Airmall soars

It is one of the most exclusive shopping and dining enclaves in the area, and it just got a perfect score from its clientele.

The Airmall at Pittsburgh International Airport — open only to ticketed airline passengers these days because of security regs — got a five-star rating in the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 North America Airport Satisfaction Study, based on passenger surveys.

In a news release, Jay Kruisselbrink, vice president of BAA Pittsburgh, developer of the mall, said: "There are few benchmarks that can surpass the authority and credibility of J.D. Power and Associates when it comes to passenger satisfaction. Given this, we are incredibly proud of this latest achievement. When we launched the Airmall, it was a ground-breaking concept that sparked a change in our industry. Nearly two decades later, the Airmall remains the gold standard for airport concessions."

At the insistence of county officials, the mall opened in 1992 with a pledge not to charge more for goods and services than comparable stores elsewhere. Its operator says it has the highest per-passenger spending rate of any airport in the U.S. The mall has 25 restaurants and bars and more than 40 specialty retail shops, news and gift shops.

If they could only find a way to reopen it to the public ...