Will TSA be handing our pink slips?

[pms4104]

I am curious ... with so many airlines pulling planes, cancelling routes, and reducing capacity, the number of people travelling by air will be significantly less. So, the taxes/fees built into fares and collected by airlines to fund airport security will be reduced. Will that reduced revenue stream be reflected in less screeners at the checkpoint? Or, will the TSA personnel level remain constant and some line item in the Federal budget be used to pick up the $lack?

[6rugrats]

I am curious ... with so many airlines pulling planes, cancelling routes, and reducing capacity, the number of people travelling by air will be significantly less. So, the taxes/fees built into fares and collected by airlines to fund airport security will be reduced. Will that reduced revenue stream be reflected in less screeners at the checkpoint? Or, will the TSA personnel level remain constant and some line item in the Federal budget be used to pick up the $lack?

 

You are making a lot of assumptions. No one could possibly answer those questions as none as it has happened yet, and there is no guarantee any of it will happen.

[pms4104]

You are making a lot of assumptions. No one could possibly answer those questions as none as it has happened yet, and there is no guarantee any of it will happen.

While the actual reality has yet to be implemented, there's been plenty in the news indicating carriers are planning to cut capcity by year-end by anywhere from about 10 to 18 percent, depending on the airline. Some airlines already have begun to announce some of the changes ... American, for instance, is working on its San Juan service and cutting SJU outbound entirely from some U.S. airports.

 

So, yes, I am assuming there will be fewer travelers and, therefore, fewer people going thru security and, further therefore, a reduced requirement for screeners. I think only a miracle will impact the plans airlines are making to stay out of liquidation.

[rich40245]

One thing I do see increasing is the number of airports with “pay” security lines. (Traveler pays an annual fee, gets a detailed, through background screening, and then can use the ‘special’ line.) TSA is funded, at least in part, by the ‘9-11 security fee’ added to each ticket. When the number of passengers goes down, TSA’s money goes down, and they will have to reduce staffing, except at the ‘pay’ line(s). (The number of passengers HAS to go down when the airlines reduce the number of flights. Example: Delta has announced that it will reduce the number of seats to Orlando by 48%.)

 

Now, will the reduced staffing match the reduced funding match the reduced number of passengers? Who knows?

 

Rich