Does the nature of airport terminal service activities matter? Processing and non-processing service quality,passenger affective image and satisfaction

The surge in air transport demand and the increasingly competitive and volatile market dynamics due to airline deregulation are rapidly transforming airports’ character into multi-service firms and destinations. As a result, service performance measurement of significant systems and their consequent impact on airport users are crucial in creating better airport service design, operation and management for sustainable competitive advantage. The present study 1) assesses the applicability of the Airport Indicators of Passenger Experience (AIPEX) model on Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG), and 2) tests a theoretical model that explores the direct and indirect relationships among airport service quality, passenger affective image and satisfaction, as well as the moderating mechanism of passenger type (travel purpose) in these associations. The results indicate that, the AIPEX model fits the PVG context for airport service performance assessment. Also, the theoretical model suggests robust direct associations among processing/non-processing domains and passenger satisfaction, as well as the processing domain and passenger affective image, except non-processing domain and passenger affective image relation. Moreover, significant mediating and moderating effects of passenger affective image and travel purpose on the significant positive direct associations are found. Further, implications for theory and practice are discussed.     

Airport alliances and mergers – Structural change in the airport industry?

Recent years have seen a global trend towards the emergence of multi-airport companies operating at a global scale. This paper employs industrial and transaction costs economics to identify the main drivers that shape the patterns of international cross-ownership structures that have emerged in the airport industry. In addition, implications for competition and competition policy are drawn.     

Exploring causality in trade and air passenger travel relationships: the case of Asia-Pacific, 1980–2010

This paper explores the potential of heterogeneous Granger analysis in transport geography research by applying this method to a specific case of the often complex and potentially reciprocal linkages between the deployment of transport infrastructures and spatial economic development: the linkages between rising intra-regional volumes of trade and air passenger traffic in Asia-Pacific. Although conceptual and empirical linkages between both indicators can be assumed based on previous research, relatively little is known about the actual causality. Using heterogeneous Time Series Cross Section Granger causality analysis for the period 1980–2010, we explore the presence of four ‘causality scenarios’ amongst different country-pairs: (1) there is no co-evolution, implying that both patterns develop independently (e.g. Japan–Australia); (2) there is ‘real’ co-evolution in that both patterns influence each other through feedback loops (e.g. South Korea–Philippines); (3) air passenger traffic is facilitated by trade (e.g., South Korea–Philippines); or (4) trade is facilitated by air passenger traffic (e.g. Australia–Malaysia). Some tentative interpretations of this heterogeneity are offered.     

Living “up in the air”: Meeting the frequent flyer passenger

This paper uses a large database of approximately 37,000 passengers and three different estimates to analyse the characteristics of the frequent flyer and the differences between frequent flyers and occasional flyers. The results show that frequent flyers are middle-aged men with a high level of education who take domestic flights for business reasons at both hub and regional airports, where they make a purchase and/or consume F&B. Frequent flyers fly on both low-cost and traditional airlines, are more likely to stay overnight at a relative's or friend's home and travel to the airport by private or rented car.     

How does demand uncertainty affect food and beverage capacity in the hotel industry?

This study investigates the effect of demand uncertainty on hotels’ food and beverage (F&B) capacity using the operation data of international tourist hotels in Taiwan. The empirical results of this study show that demand uncertainty leads to an increase in F&B capacity. Moreover, the magnitude of this effect increasingly strengthens for hotels with larger F&B scales. Our results together with other studies on room capacity collectively indicate that hotels’ overcapacity problem resulting from demand uncertainty considerably varies with hotel scales and between different hotel sectors.     

What is the busiest time at an airport? Clustering U.S. hub airports based on passenger movements

Accurate clustering of airports enables airport authorities and operators to precisely position themselves in the competitive market, facilitates airlines to efficiently allocate resources, and empowers the research community with credible data for new discoveries. Existing clustering studies largely use traffic volume, network connectivity, or operational efficiency to group airports into hierarchical clusters or parallel partitions. Developing a different perspective, this study focuses upon a key bottleneck of outbound passenger movements in airport terminals, the security checkpoints, and uses the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Customer Throughput/Wait Times Reports to cluster hub airports of the United States. With the input data structured as univariate time-series, k-shape, a clustering algorithm that is robust to time axis distortion and computationally efficient, is selected to analyze the similarity of time-series using shape-based distance. The clustering results are validated by examining the raw and z-normalized data of selected airport clusters on six sampled dates. Analysis results indicate that k-shape is competent and efficient to process and cluster time-series data used for this specific research. This study offers a fresh perspective to cluster commercial airports using an infrequently employed dataset. The clustering results reveal how the geographical location, hub status in airlines' operational network, and destination type of an airport affect the movement of outbound passengers through terminals     

A comparative study of airport connectivity in China,Europe and US: Which network provides the best service to passengers?

This paper investigates the connectivity of the airport networks in China, Europe and US. Our aim is to analyze which network is most beneficial to final passengers in terms of travel time and which of the network features lead to such a result. A time-dependent minimum path approach is employed to calculate the minimum travel time between each pair of airports in the three networks, inclusive of flight times and waiting times in intermediate airports. We evaluate each fastest indirect connection in terms of waiting times and routing factors to consider the effect of the hubs’ coordination and locations. The Chinese network provides the quickest travels for passengers, but this performance is explained by a small number of airports per inhabitant. The US network is the most coordinated when considering indirect connections. The EU network provides the most homogeneous level of service when comparing airports of different sizes.     

Hello major airports,goodbye regional airports? Recent changes in European and US low-cost airline airport choice

Low-cost carriers (LCCs) are assumed to adopt a certain business model in which an important element is the concentration of services at secondary and regional airports. Yet, evidence suggests that increasingly LCCs also establish themselves in what can be considered the major airports. This raises the question of whether LCCs are changing their business model and adopting practices associated with the traditional, incumbent airlines, and if so what might cause such change. Based on categorization of airports and using OAG flight data the US and European markets are investigated. Focusing on several LCCs, with more attention given to Southwest and Ryanair, their profile of operation with respect to the type of airports used is analysed for a period of between 15 and 25 years and up to 2015. The results clearly indicate that LCCs are increasing their operations from major airports, while generally continuing their growth and expansion strategy. The main implication of which is the increase in direct competition between LCCs and traditional airlines while the impacts of this change on the smaller airports are not clear yet and need to be investigated further.     

Rail track charges in Great Britain—the issue of charging for capacity

Separation of infrastructure from operations in rail transport raises the issue of what should be the structure and level of charges for infrastructure use. This paper outlines the solution adopted in Britain, and how it has developed. It concludes that the principle defect in the current system is the lack of any charge to reflect scarce capacity. A way of measuring the capacity requirements of different types of train and of identifying their opportunity cost is put forward, but it is recognised that reflecting this in the charges would be complex.     

Environmental sustainability,airport capacity and European air transport liberalization: irreconcilable goals?

The general aim of this paper is to discuss the apparently irreconcilable tensions that exist between policies for air transport liberalization in the European Union (EU), those directed at environmental sustainability, and the inadequacy of plans for additional airport capacity and modal shift to meet projected growth in air transport. The paper analyses the contradictory responses of the major stakeholders in the air transport industry to these problems, concentrating in particular on the environmentally incompatible strategies adopted by airlines in the competitive market-place. It concludes that environmentally driven capacity constraints at airports will effectively determine air transport's development within the EU, and that current laissez-faire attitudes of airlines and their regulators are unlikely to prevail as 'polluter pays' principles are more firmly implemented.     

Examining the spatial–temporal dynamics of bus passenger travel behaviour using smart card data and the flow-comap

Over the past two decades, smart card data have received increasing interest from transport researchers as a new source of data for travel behaviour investigation. Collected by smart card systems, smart card data surpass traditional travel survey data in providing more comprehensive spatial–temporal information about urban public transport-based (UPT) trips. However, the utility of smart card data has arguably yet to be exploited fully in terms of extracting and exploring the spatial–temporal dynamics of UPT passenger travel behaviour. To advance previous work in this area, this paper demonstrates a multi-step methodology in order to render more insightful spatial–temporal patterns of UPT passenger travel behaviour. Drawing on the Brisbane, Australia, bus network as the case study, a smart card dataset was first processed in combination with General Transit Specification Feed (GTFS) data to reconstruct travel trajectories of bus passengers at bus stop level of spatial granularity. By applying geographical information system-based (GIS) techniques, this dataset was used to create flow-comaps to visualise the aggregate flow patterns at a network level. The flow-comaps uncovered the major pathways of bus passengers and its variations over a one-day period. The differences within the flow-comaps were also quantified to produce weighted flow-comaps that highlighted the major temporal changes of passenger flow patterns along a number of stop-to-stop linkages of the bus network. The proposed methodology visually unveiled the spatial–temporal travel behaviour dynamics of UPT passengers and, in doing so, showed the potential to contribute to a new evidence base with the capacity to inform local public transport policy.     

Terrorism and tourism demand: a case study of Lebanon,Turkey and Israel

Using a seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) model, this paper examines the impact of domestic and transnational terrorism on tourism demand (as measured by visitor arrivals) to Lebanon, Turkey and Israel. The distinguishing feature of this paper is that we use a dynamic framework that takes into account (i) the intensity of terrorism and (ii) the associated spillover effects. The empirical results, based on monthly data from 1995 to 2007, reveal that terrorism in one country affects visitor arrivals not only to that country but also to other countries. We find that tourists view Lebanese and Turkish tourism markets as substitutes. Terrorism in Israel, of all types (i.e. domestic or transnational) and intensities, affects visitor arrivals to Lebanon and Turkey. In overall terms, terrorism has a much larger negative impact on visitor arrivals to Lebanon.     

Airport choice and flight connectivity among domestic and international passengers – Empirical analysis using passenger movement survey data in Japan

This paper presents an empirical analysis of airport choice and passenger movement on international flights from local cities in Japan to Narita and Haneda Airports in the Tokyo metropolitan area. This is the first study to evaluate airport choice behavior in Japan empirically by using the micro data collected by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in 2010 (i.e., when time slots for international long-haul flights were first assigned at Haneda). The analysis confirms that flight connectivity is a crucial element in airport choice.Further, Japanese airlines and their associated alliances are able to attract passengers arriving from local cities by using Haneda airport. Above all, we find that the introduction of long-haul international flights from Haneda has met the needs of a number of passengers arriving from local cities in Japan owing to the convenience of the domestic flight network, especially for business purpose passengers.     

The impact of low-cost carriers on airport choice in the US: A case study of the Washington–Baltimore region

Previous research has shown that low-cost carriers (LCCs) may stimulate traffic at an airport by offering low fares. Using passenger survey data from the Washington–Baltimore region’s three airports, we find that the benefits of LCCs to airports extend beyond the traffic generated directly by the LCCs through their low fares. In addition, we find that the mere presence of an LCC at an airport can attract passengers, even to competing carriers. These “halo effects” from LCC presence increase the significance to airport managers of attracting LCCs in order to generate passenger demand.     

The unexpected “yes”: Explanatory factors behind the positive attitudes to congestion charges in Stockholm

Several authors have argued that acceptability for road pricing is likely to increase with familiarity. The experiences in Stockholm, where a trial period with congestion charges changed the public opinion from negative to positive, support this hypothesis. Analysing acceptability and attitudes in Stockholm allows us to study a situation where the population is in fact familiar with congestion charges, and explore what the decisive factors for acceptability are in such a situation. By analysing a survey collected after the referendum and the subsequent reintroduction of the charges, we analyse the prerequisites to achieve acceptability given that the public is familiar with congestion charges.As expected, low car dependence and good transit supply are associated with high acceptability. But the two most important factors turn out to be beliefs about the charges' effectiveness, and general environmental attitudes. The importance of beliefs and perceptions of the effects of the charges underscores the importance of both careful system design and careful evaluation and results communication. The strong connection between environmental concerns and positive attitudes to congestion charges underscores the importance of considering and “marketing” the charges' environmental effects. In Stockholm, the politicians' decision to “re-label” the congestion charges to “environmental charges” and emphasising their positive effects on air quality may very well have had a positive impact on acceptability.     

Investigating travelers’ multi-impulse buying behavior in airport duty-free shopping for Chinese traveler: Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations

Airport duty-free shopping is becoming the most important source of revenue and profit. As airports provide a unique retailing environment that differs from the day-to-day distribution channels, observation of travelers' shopping behavior in airports shows that it is different from that in traditional retail store environments. Duty-free retailers at airports must recognize this specific shopping behavior to maximize their sales performance. We examine the relationship between two different types of impulse buying behaviors: cognitive and affective. We also study travelers' satisfaction/loyalty in the context of airport duty-free shopping using two moderators of this relationship: intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. Data were collected from outbound Chinese travelers, who represent the largest proportion of travelers worldwide, to identify implications for airport duty-free retailers. This study found a positive relationship between affective impulse buying behavior and travelers' satisfaction, an aspect that also generates loyalty in the context of airport duty-free shopping. Furthermore, travelers' extrinsic motivations moderate the negative relationship between affective impulse buying behavior and travelers' satisfaction. This study provides insights that airport duty-free retailers can utilize to motivate travelers’ consumption and enhance their satisfaction in duty-free shopping, thereby increasing consumer loyalty.     

Tourism,changing architectural styles,and the production of place in Itacaré, Bahia,Brazil

This article examines changing architecture in Itacaré, Brazil, as it transitions from a fishing village to an international tourist destination. Tourism, as an assemblage of practices and perspectives, recreates places in specific ways that structure social and environmental relationships. Through an examination of historical architectural styles, tourist architecture, and popular architecture in Itacaré, this article analyses the ways a tourist economy has physically and socially rebuilt the city. Socially, the changing architecture marks and creates differences between class, racial, and regional identities while also providing an idiom through which public conversations about these changing economic systems and demographics are articulated. At the same time, the expansion of the city has led to racial-, regional-, and class-based segregation. Environmentally, tourist architecture creates new relationships to nature through re-imagining Itacaré’s position in relation to other rural and urban places and a new emphasis on the aesthetic value of nature.     

Network concentration and airport congestion in a post de-regulation context: A case study of Brazil 2000–2010

This paper empirically investigates the main drivers of airline network concentration in an air transport market subject to rapid growth. We consider the Brazilian air transport industry of the 2000s, in which network concentration rapidly increased and was followed by a period of massive flight delays and cancelations, which resulted in the “big blackout” of 2006–2007. We develop an econometric model of network concentration, accounting for demand, cost and competition variables that may affect the propensity of carriers to concentrate flights and passenger connections on a few airports of a network. The main focus of the paper is on the relation between networks leading to the problems of the blackout episode. We investigate the dynamic pattern of the evolution of concentration before and after the abnormal period of operations and find that concentration began to rise at least six quarters before, and persisted at a high level until two quarters after the blackout – and then plunged steeply toward the end of the decade. We believe that our analysis contributes to an improved understanding of the behavior of air transport systems subject to network concentration and congestion. With respect to methodology, we suggest and employ the use of alternative measures of network concentration to check the robustness and validity of our results.     

Transport,urban development and the peripheral poor in Colombia — Placing splintering urbanism in the context of transport networks

In rapidly growing cities the evolution of utility and communication infrastructures has enabled the creation of ‘premium networked spaces’ exclusively for wealthier groups thus deepening already large social inequalities. By the same token, in a context of spatially concentrated income-earning opportunities and other urban functions, as well as limited purchasing power, accessibility to adequate means of connectivity with the rest of the urban fabric can be a determining factor in overcoming conditions of poverty for residents in physically marginal areas.Within the framework of the splintering urbanism thesis, and using the case study of Soacha, a municipality adjacent to Bogotá, Colombia's capital city, we examine the apparent mismatch between the growth of low-income informal settlements in peripheral locations and the development of transport networks in the period 2000–2010. Our aim is to identify the effects on social and spatial marginalisation of an uneven provision of material infrastructures and services for mobility. We identify central elements in the structure of the networks of connectivity between Bogotá and Soacha, highlighting the main gaps that lead to a fragmented set of connections. We develop a set of criteria for planners and policy makers searching for a more informed analysis of transport supply and policy development practice for poor peripheral populations in similar regions and contexts.