Evaluating the airline selection behavior of United States domestic travelers: An empirical study
The U.S. airline industry encountered unmet loss as a result of terrorist attacks and slacking domestic economy combined with fierce competition. The industry is exploring ways to reduce cost and generate revenue. However, it is important to better understand the selection behavior of their customers; This study ranked 32 airline selection attributes based on importance and the percentage of respondents considering the attributes when selecting an airline. This study explored significant relationships between the attributes rating and the groups segmented on the basis of demographical information and such traveling activities as frequency of travel. The author also attempted to discover the travelers' food purchasing behavior. In the end, this study produced eight factors that comprised the entire decision process of airline selection, i.e. entertainment, efficiency, staff service, dining, seating, frequent flyer programs, scheduling and price. The findings provide useful implications for airline marketers and identify areas for future research.
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