Jul 22, 2008

What Gets Travelers Upset?

What’s bugging travelers this summer? It turns out to be the same thing that’s bugging commuters: the price of gasoline. In a national survey commissioned by travel insurance provider Access America, nearly half of recent travelers identified gas prices as the most frustrating issue they face while traveling. That number is double what it was nine months ago. And gas ranks high on the frustration scale for both leisure and business travelers. Among leisure travelers, 86 percent reported frustration with gas prices, while business travelers registered at 85 percent. 

While gas was clearly the most frustrating issue, costs of travel and service issues on airlines also registered high on the frustration scale. Fifty-two percent of respondents said they are frustrated with the cost of airline, cruise line and train tickets. Frustrations with these costs ranked nearly 10 percentage points above frustration with other costs, such as costs of lodging, which came in at 43 percent. Slightly less than half of respondents said they are frustrated with airline and airport services, such as lost or delayed baggage, cramped and overcrowded planes, missed connections and long lines.

So are you enjoying this summer or what?