Summer is just around the corner, and with it, comes one of the busiest travel time of the year. You have planned a dream vacation to an island paradise, or you are anxiously awaiting that perfect family-friendly getaway; however, when you arrive at the airport, your vision of a stress-free trip are derailed when you see the sea of lines.
A look at a security checkpoint area.
When you consider the fact that the Transportation Security Administration’s job is to ensure the safety of all passengers flying, and when you take into account that the TSA handles more than two million passengers a day, the long lines and gridlock at airports is not a shock.
Here is a look at four reasons why you will be waiting to get through the gates when you arrive at the airport.
1. More people are flying than ever before. It is estimated that more than 231 million people will take to the skies to reach their destinations this summer; thirty million of those travelers will be on board international flights. Compared to last summer, when 222 million passengers flew, that is a four percent increase this year.
When you fly on a private jet, it does not matter how many people are flying. You board your own plane, take off, and land without ever having to worry about crowds.
2. Less TSA staff. Because of cutbacks, there has been a significant decrease in the amount of TSA employees. In 2011, there were 47,630 screeners working for the TSA; this year, the number of screeners has dropped to 41,928. Another statistic reveals that the TSA has 42,525 frontline staffers working for them this year, which is a 10 decrease decrease since the 2013 fiscal year. The TSA claims that the reduced number of employees is a result of understaffing and budget cuts.
Private planes depart and arrive from fixed based operators, which offer small, non-congested terminals. There are always an adequate amount of screeners to accommodate the passengers.
3. Ineffective PreCheck Initiative. The TSA’s attempt to reduce check-in times hasn’t been as successful as they had hoped. Its goal was to have 25 million people enroll and use PreCheck by 2019; however, to date, only nine million people have enrolled in the program. That is about a third less than they had hoped for – and they do not expect that they are going to reach their goal.
Passengers who fly commercial airlines need to place their belongings and shoes in an airport security tray.
When you fly a private jet, you do not need to worry about PreCheck.
4. More carry ons bags. As a result of checked bag fees, more people are opting to travel with carry-ons luggage instead of checking bags. According to BestFares.com, the cost of checking a varies, typically costing between $15 to $25 dollars for the first checked bag. The cost goes up for each additional checked bag, and each checked bag that exceeds the airlines weight limit. Because more people have opted to use carryons to avoid paying these fees, the TSA scanners have more bags to scan, resulting in lines.
Traveling on a private jet means that the entire plane is your own. You are only limited to how many bags you can bring with you by the size of the plane you decide to charter.
Flyers can avoid these long lines right from the start. By skipping the commercial airlines and booking a flight with a private jet charter, private aviation passengers can have a convenient, hassle-free flying experience. These flights take off from a fixed base operator (FBO), which is much smaller than a commercial airport, and there are no lines.
