Passenger delays continue to worsen.

• Position: Airline Travel

Approximately one out of four passengers experiences travel delays, according to a report by George Mason University's Center for Air Transportation Systems Research, Fairfax, Va., which shows that the delays endured by airline passengers totaled 284,500,000 hours (about 32,477 years) in a recent 12-month period. A conservative estimate places the annual cost of these delays at $8,500,000,000 in wasted productivity. However, no price can be put on the valuable time lost with family, friends, and loved ones due to flight delays and cancellations.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Passengers had to wait significantly longer for re-booked flights, due to the absence of available seats. Many travelers were forced to spend an unplanned overnight stay before resuming their trip the next day. "The U.S. has a very brittle air transportation system," remarks Lance Sherry, professor of systems engineering and lead author of the report. "Fewer empty seats on each flight combined with overscheduling at key airports creates a system that does not have the capacity to handle moderate, let alone major, disruptions."

Industry and government reports typically focus on flight delays and air traffic control performance. This more comprehensive report, however, zeroes in on the "passenger trip experience," which includes flights that are delayed, plus interruptions accrued due to cancelled, diverted, and oversold flights.

"The current practices of the airlines, the airports, and the Federal Aviation Administration are having a devastating impact on the nation's economic health," stresses George Donohue, professor of systems engineering and operations research. In...