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American Morning

Interview with Terry Trippler

Aired August 29, 2002 - 08:16   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Joining me to look more at this AAA survey, air travel advocate Terry Trippler, president of TerryTrippler.com, who is in Minneapolis -- good morning.
TERRY TRIPPLER, PRESIDENT, TERRYTRIPPLER.COM: Good morning.

KAGAN: Is that just a coincidence that your last name is Trippler and you're in the travel business?

TRIPPLER: Many of -- yes, it is.

KAGAN: Just had to ask as that caught my attention this morning.

Let's look at some of these numbers, first of all. If you add up all the people who say yes they are confident in the security of the -- of the air system, 75 percent. What do you take on those numbers?

TRIPPLER: That's good. I mean when we consider how people felt right after September 11, it feels -- the government has increased security at the airport enough to make people feel confident. Seventy-five percent is a very high number. That -- it's really good news.

KAGAN: Good news, but people want even more security.

TRIPPLER: Yes, they do. And I have a little problem with that somewhat when they say even if there are delays. What's critical here is the business traveler. They are the people that the air transportation recovery is built on are these business travelers.

I sort of look at it like a freeway. On a Sunday it's very easy to leisurely go down the freeway, but on Monday's you've got to get on that freeway and get to work, you're less patient. If I'm traveling for pleasure, I don't mind the delays at the airport so much. But if I'm traveling on business, I've got to get to where I'm going and get back. And so if getting those machines in means that we're going to delay people at the airport longer, I think we better delay getting the machines in. We've got to keep this system moving.

KAGAN: Well you know one thing that's interesting, Terry, is that most of the people who were interviewed for that survey I think were -- they -- AAA says they're leisure travelers. So that would there indicate that they -- sure they're willing to have a little bit more delay, they're on vacation. It's not the people that are doing it week in and week out with the grind.

TRIPPLER: Right. KAGAN: But people saying they are willing to pay to have better safety.

TRIPPLER: Yes, they are. That's a -- that -- I like that. I like the fact that they're willing to pay more to have more security. And I felt that all along.

I think now it's roughly $10 that will -- that we're paying. People would pay $20, $25. But again, we come into a situation it's easy to say that in the survey. If you're going to pay $25 for security and you're buying a $39 ticket, people may start to question that. So it depends upon when it really is instituted how much they really charge. But again, it's good to hear that people are willing to pay for this security.

KAGAN: And then there's that final controversial topic, do you think that pilots should have guns in the cockpit? Some people apparently do.

TRIPPLER: Well I don't know -- I don't know any pilots personally; but you know, they seem like a pretty level-headed group to me. And if someone is breaking down the cockpit door, it looks like that person is pretty serious about getting control of that airplane, I think I would like the pilot to have a gun in there as a line of defense.

KAGAN: You would. I think there's some people think the pilot should be just flying the plane, but a topic to continue another day.

Terry Trippler, thank you so much. Safe travels to you.

TRIPPLER: Thank you.

KAGAN: Appreciate your time.

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