Are Airline Security Measures a Threat to Business?

Long airport lines have unfortunately become a summertime vacation staple, thanks to increasingly strict Travel Security Administration regulations and a lack of adequate staffing. This year, many travelers will wait in line for hours to go through security, but according to a recent Travel Weekly article, some of them might opt out altogether.

According to Travel Weekly, a report by the US Travel Association discovered that out of 2,500 people surveyed, almost a quarter will cancel a summer vacation flight or choose alternate means of transportation due to the media’s “saturation coverage” of long security checkpoint lines at the airport. US Travel Association CEO Roger Dow expressed in no uncertain terms that this disinterest in airline travel could pose a major economic problem, to the tune of $4.3 billion loss.

Dow called for a “national solution” to the TSA’s wait-time problem. While the Department of Homeland Security recently announced a plan to allocate staffing that will ease TSA wait times, Dow, despite acknowledging the plan as “encouraging,” noted that there was “little hope” that the plan would be enough to catch up to this year’s number of summer travelers. He expressed his hope that policymakers would continue to work on solving the TSA’s security system once peak travel season has passed.

In most cases, however, airline passengers’ plans for summer travel won’t be affected by long lines and the media hype that accompanies summer’s slow news cycle. The majority of respondents to the survey said they’d get around airport security problems by arriving at the airport earlier—it seems like for most people, waiting in line is worth everything that comes after. 17.9% of people said they wouldn’t change their plans at all, and this laid-back attitude should offer some encouragement to industry leaders like Dow.

At EmpireCLS, our Airport Concierge service offers an alternative choice to either waiting in interminable lines or cancelling your flight plans, whether you’re taking limo service to LAX in Los Angeles or LaGuardia in New York. This white-glove treatment gets you priority access through the security line, typically making your wait much shorter. In addition to expedited security lines, our Airport Concierge service means you’ll have access to VIP lounges, be personally escorted through the airport and have your luggage handled for you. Your concierge will also accommodate any special requests that you have and will stay in touch with you and your chauffeur in order to keep you updated on your flight’s status.

With Airport Concierge from EmpireCLS, you won’t have to choose between a difficult flight and none at all—your limo service to Atlanta airport and any other major airport will be smooth from start to finish. Learn more at http://empirecls.wpengine.com/Booking/airport-concierge.aspx.

Photo: flickr