Travelers from NC rank as the least efficient, causing the most airport ‘headaches’
Travelers from North Carolina rank as the nation’s least efficient, leading to the most “headaches” at airports, a new report finds.
The state’s travelers cause delays while going through airport security and boarding their flights, according to results published Thursday, Nov. 16.
The findings come as AAA estimates about 4.7 million people will travel by air for Thanksgiving, the most since 2005.
The air travel rankings come from Blueprint, a financial division of USA Today. The website said it surveyed 5,000 people between Oct. 3 and 19, with a 3% margin of error. The respondents, who all flew within the past five years and represented each state, were asked time-related questions that focused on three categories: “security checkpoints, general preparedness, and luggage and overpacking.”
What makes NC travelers so bad?
North Carolina travelers topped the list after they were found to be the least efficient at security checkpoints, with more than one-third reporting that the Transportation Security Administration needed to remind them “to take their belts or shoes off,” according to results shared with McClatchy News via email.
When it comes to luggage, a majority of North Carolinians admitted to waiting close to the baggage carousel to fetch their belongings. Travelers from the state also were named some of the biggest overpackers and among the least efficient at getting their carry-on bags into overhead bins.
There was a bright spot, with North Carolina travelers ranking about average when it came to being prepared to get off the plane after their flights.
The rankings were released after Oak Island, south of Wilmington, was named the trendiest place to visit for Thanksgiving. The results were based on the number of U.S. potential travelers searching for the beach destination on a vacation rental website, McClatchy News reported.
If you plan to drive to your holiday destination, you may have better luck. That’s because Raleigh and Greensboro recently ranked among the nation’s most driver-friendly cities.
In the latest rankings, the other top five states found to have the worst air travelers were:
- West Virginia at No. 2
- Arkansas at No. 3
- New York at No. 4
- Alabama at No. 5
Meanwhile, Wisconsin was found to have the most efficient plane passengers.
This story was originally published November 17, 2023 at 1:07 PM with the headline "Travelers from NC rank as the least efficient, causing the most airport ‘headaches’."
