Fed-up air travelers avoided 41 million trips in last year, says survey

Source: Seattle Times

U.S. air travelers are deeply frustrated and avoiding flying, says a new survey by the Travel Industry Association. They're so fed up that they avoided an estimated 41 million trips over the last year, estimated the TIA, costing the U.S. economy billions of dollars.

"The air travel crisis has hit a tipping point," said Roger Dow, the TIA's president and CEO.

"With rising fuel prices already weighing heavily on American pocketbooks, we need to find ways to encourage Americans to continue their business and leisure travel. Unfortunately, just the opposite appears to be happening," Dow said in a statement issued Thursday.

The 41 million avoided trips during the last 12 months rippled outward across the entire travel/tourism industry, said the TIA, estimating it cost the airlines more than $9 billion in lost revenue; hotels nearly $6 billion; and restaurants more than $3 billion. Among the survey's findings:



Read more: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/travel/2004445637_webairtravel29.html

Unless they take the Lurline out of mothballs, that means we're screwn. :(

and then as much to go some place else. it sucks. I find it hard to go anywhere and when I do, its torture. I truly hate what flying has become.

Who wants to be reminded of how we've lost our Rights, everytime we go to the airport? I'd rather stay home and garden.

I had to buy tickets to attend a wedding in July that I really don't want to attend. The service is miserable.

On my last flight, several of us had fuel spilled on our bags. And I had to do laundry twice to have clothes.

The hassles and headaches, just ain't worth it anymore. The wife wanted to go to Vegas next month, but the schedules and layovers were ridiculous.

it's that simple.

:sarcasm:

Not because I'm afraid of my flight being hijacked but because I refuse to put up with the BULL SHIT "security".

for forgetting that your toothpaste was in your carryon, seats moved to squeeze just ONE MORE row in, flights overbooked and packed to the gills, surly airport staff, LONG layovers to maximize flight loads...

I think they pretty much brought this on themselves...

the flight attendant asked us to look around on the floor and pick up trash because they wouldn't have time to clean the cabin between flights. I told the guy next to me, "first they make you pay for your luggage, then they ask you to pay for water and now they want me to clean up the floor? That will be the day."

People are tired of being treated like criminals and having to pay through the nose for it.. They will just stay home..

at the last minute. One in the middle of the night after an 8 hour delay. There's no way I'm flying anywhere unless it's on business and I absolutely have to. I live in a beautiful place. I'll be taking my vacations here and spending my money at local businesses from now on. No unnecessary travel. The airlines have screwed me over for the last time.

I have to take a cross-country flight in a few months. I've kept an eye on fares, looking for a deal. There are no discounts to be had, no good deals, I'll be lucky to be able to ride cattle car for less than $400 once taxes and surcharges for breathing get thrown in.

By not taking their shoes off in airports, the American consumer saved itself billions of dollars.

The word economy here seems to be code speak for wealthy airline investors.

Investor profits were hurt but the citizens saved themselves not only a couple of bucks, they saved themselves the humiliation dealt out by airport security and saved themselves the horrid experience of flight delays and cramped traveling.

was on a Ford Trimotor, that was selling rides at a local airport. I will not under any circumstances get on an airline to go anywhere..

BTW the Trimotor was a really cool flight.. about 15 minutes around the pattern.

I have not flown in 8 years, and with any luck I will never fly again.

The only alternative is to drive.... Gas is ludicrous but i would rather spend the money on driving , being retired I have lots of time so when i go i just take a nice trip with lots of side trips to see interesting sights along the way.... no hurry

my lady and I flew on our first trip last year to Florida. For the second trip, I convinced her to drive. Airline tix for two people was way more than the gas, and we stayed with friends/relatives on the way down and back. I got to see the beauty of the southern states, and we even picked up some jams/fruit spreads at a roadside stand on the way back to extend the 'taste' of the vacation. Didn't have to pay money to rent a car while down in FL, either.

Yep, it's a long drive, but with two drivers to share the load, and XM radio wherever you go, we did have a good trip! Of course, that was at $3 gas...

but if you carry enough passengers in a car it does become cheaper in a car.

however i have found sleeping while the train or bus takes me is not all that bad. considering how agonizing some flights have been for my kneecaps, the bus and train space is a blessing.

I used to love to fly. Now it's something I only do if there's no way out of the trip and no other alternative.

the passengers over again (ie, charging for luggage) and realize they're actually losing money by doing this.

The business travelers are turning to video conferencing, web meetings and collaboration tools over high-speed networks.

Without the business travelers paying high-priced ticket fares for overnight stays, the airlines are not going to be able to subsidize the weekend stay tourist crowd.

Fares are going up. Service will be ever more wretched.

I'm sure the china and India will support our economy. :sarcasm:

FREE MARKET!

When the airlines repeatedly insult, demean and inconvenience the passengers, passengers become former passengers. When the airlines stop insulting, demeaning and inconveniencing passengers, former passengers may be encouraged to return.

Ain't capitalism grand?

The supply/demand curve is obvious here. Not helping things is the airlines' schizophrenic pricing policies. Sleep on it and the fare might go up $100.

OK, I do feel for the workers who are losing their jobs, but are we seeing the top brass taking pay cuts to keep their airlines flying? It is to laugh. They just take their millions & move on.

We're being overcharged to be treated like cattle so the people at the top don't have to feel the pinch. Bullshite!

Plus, Delta broke the handle off of my suitcase on my last flight & refused to pay to fix it. It cost me $60 for the repair!

I used to love to fly. Now it's just a hassle.

Now, on my fun meter, flying rates somewhere between root canal and colonoscopy as something I would like to do.

which is usually once every other year to see relatives in Canada. And now we always look for a direct flight on Air Canada.

You mention using AirCanada. Tsk, tsk, tsk, thought I who actively promotes that airline's major competitor here in Canada; namely, WestJet. And so I hastily made a trip to WJ's website to see if they fly out of any Texas city. Unfortunately, NOT.

However, I did find out that they have flights originating in Phoenix, Ft. Lauderdale, L.A., S.F. or NYC destined for Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax. If any of you have Canadian destinations and you live in any of the American cities cited above, you really should check out WestJet. All employees have a financial stake in the company, so they all seem to work their backsides off to make sure their passengers are well looked after (within the context of their budget type fares; i.e., don't expect an unpaid meal). Still, they haven't lost any of my luggage; nor screwed up any of my departure or arrival times (of any note); their budget seats are roomier than most. They pre-board parents with youngsters, the handicapped, the elderly and those occupying the emergency exit seats. Yep, I think they're great--and so do a lot of people in this neck of the woods.

Of course all that goodwill exhibited by the airline can be wiped out by just one snotty, mean-spirited customs officer from either side of the border.

Sullen and antagonistic does not begin to describe some of the airline people I dealt with.

I'd rather walk.

How about down right rude


And the Gestapo agents checking 80 year old women's undershorts

Ridiculous

I've been taking go-nowhere vacations the past few years. It's such a hassle with the phony security rituals and lost luggage. Plus, you lose a whole day each direction hanging out at the airport. I'm sure the corporate concession stands are reaping it in.

I've already seen a lot of the world and have been getting antsy for one more trip before the economic crash. I've been looking into Ecuador, so I can finally claim South America under my feet. But I don't know... The airline execs may have to buy their new yachts without my help.

With gas prices winnowing cars off the road, I might be able to make a bike trek without an SUV induced death on a route I want to take.

because of the fuel costs.

to get the gov't and tsa to back-off on the "security" measures-- which only make people feel good...but,as we know by reading the many news reports, guns, knives, explosives, drugs, etc are STILL getting on board when they run their "tests". I stopped flying when you had to put liquids, etc in the tiny 3oz bottles if you wanted to carry it on board...how fucking moronic and useless is that?

the airlines have bought enough congress critters to change things if they want...obviously they want to go back to smaller planes, fewer (but wealthier) customers who can afford and enjoy the cost of flying.

and oh yeah, they should have known that gas/oil prices would continue to rise -- especially after the oil embargo of the 70's, when there was talk of oil eventually running out...they should have been investing some of their profits in finding a way to make more fuel-efficient planes if they wanted to be viable in the future; or some other fuel to substitute if they wanted to maintain the flying industry. Instead they gave upper management millions of dollars for making stupid-ass decisions.

disclaimer: I worked in IT for USAirways before being sold to SABRE. USAirways made some of the most resoundingly stupid decisions I've ever been a part of...not only in product, but also in hiring useless, butt-kissing management: from team leaders to vice-presidents.

who are these stories supposed to fool? the person who doesn't fly doesn't know and the person who does fly knows very well that the flights are full to capacity and there is no place to put an additional 41 million butts

if the flights were going out empty i wouldn't be picking up free flights myself by volunteering to get "bumped" from full flights and i'm hardly the only one out there doing this

Trains.

Restore the passenger rail infrastructure, introduce Japanese-style bullet trains, and there ya have it.

Local trains do well- the Dallas DART for instance- no reason such things can't go cross country the way they used to.

the claim is made that 41 million travelers didn't travel -- which i doubt is even remotely true but say that it is

how does adding a competing form of transport do anything to solve the issue of people voting with their butts to sit at home?

besides, it's a big country, and i'd like to see the train that takes me to HNL

leaving aside a further issue of most people, if they ARE going to travel, probably can't wait 10-20 years for a rail infrastructure to be built before they can take the trip -- they've been fired from the job by then (if it's business travel) or the funeral/wedding is long over if it's family travel

"trains" is a long term solution to what is a short term problem, an economic slump causing people to stay at home on the couch

as far as security, trains will have to be as secure as planes, or else we will have madrid type scenarios

It's not like this in the rest of the world!