was first launched in March 2019 and returned on June 3 with four-weekly departures after a hiatus during the pandemic.
“We were fortunate,” says Bachar. “Not all BA’s US routes came back, but [the airline] deemed Pittsburgh strong enough to revive it. Now it’s performing well and we hope the frequency of flights could increase to six-weekly in time.”
He adds passengers on the inbound flight from the UK benefit from being the only international arrivals going through customs (if the plane lands on time).
Another advantage Pittsburgh has over other cities is its affordability, he says. “Average nightly room rates, Broadway shows and amazing restaurants, they all come in at a much better price point than New York City, for example.”
Gateway city
There are more reasons why Pittsburgh is a draw for leisure travellers, particularly those who have already explored the Eastern Seaboard trio of New York, Boston and DC. “Pittsburgh works well as a gateway for the Great Lakes and onwards to Chicago,” he explains.
Visitors to the Pennsylvania city will see the legacy of industrialists such as Andrew Carnegie, who left an architectural imprint. To immerse your clients in this history, book them into the Omni William Penn Hotel, which opened in 1916.
Pittsburgh is also the birthplace of Andy Warhol, and the eponymous museum is the largest in North America devoted to a single artist.
Balancing this historical and cultural side is the city’s forward-thinking ethos, seen in the new Moonshot Museum, with its mission to make space more accessible, and on Pittsburgh’s roads, which have been a testing ground for driverless vehicles.
There’s also a quirkiness to the city, exemplified by the Picklesburgh festival, dedicated to pickles, which attracted 200,000 devotees this summer.
Learn more about Pittsburgh
Heathrow-Pittsburgh flights start from £508 return. britishairways.com. For more on Pittsburgh, log onto the newly launched Pittsburgh’s Pros training platform, where incentives include fam trip places. pittsburgh-pros.com
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