May 29, 2008 3:36 pm US/Eastern
Airport Hassles Changing America's Travel Patterns
NEW YORK (CBS4) ―
The airline industry has a new report card and the grades are bad. Millions are staying grounded by choice.
A new survey shows just how aggravated people are about the hassles at the airport and reveals that millions are changing their plans to avoid getting on planes.
The survey found that 100-thousand travelers a day are choosing to avoid flying.
Traveler Steve Murphy says, "We've driving to Florida with the kids, a 20-hour drive rather than fly."
That shows just how aggravated travelers are with the whole process of flying. In fact, the study by the Travel Industry Association found 75-percent think the system needs to be fixed.
"It's not about gas prices or the cost of tickets. The whole hassle factor caused 41 million cancelled trips," said Roger Dow, President and CEO of the Travel Industry Association.
That amounts to a 9-billion dollar blow to the airlines over the past year. They say they're doing the best they can but with the economy in a slump and fuel prices at an all-time high, the industry is struggling.
Airlines are already raising fares and adding fuel surcharges to stay afloat. They're also cutting back on flights and charging baggage fees, and as travelers choose to stay grounded, industry experts say this has to be a wake up call.
"We have no lack of great ideas, what we need is some leadership to get people in a room and peel the onion piece by piece to solve the system," said Dow.
The top complaints are delays, cancellations and inefficient security screening. Travelers aren't optimistic. Nearly half say they don't expect the system will improve any time soon.
Click here to read the entire Airline Passenger Survey.(pdf)
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