Travel Leaders' Survey Examines Airport Security Measures, Baggage Fees and Interest in a Trusted Traveler Program

PLYMOUTH, Minn., Sept. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Travel Leaders unveiled more travel information based on data collected from its Fall Travel Trend Survey.  If given the chance, business travel agents would like to eliminate the airport security rules limiting liquids in carry-on bags along with mandatory removal of shoes, while leisure travel agents are most concerned about extensive pat-down procedures. Both business and leisure agents agreed that the top way their clients are avoiding airline baggage fees is to pack lightly and only bring carry-on luggage.

Conducted August 1-19, 2011, this survey includes responses from 443 Travel Leaders owners, managers and frontline travel agents throughout the United States. The specific business travel data included is based on responses from 170 agents who indicated that business travelers make up 50% or more of their clientele.

"It was quite interesting for us to see how Travel Leaders' business and leisure travel agents differ on what they like least about airport security measures. The extensive coverage given to full-body scanners apparently isn't what clients are discussing most frequently with their travel professional," stated Roger E. Block, President of Travel Leaders Franchise Group. "In fact, many of our leisure travel agents wouldn't change a thing regarding security measures. Perhaps that's based in part on their tireless work ensuring clients understand airport security procedures and arming travelers with information in order to eliminate as much confusion and frustration as possible."

Airport Security:
When asked, "Which TSA security measure would you most like to eliminate?" the results differ between Travel Leaders' business and leisure travel agents.

Top Ways to Limit Baggage Fees:
When asked, "What is the most common action taken by your clients to avoid or limit airline baggage fees?" there were slight differences between Travel Leaders' business and leisure travel agents, though they agreed on the number one cost-savings measure.

Interest in Trusted Traveler Program is Split:
When asked "How interested are your business travel clients in being part of a TSA 'trusted traveler program'?" only 15.9% of Travel Leaders agents indicated their clients were "very interested" while 34.1% indicated their clients were "somewhat interested." The total percentage indicating that their clients had little to no interest in such a program was 50.0%.

Business Travelers Questioning Baggage Fees:
When it comes to baggage fees, it appears the vast majority of Travel Leaders' business travelers have few questions.  Nearly 95% of polled business travel agents (94.1%) indicated that a quarter or fewer of calls from their business travel clients are inquiries about baggage information and/or baggage fees. Less than 2% indicated that half or more of their calls from business travel clients related to baggage fees and information.

For the initial results of Travel Leaders' Fall Travel Trends Survey – which included the top domestic and international destinations being booked for the remainder of the year, the top recommended destinations by Travel Leaders experts, and data indicating that bookings are up year-over-year – please go here.

Travel Leaders is part of Travel Leaders Group – which is a North American travel company that generates gross travel sales in excess of $16.6 billion. Travel Leaders Group is a leader in both the retail travel agency space and corporate travel, and it consistently ranks as one of the top travel companies nationwide. Most recently, Travel Leaders Group was again named among the Top 10 on the Travel Weekly Power List, for the third consecutive year is #1 on the Business Travel News Business Travel Survey and is #1 on Entrepreneur's latest Franchise 500 list of full-service travel agency franchise businesses.

When your journey includes us, you travel better. To find the Travel Leaders location nearest you, go to www.Travelleaders.com or call 888-206-TRIP (8747).

Travel Leaders is transforming travel with a new name that boldly embodies our commitment to our vacation and business travel clients via a progressive approach toward each unique travel experience. As one of America's top ten-ranked travel companies, Travel Leaders has assisted millions of travelers through our strong roots – the former Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates, TraveLeaders and Tzell Travel Group joined together in 2008 to form one of the industry's fastest-growing and robust networks of travel agents. Travel Leaders Franchise Group can trace its beginnings to 1984 as the Carlson franchise system "Ask Mr. Foster Travel," which itself was North America's first travel agency chain established in 1888.

SOURCE Travel Leaders