Air travel inefficiencies in the form of flight cancellations or delays and prolonged security checkpoints are causing more travelers to avoid flying when possible.
Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, said during a travel outlook media event that on average, air travelers are cutting back on two trips in the next year due to frustrations with flight cancellations and delays and airport inefficiencies. That amounts to 27 million trips avoided, or a loss of $71 billion in spending and $4.5 billion in tax revenue.
Air traffic control and Customs and Borders Protection positions are short of demand, and the Transportation Security Administration's workforce attrition rate is significantly higher than other government positions at about 20%.
“This is a result of years of federal underinvestment in travel,” he said. “It’s left us with a system that is understaffed and underfunded.”
TSA wait times and the process of getting through security are a main source of irritation among travelers, Freeman said. It’s still a requirement for non-TSA PreCheck members to remove shoes, belts and liquids prior to going through security.
“It’s slow, it’s cumbersome, and passengers know it doesn’t have to be this way,” he said. “The technology is there, but the U.S. is not rolling it out as quickly as other countries.”
TSA security measures have been in place since 2001 following 9/11, and since then, the check-in process hasn’t materially evolved, Freeman said. Signing up for programs such as Global Entry and TSA PreCheck expedite the check-in process, but it can take months to be officially enrolled.
“The security experience travelers face today is effectively the same as when TSA was first created. Air travel is safer than ever,” he said. “Technology has vastly improved, yet we’re not optimizing it as best as we could, nor is government making the investments to maximize our potential.”
Several European markets use advanced technology that does not require the removal of shoes or belts during the security process, and some countries such as Spain and the United Kingdom have plans in place to end the ban on liquids in carry-on luggage.
The perception around a greater adoption of technology to speed up the security process is generally positive. Nearly 60% of air travelers are in favor of the federal government reassessing security measures due to advances in technology, and about 66% are comfortable sharing biometric data, he said.
“Travelers aren’t asking for the moon; they’re asking for the same types of efficiencies that have been adopted elsewhere in the world,” he said.
Freeman said the number of travelers who are open to increased technology would be even higher if the government showed more transparency in its plan and informed the public of its benefits.
“That technology is proven. It’s secure and efficient,” he said. “But where there is resistance, it largely comes from the fact that the government has done a poor job of explaining its vision in how technology can improve the traveler experience.”
Effect on Business Travel
Business travel is the segment most affected by air travel woes. Freeman said business travelers are more likely to be frustrated by the travel inefficiencies and use alternatives such as Zoom meetings to avoid going on a trip.
One-third of business travelers report traveling less than they did pre-pandemic, and a survey from J.D. Power showed that 38% of companies have policies in place to restrict business travel, he said. One way to ease their dissatisfaction is a heightened focus on the Federal Aviation Agency’s strategy.
“The air travel experience is not going to get better until we see significant and sustained investments in the FAA,” he said. “Until we take the FAA more seriously, the traveler will not be taken seriously.”
Business travel demand has lagged behind pre-pandemic levels more than any other travel segment, so improving the air travel experience is vital for its continued recovery.
“There are a multitude of factors that contribute … [one is] virtual meetings. Economic factors,” he said. “We can’t ignore the role that public policy is playing. That’s within our control, and that’s what we need to address.”