How will Brexit impact daily life in Pittsburgh
On Friday, the United Kingdom legally ended its membership in the 28-nation European Union, and some of Rover Cranville’s friends headed over to the Omni William Penn Hotel to celebrate with Champagne.
“I personally was for staying with Europe, but you have to bow to the majority even though it was only 3.8%, which is a very narrow majority,” said the founder of Britsburgh, a Pittsburgh organization that celebrates all things British.
That narrow win in 2016 might have easily gone differently. “If it had rained in Halifax [U.K], perhaps it would have been a different vote,” Mr. Cranville joked.
But Brexit — as the move is commonly labeled — forged ahead, and now comes the sorting as to what it will mean for tourists, currencies and even British citizens.
Britain’s exit from the European Union isn’t expected to have any impact on the British Airways flight from Pittsburgh to London’s Heathrow Airport.
Michael Boyd, a Coloradobased aviation consultant, said Brexit “is not going to have any effect whatsoever” on the flight or the ability of Pittsburghers to travel to London or to other points in Europe from Heathrow.
“As far as Pittsburgh is concerned, you can get on British Airways and fly to practically any place in the world,” he said.
He added there shouldn’t be any passport or visa issues for a U.S. traveler “just because you’re sitting in a British airplane.” American citizens will continue to be governed by whatever travel agreements the U.S. has with other countries.
A spokesman for the Allegheny County Airport Authority, which operates Pittsburgh International, declined comment, referring questions to British Airways.
“Air travel should not be affected for U.S. citizens as there is already an agreement between the U.S. and Britain to allow airlines to continue flying,and it will be in Britain’s interest to make certain that they make this clear and be extra welcoming,” said Barbara Tucker, director of the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh Travel Program.
The Carnegie Museums has a trip scheduled to the English Riviera to include Devon and Cornwall in July with a postlude to London. “The hotels are very interested in our business,” Ms. Tucker said. She also will be leading a trip to Ireland in August.
Ms. Tucker has fielded many questions about Brexit and how it will affect travel. “In all, I think the EU travelers will find this much more difficult than the U.S. travelers and other than lower costs for U.S. citizens traveling to Britain, there should not be any major differences,” she said.
There’s some indication that the shift -— and its impact on currencies -— might make traveling to the U.K. more attractive for U.S. tourists.
“Tourism to the U.K. might actually increase since the exchange rate is very low for the British pound ...,” said Mike Fitzgerald, president of Frontiers Travel in Gibsonia.
Ms. Tucker agreed. “The pound is at a low of $1.30 and has made it cheaper for Americans to travel to Britain and they are taking advantage of the lower costs.”
Mr. Cranville’s friends and family in the U.K. also are watching to see what the value of the pound will do, as well as what steps Scotland might take in response to Brexit. And Brittsburgh members are watching the Ireland situation.
“The border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is an issue as the Republic of Ireland will remain a member of the European Union,” noted Ms. Tucker.
That could slow the travel process a bit.
“My understanding is that there may be some additional screening and delays if connecting to other countries via a U.K. international airport, and I am also waiting to hear how they are handling the Ireland/ Northern Ireland border crossings,‘” said Mr.
Fitzgerald.
Members of the EU and Britain now will have to show passports for flights, trains and ferries when traveling between the countries as opposed to the national ID card.
U.S. citizens still will not need visas to travel to Britain.
The take-away is that line could end up being longer at passport control until staffing adjustments are made, since EU travelers will now have to wait in the same lines
Mr. Cranville has lived in Pittsburgh since 1991 and holds dual citizenship with the U.S. and Great Britain. One thing that has changed is his European Union passport — now a British passport.
Beyond that, who knows? “You will really need a crystal ball to know how this will impact things,” he said.
Ms. Tucker doesn’t think things will change overnight. “There will be time needed for Britain and EU to iron all of the details out before the end of 2020.”
And, as history sometimes shows, some of the expected drama may not come through.
“This may all turn out to be very Shakespearean, you know — much ado about nothing,” said Mr. Cranville with a laugh.