Travel News

WASHINGTON (AP) - Nearly half of American air travelers would fly more if it were easier, and more than one fourth said they skipped at least one air trip in the past 12 months because of the hassles involved, according to an industry survey.

The Travel Industry Association, which commissioned the survey released Thursday, estimated that the 41 million forgone trips cost the travel industry $18.1 billion - including $9.4 billion to airlines, $5.6 billion to hotels and $3.1 billion - and it cost federal, state and local authorities $4.2 billion in taxes in the past 12 months.

When 28 percent of air travelers avoided an average of 1.3 trips each, that resulted in 29 million leisure trips and 12 million business trips not being taken, the researchers estimated.

The survey results did not address whether travelers chose alternate transportation to pursue any of the journeys they didn't take by plane. The association estimated overall travel industry revenue at $740 billion.

Roger Dow, president and CEO of the Washington, D.C. based association, said the research "should be a wake up call to America's policy leaders that the time for meaningful air system reform is now."

"The air travel crisis has hit a tipping point - more than 100,000 travelers each day are voting with their wallets by choosing to avoid trips," Dow said in a statement.

That's a big blow to airlines, many of which are losing money as the industry struggles with soaring fuel costs. Carriers have raised fares, added fees, cut capacity and scaled back expansion plans, and some small airlines have declared bankruptcy, while Delta Air Lines Inc. and Northwest Airlines Corp. announced plans to combine in an effort to reduce costs.

In all, 44 percent of the 1,003 air travelers surveyed by phone from May 6 to May 13 said they would take more air trips each year if airport hassles could be reduced or eliminated. The survey, conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates Inc. and The Winston Group, had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

People who flew more than five times in the past 12 months were more likely to describe air travel as frustrating, at 52 percent, compared with 33 percent of infrequent travelers, defined as people who flew one or two round trips in 12 months, according to the survey.

More than half of respondents said either efficiency or reliability is getting worse, 60 percent said the system is deteriorating, and 56 percent said flying is the "bad" or "worst" part of travel - though 62 percent said air travel security is improving.

Source: news.google.com

Labels: air travel, USA

Ahead of the holiday travel crunch, President Bush ordered steps Thursday to reduce air traffic congestion and long delays that have left passengers stranded.

news.yahoo.com

Labels: air travel, airline delays

Washington - Air passengers will no longer have to remove bulky headwear such as turbans at screening checkpoints if doing so makes them uncomfortable.

news.yahoo.com

Labels: air travel, checkpoint, security

Airport queues could become a thing of the past under a new scheme for travellers to check in with mobile phones, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said today.

theage.com.au

Labels: air travel

Britons produce more carbon emissions from air travel a head than any other country, a study reveals today, citing the country's predilection for low-cost airlines as a major factor.

guardian.co.uk

Labels: air travel, carbon emissions, UK

People who fly are more than three times more likely to develop deep vein thrombosis, according to a study of regular travellers.

guardian.co.uk

Labels: air travel, DVT

A legal challenge to the way the government's "green" tax on air travel was introduced has been thrown out by the High Court.

news.bbc.co.uk

Labels: air travel, environment

The Federal Aviation Administration is expected to announce a contract for a high tech satellite system Thursday that would allow more jets to fly in the same airspace, but that improvement that should ease travel delays will be too late for the 15.7 million Americans who are expected to fly this holiday weekend.

abcnews.go.com

Labels: air travel, aviation, holiday

Air travelers haven't seen the end of packed planes, flight delays and mishandled luggage just yet: Labor Day weekend looms.

seattletimes.nwsource.com

Labels: air travel

The nation's love of travel and the arrival of low-cost carriers have seen the number of passengers passing through Australia's airports jump by more than 55 per cent over the past decade.

news.com.au

Labels: air travel, Australia

A European law that will improve air travel for disabled and older people has come into effect.

news.bbc.co.uk

Labels: air travel, disabled, Europe

Air travel in South America has become frightening and time-consuming for all concerned as underfunded air traffic control systems struggle to cope with a surge in travelers.

guardian.co.uk (page not found)

Labels: air travel, South America, traffic control

A British Airline Pilots Association report says that air travel is being used as a scapegoat for global warming and that air travel accounts for only 2-3 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions.

Source: newswire.co.nz

Labels: air travel, carbon emissions, global warming, scapegoat