Air travel beefs include carry-ons
For some, the airport screening process could be expedited. Credit: Uli Seit, 2011
On the 10th anniversary of the start of Transportation Security Administration, a new survey has found that the airport screening process remains among the top frustrations for most air travelers.
The security procedures yielded four of the top five annoyances of passengers asked to list their top frustrations with air travel.
The findings came from an online survey by the U.S. Travel Association, the nation's largest travel trade group. It was released to mark the 10th anniversary of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, which created the TSA in November 2001. The association surveyed 600 Americans who traveled by air in the past 12 months.
The top frustrations cited by air travelers:
* People who bring too many carry-on bags through the security checkpoint (72.4 percent).
* Uncomfortable seats on an airplane (70.4 percent).
* The wait time to clear the TSA checkpoint (68 percent).
* Having to remove shoes, belts and jackets at the TSA checkpoint (62.3 percent).
* TSA employees who are not friendly (42.4 percent).
WHAT IT MEANS
The survey offers some good news for the TSA: 66 percent of air travelers said they are somewhat or very satisfied with the TSA's overall performance. The satisfaction rate was 54.6 percent for frequent travelers.
Also, nearly 75 percent of travelers said they were somewhat or very satisfied with the TSA's recent announcement that the agency will eventually phase out the requirement for passengers to remove their shoes.
The TSA said recently that it plans to expand a pilot program that allows preapproved frequent travelers to zip through a special screening checkpoint without removing their shoes, belts or jackets. The program already is under way at airports in Miami, Dallas, Detroit and Atlanta.
