Analysing passenger behaviour towards the catering industry: Implications for airport management

This research note seeks to provide the most detailed analysis yet of passenger behaviour towards the airport catering industry. With the broadest sample to date among similar studies, namely 37,000 passengers surveyed at 8 different airports with 38 explanatory variables, a large number of conclusions have been drawn. The most important of these is that the factors that most influence a passenger's using a catering establishment during his/her stay at an airport are his/her physiological needs and social reasons. However, contrary to what was anticipated a priori, socioeconomic status only has a moderate influence, while having a wide range and variety of foodstuffs on offer does not result in passengers consuming more. It is also observed that low-cost airline passengers consume less than those of traditional airlines, probably due to the stress related to boarding with these types of airlines.     

Meeting the needs of disabled air passengers: Factors that facilitate help from airlines and airports

With the number of impaired air passengers having increased globally, air service providers may have the potential to create a lucrative niche market. However, it is less clear what the service needs of these passengers are as well as providing facilities and services. This paper aims to explore the service needs of impaired air passengers and to identify factors affecting the facilities and services. The results of data from a sample of 180 respondents from among airline, airport and government staff are presented in this research. These results show that the top three items which travellers complained about in relation to airlines are the lack of provision of a user-friendly on-board restroom, wheelchair services and the distance between cabin seats and restroom on board. The results also show that female staff are more likely to be willing to help impaired passengers than male staff. In considering the factors comprising perceived needs, two factors, i.e. “Compensation and improvement schemes” and “Not suitable for taking a flight” appear to have significant effects. The managerial implications are also discussed.     

The changing economics of international air transport

The airline industry is currently undergoing the worst financial crisis of its history, and many features of this pose new kinds of challenge for both airlines and governments. The author examines, first, the basic changes which have taken place recently in the international airline industry; second, considers the implications of these changes; and third, specifies the actions that need to be taken to surmount the present crisis.     

Marketing of airline services in a deregulated environment

Airline deregulation in the USA has produced dramatic changes in the marketing of airline services. All elements of the marketing mix - product, place, price, and promotion - have been affected. The marketing changes have affected nearly all members of the travel-distribution system, including competing airlines, travel agents, other suppliers of travel services, and travellers. These changes represent challenges and opportunities for all concerned.     

Impact of an Airline Merger on Customer Satisfaction

ABSTRACT

Given the radical changes in the airline industry where many airlines struggle to sustain their financial viability, consolidation appears to be one viable option for airlines. While airlines guarantee that consolidation will bring better customer service, the traveling public fears the effects of mergers that result from less competition. Using the AA/TWA merger, this article presents the results of an empirical study that provides both the airline public and airlines with insight into the real impact of an airline merger on airline service and customer satisfaction.     

European air transport in the 1990s

This article considers possible future developments in the European airline industry. In 1987 the EEC Council of Transport Ministers agreed on a more liberal regulatory regime aimed at promoting more airline competition. With 1992 the target for the elimination of all barriers to an internal EEC market, the marketing power of large airline size will emerge as the major factor shaping the industry. If EEC airlines are able to use the ‘Right of Establishment’ provisions of the Treaty of Rome to expand their operations into other EEC countries, this could usefully replace competitive market forces lost through national mergers.     

Airline schedule and network competitiveness: A consumer-centric approach for business travel

The aim of this paper is to undertake a comparative analysis of the competitiveness of airline schedules and networks from a business traveller perspective with a particular focus on Europe and travel to and from this continent. A unique and innovative customer-centric model is developed using a passenger survey and airline schedule data to overcome the shortcomings of traditional models that lack the passenger viewpoint. The results show that Austrian Airlines/Vienna airport and Swiss/Zurich airport have the highest quality connections, while the top five competing European hubs are served by the Lufthansa group. The findings provide a significant opportunity to airlines to grow their knowledge and understanding of their competitive position and their ability to offer scheduling convenience to passengers.     

Evaluating domestic bias on airline passengers’ ratings: The moderating effect of cultural value orientation

We explore differences in airline passengers’ online ratings toward domestic and foreign carriers. Using a dataset of more than 380,000 airline passenger reviews obtained from TripAdvisor, we show that on average passengers express higher satisfaction (as proxied by their overall rating) for airline service encounters with domestic carriers, exhibiting a form of domestic bias. Using Hofstede’s framework, we examine how cultural dimensions influence the strength of this bias and find support for the moderating impact (positive and negative) of passengers’ cultural dimensions on their provided ratings toward domestic airlines. The study has theoretical and practical implications for international marketing researchers and airline operational planners.     

Coping with no-shows,late cancellations and oversales: American hotels out-do the airlines

The article describes the related problems of no-shows, late cancellations, overbooking and oversales that plague both the hotel and airline industries. It then examines how American hotels and airlines have coped with the problems of no-shows/late cancellations, engaged in protective overbooking to minimise oversales and undersales, dealt with bumps and walks with upgrades and compensation plans and what they have done to monitor their reservation profiles. The author, an airline economist, has come to the unmistakable conclusion that the hotels have done a much better job than the airlines of managing the problem of no-shows, late cancellations and oversales.     

Does market exit of a network airline affect airline prices and frequencies on tourist routes?

This paper examines the influence of network airline bankruptcy (and consequently its market exit) on prices and route frequencies. Specifically, the 2011 case of Spanair is analyzed, using Spanish route data for the period 2006–2013. The study finds that the Spanair bankruptcy led to a reduction in prices on those routes where its services were replaced by low-cost airlines. On the other hand, there was no evidence of any clear reduction in flight frequencies. Given that tourist passengers are particularly sensitive to prices, this paper provide evidence about the positive impact of low-cost airlines on tourism.     

Sixth freedom operations in international air transport

The geographical locations of some airlines enable them to conduct ‘sixth freedom’ operations, ie to exploit the large volumes of traffic which may be carried between foreign countries on through connecting services routed via their home states. Sixth freedom traffic may be economically significant to airlines having long intercontinental routes: hub-and-spokes route networks are developed and the airline may achieve a high market share. Competition for sixth freedom traffic has resulted in the sale of unofficial discount fares through ‘bucket shops’ and the practice of ‘dumping’, which governments should seek to control.     

Database Marketing for Competitive Advantage in the Airline Industry

This paper examines the development and role of database marketing in the travel industry in general and in the airlines in particular. The airline industry has effectively merged its information with that from other travel services to better serve consumers and to increase marketing efficiency. Computer reservation systems, frequent programs, and yield management are integrated through database marketing to gain competitive advantage in the marketplace.     

Traveler preferences from online reviews: Role of travel goals,class and culture

Along with being critical performance indicators as well as a rich source of information for potential customers, the overall rating and recommendation behavior also work as a crucial information source for managers of airlines for customer segmentation, service design, and post-purchase evaluation management. In this study, we explore how customer preferences, behavior and post-purchase evaluations differ for travelers depending on their respective travel goals, travel class, and the culture of their native country. Based on the frameworks of the construal level theory and expectation disconfirmation theory, we provide a psychological explanation of why specific service attributes, categorized in process-outcome and tangible—intangible dimensions, get higher importance than others for a particular set of customers. We analyzed consumer review data of 28,341 reviews for 345 airlines by customers from 132 countries. The results yielded critical theoretical contributions to extant literature on airline evaluations and recommendations, construal levels, airline customer segmentation, etc. Moreover, the results also helped managers of an airline to package design, segment customers, enhance targeted communication, and customer relationship management overall. The limitations and future scope of the study have also been discussed.     

Developments in the European inclusive travel business

This article emphasizes the importance of transport to the tourism industry and in particular the part played by air transport in international travel. Air travel accounts for 60%–70% of all international journeys to and from the UK. The inclusive tours (IT) sector - largely developed in the UK and FR Germany - represents an increasing proportion of UK airline passengers. Larger aircraft are being brought into use by UK airlines to cope with increasing demand. The increasing tendency to long-haul travel favours the scheduled airlines but charter services can cater for small traffic flows and thus benefit new destinations.     

从服务质量及机票价格比较传统和廉价航空的优势——以澳门国际机场为例

廉价航空近年成为一种重要的旅游交通方式。本文通过问卷调查和统计分析,检验抵达澳门国际机场的飞机乘客如何对比传统和廉价航空在服务质量、票价及再次和推荐他人搭乘的意向,从而比较两者的优势。同时也检验服务质量及票价是否影响再次和推荐他人搭乘。结果发现,传统航空只在部分类别的服务质量有优势,廉价航空则在机票价格及推荐他人搭乘具有优势。另外,两种航空各有不同的服务质量类别影响再次和推荐他人搭乘。在此基础上,本文分别为两者提出改进建议。     

Will you fly with this airline in the future? An empirical study of airline avoidance after accidents

ABSTRACT

While safety is the paramount concern of the airline industry, accidents do happen. The subsequent media attention relating to an airline accident might lead potential passengers to avoid certain airline operators. This study examines factors potentially determining tendencies to avoid such airlines. A self-administered random survey was conducted with 230 respondents in a metropolitan area. Structural equation modelling was employed and the results highlight the significant role of consumer trust and service recovery. Consumer trust plays a mediating role in the relationships between the factors (i.e. previous flight experience, company image, stability attribution, controllability attribution) and the decision to avoid an airline.     

Evaluating Service Marketing in Airline Industry and Its Influence on Student Passengers' Purchasing Behavior Using Taipei–London Route as an Example

This article reports an empirical study into airline consumer purchase behavior on a major global route between the United Kingdom (UK) and Taipei. It focuses on the factors influencing airline choice for a sample of 60 Taiwanese students based at UK Universities and traveling on five airlines: British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, China Airlines, EVA Airways, and Royal Dutch Airways. Several stages of data gathering were undertaken and a well‐established analytical framework for services marketing was used to identify gaps between the desired and received service. The main findings suggest that service quality, including in‐flight entertainment, cabin crew attitude, and seating comfort, can be as important as, or more important than, price in student purchase decisions for long‐haul flights. Other important factors in carrier choice included student discounts, baggage allowances, and airline safety record.     

Environmental Reporting of Airlines in the Asia Pacific Region

This study investigates environmental reporting in the Asia Pacific airline sector. The findings indicate that only five airlines (all in four developed countries in the region) have published standalone environmental reports. The environmental reports of those five airlines were examined, using the assessment model developed by Adams (1998). Fifteen elements from Adams’ framework plus one additional element were employed to analyse the content of the reports. At least 69% of the 16 elements were mentioned in the reports. Comparisons of environmental policy statements and environmental management systems used by the airlines were also made.     

Reshaping gender in airline employment

Air transport and tourism are interdependent systems wherein representations of gender are shaped by organisational cultures. Although airlines have progressed their gender balance, cabin crew work remains archetypically feminine. Taking a feminist poststructuralist approach, this paper uses thematic document analysis to examine how gendered discourses are constituted within airline organisational narratives through text, gestures and symbolic signs. Findings reveal that while airlines work to increase gender equality in employment practices, their efforts predominantly focus on the cockpit, neglecting roles beyond the flight deck. The paper recommends airlines broaden their gender equity focus to all roles and provides a basis for reshaping airlines' gender policies and practices.     

Exploring the perceived competence of airport ground staff in dealing with unruly passenger behaviors

Unruly Passenger Behaviors (UPBs) are a challenge for service provision enterprises, notably the airline industry. To explore ground staff competence and difficulties in dealing with UPBs, a questionnaire was established in consultation with managers of three multinational airlines, and was duly completed by airline ground staff (n = 494). Response analysis using Rasch models identified the most challenging UPBs and assessed staff competence in handling UPBs. Some UPBs were commonly challenging for the staff of all airlines, whereas some were challenging only for the staff of specific airlines. Inter-airline differences emerged in regard to difficulty and staff competence in managing specific UPBs; this could reflect differences in company policy, training programs, staff support, and authorizations provided. These results suggest procedures by which airlines could improve UPB handling, including the establishment of appropriate service-staff authorizations, passenger education, complaint mechanisms, unruly passenger databases, information feedback loops, and staff training courses on procedures for dealing with different UPBs.