Search Travel Market Report

mainlogo
www.travelmarketreport.com
  • News
  • Tours & Packages
  • Cruise
  • Hotels & Resorts
  • Destinations
  • Retail Strategies
  • Niche & Luxury
  • Air
  • Training & Events
  • Who We Are
    • Brian Israel
    • Dan McCarthy
    • Denise Caiazzo
    • Dori Saltzman
    • Kelly Fontenelle

Survey Finds Most People Don’t Hate Air Travel After All

by Michele McDonald / April 14, 2016


What do airline passengers really want? 

A new survey commissioned by Airlines for America, the U.S. airline trade association, asked travelers how satisfied they were with their overall travel experience in 2015. 

Despite the anecdotal moaning and groaning about air travel, 35% of travelers said they were very satisfied and 44% said they were somewhat satisfied, for a total of 79%. 

But here’s a clue to what makes or breaks a trip these days: Among passengers who are enrolled in TSA Pre-Check, 49% said they were very satisfied. Among those are enrolled in Global Entry, 67% said they were very satisfied. 

John P. Heimlich, vice president and chief economist of A4A, said the results indicate that “it is paramount that carriers work collaboratively with TSA, Customs, and Border Control” and other entities that are involved in security.  

The message comes as travelers are facing the worst security bottlenecks in recent memory. American Airlines told the Chicago Tribune that in March, 1,000 passengers missed their flights at Chicago O’Hare alone because they were stuck in lines at TSA screening points. 

The long lines are the result of a huge miscalculation by TSA: It overestimated—by millions—the number of people who would enroll in Pre-Check. Thinking it would need fewer screeners, it cut its screener staff by 10% over the past three years. 

It’s not just big airports that are feeling the pain: During spring break, TSA was unable to cope with an extra 4,000 travelers in one day at Nashville, resulting in three-hour waits. 

It’s not surprising, then, that the A4A survey found that the efficiency of the overall pre-flight experience—and especially the efficiency of the security process—was the biggest concern of 2015 fliers.  

As for the inflight experience, 89% of those flights rated legroom and seat comfort as the most important factor. Number two on the list was adequate room for carry-ons. 

That, too, is likely to be a growing point of friction, as airlines put more seats on planes. 

Asked whether that data point would send a message to the airlines that they shouldn’t take the shoe-horn approach too far, Heimlich said, “I don’t see actual evidence that seat comfort has declined or that even seat size has declined.” 

The online survey of 3,019 adult members of the American general public was conducted Dec. 14-22 by Ipsos Public Affairs. 

  3
  1
Related Articles
Federal Judge Strikes Down American Airlines and JetBlue’s 'Northeast Alliance'
WestJet Pilots Could Strike as Soon as Friday
American Airlines Pilots Vote to Strike
Here Are the Best U.S. Airlines, According to Customer Satisfaction Ratings
American Airlines Rolls Out NDC Content on Sabre, Despite Concerns From the Travel Industry
American Airlines to Debut NDC Content on Sabre on April 3
American Airlines Drops Service to Three Cities Over Pilot Shortage and ‘Soft Demand’
The Iconic Boeing 747 Ends Its 50-Year Run
Four Changes from American Airlines’ AAdvantage Update
JetBlue and American Airlines Expand Northeast Alliance with 11 New Nonstops

MOST VIEWED

  1. U.S. State Department Updates Jamaica Travel Warning to Level 3
  2. First Hand Look at the Soon-to-Open Sam Lord's Castle Barbados, A Wyndham Grand Resort
  3. TSA Will Now Allow Teens to Access PreCheck with Parents or Guardians
  4. 25 Qualifying Questions to Help You Nail Your Clients' Vacation Plans
  5. Tips for Delivering Bad News to Your Clients
  6. Report: Margaritaville Times Square Faces Foreclosure

MOST EMAILED

  1. 5 Reasons You Need to Use a Travel Advisor Now More Than Ever
  2. First Hand Look at the Soon-to-Open Sam Lord's Castle Barbados, A Wyndham Grand Resort
  3. U.S. State Department Updates Jamaica Travel Warning to Level 3
  4. U.S. to End COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement for International Travelers
  5. 25 Qualifying Questions to Help You Nail Your Clients' Vacation Plans
  6. TSA Will Now Allow Teens to Access PreCheck with Parents or Guardians
TMR Subscription

Subscribe today to receive daily in-depth coverage, analysis of industry news, trends and issues that affect how you do business. Subscribe now for free.

Subscribe to TMR

Top Stories
Intrepid Relaunches Cycling Tours for 2023
Intrepid Relaunches Cycling Tours for 2023

Intrepid is now offering over 30 different cycling-focused tours. 

Read...
Globus Family of Brands CEO Scott Nisbet Talks 95 Years of Touring
Globus Family of Brands CEO Scott Nisbet Talks 95 Years of Touring

The company started with one man and a rowboat on a lake in Switzerland. 

Read...
Pleasant Holidays and Journese Launch Updated Travel Advisor Resource
Pleasant Holidays and Journese Launch Updated Travel Advisor Resource

As part of the refresh the Social Media Toolkit has been updated with fresh ready-to-use content. 

Read...
ALG Vacations to Pay Full Earned Hotel Commission in Europe
ALG Vacations to Pay Full Earned Hotel Commission in Europe

ALG Vacations wants to become travel advisors’ “first call” when booking Europe

Read...
Intrepid’s Matt Berna on Why the Company Is More than an Adventure Tour Operator
Intrepid’s Matt Berna on Why the Company Is More than an Adventure Tour Operator

For advisors who want to experience the product first-hand, Intrepid has two FAM trips planned for later this year:

Read...
ALG Vacations Offers Advisors Free Air, Stays for Appreciation Month
ALG Vacations Offers Advisors Free Air, Stays for Appreciation Month

The promotion runs through the end of May. 

Read...
TMR OUTLOOKS & WHITE PAPERS
Cruise Trend Outlook 2023
river cruise 2022
group outlook 2022
View All
Advertiser's Voice
https://img.youtube.com/vi/TIZwKLcPwbg/0.jpg
We Appreciate our Travel Advisors
About Travel Market Report Mission Staff Advisory Board Advertise
TMR Resources Webinars Calendar of Events Outlook/Whitepapers Previous Sponsored Articles Previous This Week Articles
Subscribe to TMR
Select Language
Do You Have an Idea Email
editor@travelmarketreport.com
Give Us a Call
1-(516) 730-3097
Drop Us a Note
Travel Market Report
71 Audrey Ave, Oyster Bay, NY 11771
News |Tours & Packages |Cruise |Hotels & Resorts |Destinations |Retail Strategies |Niche & Luxury |Air |Training & Events |Who We Are
© 2005 - 2023 Travel Market Report, an American Marketing Group Inc. Company All Rights Reserved | 243 South Street, Oyster Bay, NY, 11771 USA | Telephone (516) 730-3097| Terms and Conditions
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy