Is the weather to blame for recent flight delays? No, it’s the fault of the airlines, says a new survey by TNS.
Among findings:
- Overall, 58% of people flying in the past three months experienced at least one delay.
- Half of consumers delayed during air travel in the past three months reported that the delay was within the control of the airline (overbooking, mechanicals, etc.).
- Just under half of travellers attributed their delay to weather, late arriving planes or both.
- Roughly 10% of air travellers delayed in the past three months cite security as the reason for the delay
- Around 5% of travellers blame their fellow fliers’ slow boarding for causing their travel delays
A Federal Aviation Administration report named June 2007 one of the worst travel months in US history.
At the same time, the Department of Transportation stated that the first half of 2007 was the worst for air travel delays in 13 years, when the department first began keeping statistics.
“What’s interesting is that consumers are now blaming the airline itself for their travel delays more often than they blame the obvious culprits – weather, increased summer air traffic, or both,” said Tim Gohmann, Senior Vice President, Travel & Leisure, TNS North America.
TNS is a global market insight and information group.
Report by David WIlkening
