TSA still frustrates 10 years later

Removing shoes, retrieving laptops, displaying bags of liquids: all are part of the airport screening process and all are cited by air travelers as top issues with flying.

In a survey by the U.S. Travel Association (USTA), the nation’s largest travel trade group, 600 Americans who traveled in the last 12 months were asked to list their top five grievances with air travel. Four of the five issues named by the majority of the respondents involved the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) security checkpoints.

The survey was released to mark the 10th anniversary of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, which created TSA in November 2001.

Top Five Frustrations Cited by Air Travelers:

1.) People who bring too many carry-on bags through security checkpoint (72.4%)

2.) Uncomfortable seats on airplanes (70.4%)

3.) Wait time to clear the TSA checkpoint (68%)

4.) Having to remove shoes, belts and jackets at the TSA checkpoint (62.3%)

5.) TSA employees who are not friendly (42%)

However, TSA also received some positive feedback from the survey. About 66 percent of air travelers said they are somewhat or very satisfied with the organization’s overall performance.

For frequent travelers, that satisfaction rate was 54.6 percent.

Additionally, nearly 75 percent of travelers said they were somewhat or very satisfied with TSA’s recent announcement that it will eventually stop forcing passengers to remove their shoes through the security checkpoints.