New Terminal Drawing More Airport Volunteers

Ever been stumped about where to go to report lost luggage at an airport where you’ve never been? Or where to find a taxi, the bus or car rentals?

It’s not hard to get an answer to such questions at Pittsburgh International Airport, where a large crew of volunteers called Airport Ambassadors are on hand throughout the airport.

“They do so much for the airport and the travelers who come through it,” said Elise Gomez, Manager, Customer Experience, at PIT, who runs the airport’s ambassadors program.

Many of the airport’s 130 volunteers were honored last month with a lunch at an airport hotel during National Volunteers week.

The Ambassadors complement the airport’s Customer Experience team which includes the information desk and lost-and-found staff and roaming Customer Care Agents to help travelers make their way through the airport.

It is estimated that about 75 million Americans formally volunteer through an organization, according to a survey of the U.S. Census Bureau.

New Terminal is Attraction

Pittsburgh International, which opened a new $1.7 billion airport terminal last year, has been attracting new volunteers, Gomez said.

Most, but not all, are retirees. “It’s a mix. There are people who still work and some students,” Gomez said.

Pittsburgh’s ambassador program started in 2001. Nearly every major U.S. airport, from Dallas-Fort Worth to New York’s JFK, has a volunteer program.

The 130 volunteers at the airport are double the number from four years ago.

They undergo training for several weeks that includes the ins and outs of operating a language interpreter program that translates 100 languages.

‘It’s a pretty rigorous program,” Gomez said. Volunteers are asked to commit to 12 hours per month.

Among the newer volunteers is Leann Sember, a retired project manager for Eaton Corp.

“I saw on Facebook that the airport needed volunteers, so I signed up,” said Sember, who started earlier this year. “I have always been passionate about travel and was curious about the new airport.”

In a short time, Sember says she feels she has made a difference. “Travel is stressful for a lot of people. You can often tell if someone needs help, just by looking,” she said.

So far, Sember has spent most of her time in the airport’s baggage claim area.

For Faith Krause, volunteering for the past four years has been a way to stay at the airport where she worked for 30 years for more than one airline.

“It’s always interesting, always different,” Krause said of volunteering.

In recent weeks, she said she was fascinated by all of the events and travelers connected to the NFL Draft, which took place in April in Pittsburgh. A couple of months earlier, Krause talked to travelers who attended the Winter Olympics at Milano Cortina, Italy.

“There’s always some excitement when people are returning from something like that,” she said.

PIT PAWS Volunteers Relieve Stress

Another volunteer, Rob Hummel, works in an airport program called PIT PAWS, a therapy dog program.

Hummel, a retired actuary, goes around the airport with Nouget, his Chocolate Labrador Retriever.

“People are usually surprised to see a dog. When they see that my dog has a nice temperament, they mostly like it,’ said Hummel.

It’s not just children and stressed travelers who benefit, he said. “This is just as good for Nouget as it is for the people at the airport. He likes the love and attention.”

Airport ambassadors get a few perks, like a break lounge and free parking.

“Everyone appreciates them. The airport would not be the same without the volunteers,” Gomez said.