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Pittsburgh Airport Opens 'Sensory Room' to Help Flyers With Autism

July 24, 2019
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2 min read
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Pittsburgh Airport Opens 'Sensory Room' to Help Flyers With Autism
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Flying can be stressful for everyone. But for travelers with autism, crowded airports and their bright lights and unfamiliar sounds can be particularly overwhelming.

This is why Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) says it has opened "Presley's Place," a 1,500-square-foot "sensory-friendly" space for passengers young and old to de-stress and acclimate to the experience of traveling in a controlled and safe place.

“We want to make flying accessible to everyone," Pittsburgh International Airport CEO Christina Cassotis said in a statement. "This room is an opportunity for special needs travelers from children to adults to have a place to decompress and get prepared to fly."

Photo courtesy of PIT.

The new space at PIT is located off of Concourse A. It features a family area, private rooms and part of an American Airlines cabin, meant to help familiarize passengers with the flying experience in a non-intimidating way. The entire area is soundproofed and is meant to serve children and adult passengers.

The space was designed with help from advocacy groups, as well as individuals and caregivers of children with neurodevelopment challenges, who provided input on features the space might need. The original plan came from airport employee Jason Rudge, whose 4-year old son Presley gave him the idea.

Photo courtesy of PIT.

“A caregiver for a kid with autism might think, ‘I’m never going to be able to fly anywhere with my family — it’s too hard to travel with someone with autism,’” Rudge said. “Having a sensory room at the airport changes that thinking to, ‘Maybe we can take that trip after all.’”

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Presley's Place is now open, and the American Airlines cabin — dubbed by PIT as an "airplane experience" area — will also be open to passengers during first-time flyers classes meant to reduce fear and anxiety in travelers new to flying.

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  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
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  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
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