Stats: 51% Say Air Travel Became More of a Hassle Over Past 5 Years

51 percent of Americans saw that air travel has become more of a hassle over the past five years, according to a new poll conducted by Morning Consult for the U.S. Travel Association.

Respondents cited airline fees, overall cost and airport hassles as the aspects of air travel that have gotten the worst of the past five years. 60 percent said that Congress should modernize aviation infrastructure, while 55 percent said it should prioritize the needs of passengers and 55 percent said it should allow airports more flexibility to invest in programs that increase options for travelers.

Travelers cited the worst period for air travel as Christmas (50%), followed by Thanksgiving (25%).

53 percent of frequent business travelers said they would take more business trips if airport hassles could be reduced or eliminated, while 55 percent of frequent leisure travelers said the same. 14 percent of adults said they’d decided against taking a business trip at some point within the past five years due to problems with the air travel system, and two out of three of those say they have done so at least twice. 24 percent of leisure travelers decided against taking a vacation for the same reason.

Government taxes on airline tickets were rates as the least important cost-related factor when deciding to purchase airline tickets, as well as among the least frustrating aspects of air travel.

Morning Consult conducted the poll on behalf of the U.S. Travel Association. The national online survey sampled 2,201 adults from October 10 – 12, 2017, with a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points.

Source: Morning Consult / U.S. Travel Association

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