The most unpleasant aspects of holidaymakers’ airport experience revealed

Europe’s leading travel search platform, HolidayPirates, surveyed British frequent travellers in order to understand how they feel about airport security, and why they consider it to be the least pleasant part of their airport experience

60% of holidaymakers found airport security to be the worst aspect of their airport experience, with the majority putting this down to the delays caused by the queue to pass through security

42% of those surveyed admitted to accidentally leaving a prohibited item in their luggage which was not detected by security

35% felt that airport security didn’t make them feel safer ahead of a flight

HolidayPirates, the world’s largest online travel community (of over 9.5 million European Facebook users) and leading source for travel inspiration and deals, surveyed over 500 British users (categorised as frequent flyers) to identify the most unpleasant aspect of the airport, their experiences of the current security system, and how they feel about technological advancements that are being made to streamline the process.

The survey found that 60% of British holidaymakers consider airport security to be the least pleasant part of their airport experience. Of this group, when asked what made the experience so unpleasant, 70% said this was due to the delay caused by the queue to pass through security.

Other aspects of airport security found to be disliked by those surveyed, included the general requirement of passengers to remove specific items from their hand luggage, and the delays caused by other people failing to remove prohibited items from their bags before the security screening. Perhaps surprisingly, only 18% stated that their dislike of the security process was down to airport staff going through their possessions, or the requirement to pass through a body scanner (also 18%).

Interestingly, the survey also revealed that 42% of holidaymakers have at some point left a prohibited item in their luggage which was not detected by airport security. Unsurprisingly, the most common items to be undetected were liquids over 100ml.

International airports such as Heathrow Airport (London, UK) and O’Hare Airport (Chicago, USA) have recently recognised the problems caused by having to remove certain items from hand luggage at security. Both have announced that they are in the process of trialing 3D security scanners that are able to thoroughly scan bags without the need to remove any items. If the technology is successful, current liquid stipulations may eventually be removed, and the security process will be simplified, as passengers will be able to proceed through security more efficiently.

Despite the possible benefits of using this technology, the HolidayPirates’ survey highlighted that the use of new screening processes in airport security are not necessarily welcomed by British holidaymakers. When asked if they would trust new screening technology more than trained professionals, only 27% of those surveyed said that they would.

David Armstrong, CEO at HolidayPirates comments: “While our survey showed that frequent flyers find airport security to be the least pleasant part of their airport experience, it is important to recognise that it is not the act of passing through security itself that people resent, (with 65% of those surveyed saying that the process leaves them feeling safe ahead of a flight), rather, it is the delays and queues that arise as a result of the way in which the security screening is conducted. The trial of new 3D scanners shows that some airports are recognising these problems and are acting to find ways to ensure a more efficient system. We hope that these insights into holidaymakers’ views on airport security will help highlight broader perceptions about the process, and how it might be improved” .

About HolidayPirates

HolidayPirates is one of Europe’s fastest growing, free-to-use, travel search platforms and apps, providing users with the best value for money international travel deals. Since its inception in 2012, the company has grown into the biggest online travel community in the world, achieving 30 million monthly page visits, 10 million app downloads, and having launched services across 10 countries and 7 different languages.

Über Urlaubspiraten

Urlaubspiraten, eines der erfolgreichsten deutschen Online-Reiseportale, wurde 2011 gegründet und ist Teil der HolidayPirates Group mit Hauptsitz in Berlin.

Die weitgereisten Redakteur:innen des mehrfach ausgezeichneten Portals recherchieren täglich Angebote auf den Seiten von Drittanbietern – von Flügen und Hotels über Autovermietung bis hin zu Ferienwohnungen, Luxushotels und Pauschalreisen. Die Reisedeals werden, gepaart mit Tipps aus erster Hand, auf der Webseite, via WhatsApp, Newsletter, App und in den sozialen Medien veröffentlicht.

Die Social Media-Kanäle der Urlaubspiraten verzeichnen mehr als 1,9 Millionen Fans auf Facebook, über 450.000 Instagram Follower sowie rund 185.000 Follower auf TikTok.

Die HolidayPirates Group ist in 10 Ländern aktiv – Deutschland, Österreich, Großbritannien, Frankreich, Italien, den Niederlanden, Polen, Spanien, der Schweiz und den Vereinigten Staaten. Unsere redaktionellen Teams auf der ganzen Welt inspirieren jeden Monat über 20 Millionen Verbraucher:innen dazu, günstiger zu reisen, zu entdecken und Urlaub zu machen.

Pressekontakt

Stefanie Dechow
Senior Brand and Communications Manager

E-Mail: [email protected]

E-Mail: [email protected]