Air Travelers Avoided 41 Million Trips in Past Year

The Travel Industry Association released a landmark survey Thursday May 29, revealing that deep frustration among air travelers caused them to avoid an estimated 41 million trips over the past 12 months at a cost of more than $26 billion to the U.S. economy.

Conducted by the premier, bipartisan polling firms of Peter D. Hart Research Associates and The Winston Group, the research also demonstrated that air travelers express little optimism for positive change, with nearly 50 percent saying that the air travel system is not likely to improve in the near future.

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, said Roger Dow, President and CEO of TIA. This landmark research should be a wake up call to America's policy leaders that the time for meaningful air system reform is now.