AA COO letter to employees after meeting with TSA about wait times (May 2016)
May 20, 2016, 6:21 pm
#16
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Given the number of TSA employees who were always standing there doing nothing, I do not believe that the "affected" employees are being affected in an inappropriate way (nor are they being asked to work for free: I don't know where that comes from). In fact, I am still seeing some, albeit not as many, standing around doing nothing.
May 20, 2016, 7:33 pm
#18
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How is the TSA underfunded? Not too long ago passengers were paying $5 each way ($2.50 for a single flight journey). Then Congress raised that to $7.50 each way. Moreover, the passengers there are, the more money comes in from the fee collection. Is the 9/11 fee going into a general fund and then being appropriated to the TSA? Or is the revenue from the fee specifically earmarked for the TSA (kind of like social security taxes)?
May 20, 2016, 7:47 pm
#19
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How is the TSA underfunded? Not too long ago passengers were paying $5 each way ($2.50 for a single flight journey). Then Congress raised that to $7.50 each way. Moreover, the passengers there are, the more money comes in from the fee collection. Is the 9/11 fee going into a general fund and then being appropriated to the TSA? Or is the revenue from the fee specifically earmarked for the TSA (kind of like social security taxes)?
http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel...-fee/12849631/
May 20, 2016, 8:44 pm
#22
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Given how quickly and thoroughly this topic seems to be going on tangent, apparently there's little to relate to regarding AA and this topic. As a result, it will move to a more appropriate forum, with a referral link left in the original forum forbthosevwho wish to participate.
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May 20, 2016, 10:45 pm
#23
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How is the TSA underfunded? Not too long ago passengers were paying $5 each way ($2.50 for a single flight journey). Then Congress raised that to $7.50 each way. Moreover, the passengers there are, the more money comes in from the fee collection. Is the 9/11 fee going into a general fund and then being appropriated to the TSA? Or is the revenue from the fee specifically earmarked for the TSA (kind of like social security taxes)?
The ticket security fee goes to the general fund, not to TSA. TSA gets its money through the budget process like all other federal agencies.
May 21, 2016, 12:26 am
#24
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Apparently the Democrats who controlled the Senate at the time didn't seem to object to it. Or the President who had to sign it into being. And it really isn't paying down the deficit. It's increasing the revenues to better cover their actual spending. Not that it makes it any better.
May 21, 2016, 1:43 am
#25
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In 2000, the airlines spent less than $300 million on about 18,000 screeners. Today, the TSA spends about 25 times that amount for about 54,000 personnel on airport screening.
The former may have been too little, but the latter appears to be somewhat costly and not very efficient.
Yes, like a magic rock, the TSA has "prevented" all tiger attacks.
Still, there should be some way to streamline the process without simply throwing more money at it.
The former may have been too little, but the latter appears to be somewhat costly and not very efficient.
Yes, like a magic rock, the TSA has "prevented" all tiger attacks.
Still, there should be some way to streamline the process without simply throwing more money at it.
Of course, given the amount of staff TSA has that don't do anything useful, they might only have ~18000 people doing any work.
May 21, 2016, 1:31 pm
#26
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It doesn't seem that any leaders have the right solutions to the problem either. The notion of having airlines waive their checked baggage fees? Well, there's two things wrong with that. 1.) One of the wrost TSA-delayed airports is MDW (WN's largest operation). And 2.) Checked baggage still needs to be screened by the TSA. So what will happen is that the passengers will get through security in time to make their flights, but their checked luggage won't. And given how much airlines make in baggage fees would suggest there are already a large percentage of passengers who check their baggage. And then there are passengers (like me) who get their baggage fees waived with status, but still have no desire to check their luggage as it adds to the travel time on the arrival side.
I'm beginning to think that TSA Pre-Check is the problem. As not enough passengers have signed onto the program. But those airports still have TSA staff and separate screening lines dedicated to it.
I'm beginning to think that TSA Pre-Check is the problem. As not enough passengers have signed onto the program. But those airports still have TSA staff and separate screening lines dedicated to it.
May 22, 2016, 11:44 am
#27
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So, AA is going to spend money to promote PreCheck. Why not just use that money to pay for passengers to enroll in PreCheck? Clearly, the current advertising campaign by TSA itself hasn't yielded enough enrollees; why should AA's advertising campaign do any better? Skipping the advertising step and skipping ahead to direct enrollment might actually be more effective.
May 22, 2016, 12:00 pm
#28
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So, AA is going to spend money to promote PreCheck. Why not just use that money to pay for passengers to enroll in PreCheck? Clearly, the current advertising campaign by TSA itself hasn't yielded enough enrollees; why should AA's advertising campaign do any better? Skipping the advertising step and skipping ahead to direct enrollment might actually be more effective.
May 22, 2016, 12:20 pm
#29
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So, AA is going to spend money to promote PreCheck. Why not just use that money to pay for passengers to enroll in PreCheck? Clearly, the current advertising campaign by TSA itself hasn't yielded enough enrollees; why should AA's advertising campaign do any better? Skipping the advertising step and skipping ahead to direct enrollment might actually be more effective.
Constant complaints about people showing up with an appointment, only to find the office closed, relocated, or very long waits. The locations make no sense at all - often miles from any airport, probably chosen because someone's getting a kickback from the leases.
Meanwhile, closed Pre lanes or Pre lanes where the Pre experience is limited to shoes on isn't the best advertising for the service.
I've never heard of anyone showing up for a GE appointment, only to find the office closed or relocated.