Air Travel Hassle Depressing Usage

I buy this. 

Deep frustration with the U.S. air travel system caused American travelers to avoid taking an estimated 41 million trips over the 12 months to the end of April, a survey commissioned by the Travel Industry Association suggests.

Americans’ unwillingness to take domestic flights cost the U.S. economy more than $26 billion, according to the Washington, D.C.-based Travel Industry Association (TIA).

The 1,003 air travelers who responded to the survey, conducted by the bipartisan polling firms of Peter D. Hart Research Associates and The Winston Group, also expressed little optimism for positive change, with nearly half saying that the air travel system is not likely to improve in the near future.

I travel a fair amount.  On average, I fly 1 to 3 times a month and drive even more frequently.  I do shy away from flying more than I used to and it has nothing to do with the price - it has everything to do with the hassle.  My threshold used to be 5 hours.  If a destination was within a 5 hour drive, I’ll drive instead of fly.  I live 45 minutes from the airport, so it would be 1.5 hours round trip, get there an hour early, an hour or so flight, time to get a rental car and all, and 5 hours was about the break-even point.  Now, I often go to the airport even earlier to contend with security.  The flights are getting fuller and it’s harder and harder to get an exit row or bulkhead without paying extra.  The extra luggage requirements and fees are becoming annoying.  On and on and on. 

Like I said, the extra hassle factor is pushing up my threshold for when I’ll just rent a car and drive.  It doesn’t take any more time to drive, it’s cheaper, and less hassle.  Plus, I don’t have to contend with the guy in front of me letting his dreads drop over the back of the seat and onto my tray where my drink was (yes, that happened to me on a flight back from Atlanta last week).

The airlines need to realize that business travelers are the backbone of their industry.  We value our time and convenience more than paying an extra $40 for a ticket.