"Airport security tops passenger complaints"

Thursday, May 6, 2004

Air travelers berate security
Baggage handling criticized
By KIRSTEN TAGAMI
The Atlanta (GA) Journal-Constitution


Forget crummy snacks, rude agents or lost bags. Travelers these days have
far more gripes about airport security than they do about airline service,
according to a monthly government report.

In March, the government got four times as many complaints about security as
it got about all U.S. and foreign airlines, travel agents and tour operators
combined, the Air Travel Consumer Report shows.

The monthly report by the U.S. Transportation Department tracks airlines'
on-time performance, baggage handling record and consumer complaints filed
with the federal agency.

One new feature is a tally of beefs to the Transportation Security
Administration about security personnel and baggage screening.

In March, TSA drew 2,728 such complaints, compared with 642 complaints about
a wide range of other travel concerns, according to the latest report.
Neither figure includes complaints made directly to airlines or airports.

Travelers were most unhappy with the handling of checked bags and carry-ons,
inappropriate screening and discourteous treatment by security screeners.

Yolanda Clark, a spokeswoman for TSA, which was created after the Sept. 11,
2001, attacks to federalize airport security, noted that 1.7 million
passengers go through airport checkpoints every day.

And in some cases, she said, airline baggage handlers rather than government
screeners may have damaged luggage or stolen items.

Joe Brancatelli, who runs the business-travel Web site joesentme.com, said
the security screeners' track record overall is pretty good.

"They hired 45,000 people in a year," he said. "I don't care how good your
human resources department is, there will be bad people."

In general, the monthly government reports have indicated improved airline
service since Sept. 11, in part because of reduced volume. But traffic is
closing in on pre-Sept. 11 levels.

The Department of Transportation received 1,983 complaints about airline
service in the first three months of 2004, reflecting a tiny percentage of
travelers but 18.6 percent higher than in the same period in 2003.

In March, 81.3 percent of big airlines' flights arrived within 15 minutes of
schedule.

That's up from 77.5 percent in February but down from March 2003, when 82.6
percent were on time.

The March report, issued Wednesday, is available at www.dot.gov/airconsumer/


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