Access America Poll Shows Decline in Traveler Frustration

The quarterly index that measures the frustration levels of U.S. travelers found that most Americans navigated the last three months of 2007 with sober acquiescence.

Based on a survey of more than 1,000 adults -all of whom had traveled for business or leisure in the past quarter- the aggregated hassle factor came in at 3.9 out of a possible 10, down from 4.1 in the year’s third quarter.

The Traveler Frustration Index, commissioned by Access America, conducted by IPSOS Public Affairs, measures travelers’ frustrations over a range of travel-related categories, from costs associated with travel to security issues to service levels. The overall 3.9 rating represents a weighted average of survey responses.

The latest survey was conducted between November 26 and December 3 and is slightly lower than the first Index, completed in the third quarter in August 2007 at the height of the summer travel season.

The August Index resulted in a 4.1 frustration rating. In order to gauge how frustration levels might impact future travel plans, the survey also asked travelers to estimate how frequently they planned to travel in 2008.

When asked if they plan to travel more, less or the same amount, more than one in five travelers (21 percent) indicated they plan to travel more in 2008. Among those who travel primarily for business, more than one quarter (26 percent) plan to travel more in 2008. Leisure travel will remain steady, with 62 percent planning to travel about the same.

According to the survey, travelers were most irritated with the price of gas. A total of 78 percent indicated some degree of frustration with the cost of filling their tanks. This number was equally high in the third quarter.

Forty-one percent of travelers reported frustration with U.S. Department of Homeland Security issues (airport security, passport rules, terrorism fears and border crossings), up from 38 percent in the third quarter.

When asked to identify the “most frustrating thing encountered while traveling,” 10 percent of respondents reported frustration with security issues, suggesting the long lines, increased security protocols and things like carry-on restrictions are wearing thin on some travelers.

The cost of lodging and attractions rated a bit higher on the frustration scale in the fourth quarter. In the third quarter, 44 percent of travelers identified some level of frustration with costs associated with lodging and attractions. More recently, that number is up to 48 percent.

Airline service was ranked just below gas prices as one of the most frustrating aspects of travel (55 percent), consistent with the third quarter results, which ranked airline service second to gas prices at 54 percent. By far the least frustrating aspect of travel was booking the trip in the first place. Less than one in five travelers (16 percent) said they found making reservations a nuisance.