Travel Industry, Security Analysts Call for 'Trusted Traveler
Program' To Boost Airline Use
The U.S Travel Association and a panel of travel and security
experts have unveiled what they say is a groundbreaking plan to
improve security at America's airports and reduce the burden on
travelers. Among the most notable recommendations are the creation
of a trusted traveler program and a requirement that travelers be
allowed to check at least one bag at no additional cost to the
ticket price as a means to reduce the amount of luggage going
through the security checkpoint.
The need for reform was made especially clear by recent research
revealing that travelers are avoiding two to three trips per year
due to unnecessary hassles associated with the security screening
process. The research suggests these avoided trips come at a cost
of $85 billion and 900,000 jobs to the American economy.
The recommendations, the culmination of a year-long analysis to
remake aviation security screening, were issued in a report titled
“A Better Way: Building a World Class System for Aviation
Security,” and call on Congress to own responsibility for
improving the current system through effective policy decisions.
U.S. Travel and its panel of experts set out to achieve three
primary goals:
- Improve the TSA checkpoint by increasing efficiency, decreasing
passenger wait times and screening passengers based on risk;
- Generate greater governmental efficiency and cooperation in
executing its security responsibilities; and
- Restructure America's national approach to aviation security by
developing and using risk management methods and tools.
"While our government and passengers deserve credit for
preventing another terrorist attack like what happened nearly 10
years ago on 9/11, each day in the United States roughly two
million air travelers are advised to arrive upwards of two hours
before a flight in order to be processed through a
one-size-fits-all security screening system,” said Roger Dow,
president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association.
“The country that put a man on the moon, invented the
Internet and creates daily innovations in manufacturing can and
must do better in screening passengers and improving our air travel
experience. Air travel is the gateway to commerce and an improved
experience is directly tied to job creation and a stronger
economy.”
The blue ribbon panel created by U.S. Travel was chaired by
former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, former
Congressman Jim Turner and Sam Gilliland, president and chief
executive officer of Sabre Holdings. The panel consisted of former
top officials from DHS and TSA; representatives from the airline,
airport, logistics and security technology sectors; and leaders who
represent the destinations and other businesses reliant on a
functional air travel system.
In helping U.S. Travel introduce the report, former Secretary
Ridge said: “A strong aviation security screening system must
feature several characteristics, including efficient methods of
deterring and interdicting terrorists and criminals; tailored
security based upon risk assessment; frequent, clear communication
with the traveling public; and cost-effective use of
resources.”
Dow acknowledged the complexity of addressing the current
challenges, noting solutions will require cooperation, and possibly
sacrifices by airlines, airports, the broader travel industry, the
traveling public, federal agencies and the Congress, which he said
must take responsibility for leading change. “Dramatic policy
shifts undermine the ability of our nation to create a secure and
efficient aviation system, and demonstrate a lack of a long-term
vision for aviation security,” Dow said. “TSA and its
officers often bear unjustified public criticism for simply
carrying out the ever-changing policies set by Congress and an
unwillingness to date to embrace risk management. If this pattern
is to change, Congress must set the tone and take on the
responsibility of improving the current system."
Rooted in the diverse professional and political viewpoints of
the panelists, the group did not always find consensus in how to
address the difficult challenges. Among the panel’s
recommendations in the report:
- Implement a risk-based trusted traveler program. Congress
should authorize TSA to implement a new, voluntary, government-run
trusted traveler program that utilizes a risk-based approach to
checkpoint screening, with the goal of refocusing resources on the
highest risk passengers;
- Improve preparation of travelers. Industry stakeholders should
work with TSA to improve their education and communication on
security rules and regulations, targeting locations and sources
that travelers are likely to review as they book or prepare for a
trip;
- Encourage fewer carry-on bags. The Department of Transportation
(DOT) should issue regulations requiring airlines to allow
passengers one checked bag as part of their base airfare and
standardize existing rules covering the quantity and size of items
that can be carried onto an airplane;
- Reduce duplicative TSA screening for international arrivals.
DHS should enable certain low-risk passengers who are traveling to
another domestic airport to forego checked baggage and passenger
screening upon landing in the U.S.;
- Expand trusted traveler programs to qualified international
passengers. DHS should expand access to international trusted
traveler programs for international passengers entering the U.S.,
as well as lead efforts to establish a multinational network of
streamlined entry procedures for low-risk travelers;
- Give TSA authority over the entire checkpoint area. Congress
should immediately act to clear up confusion over
“ownership” of commercial aviation security and
authorize TSA to control the entire security checkpoint starting at
the beginning of the security lines and ending after a traveler
exits the screening area;
- Develop a comprehensive technology procurement strategy. TSA,
in collaboration with technology vendors and the travel community,
should develop a comprehensive strategy for implementing necessary
checkpoint technology capabilities. Congress should provide
multi-year funding plans for TSA to execute this strategy;
- Implement well-defined risk management processes. The
Administration should convene an external panel of experts with
appropriate security clearances to review TSA aviation security
programs, assess the risk each is designed to mitigate and develop
metrics for measuring progress to lessen that risk.
- Dow urged Congress and the Administration to seriously
considering implementing the panel’s recommendations as
quickly as possible, pointing out the current aviation security
system is discouraging Americans from flying and contributing to a
decline in productivity among those who choose to fly.
According to a 2010 survey conducted by Consensus Research,
American travelers would take an additional two to three flights
per year if the hassles in security screening system were
eliminated. These additional flights would add nearly $85 billion
in consumer spending and 900,000 jobs to the American economy.
According to the same research, a large majority of Americans
consider today's security screening system to be "inconsistent,"
"stressful" and "embarrassing."
“When combining the staggering economic consequences of
the current system with the widely held views of the traveling
public – and with the American way of life hanging in the
balance – the picture becomes clear," said Dow. "We must find
a better way and build a new traveler-focused system for aviation
security.”
The Air Transport Association, however, took exception to the
report, saying government should not be allowed to tell airlines
how to set their pricing structure. "Consumers have been the big
winners from a quasi deregulated, highly competitive airline
industry, and government taking a huge step backward and dictating
how airlines deliver and price their products and services, as the
USTA suggests, diminishes customer choice and competitive
differentiation among carriers," the association said in a written
statement. "Such a move benefits no one and unfortunately detracts
from important aspects of their recommendations."