Now showing 1 - 10 of 222
  • Publication
    The choice between business travel and video conferencing after COVID-19 – Insights from a choice experiment among frequent travelers
    COVID-19 has accelerated the substitution of videoconferencing for business travel. However, little research exists about the decision-making behavior of business travelers considering virtual alternatives. We fill this gap by reconceptualizing the decision-making process and investigating the fundamental choice between face-to-face (FtF) and virtual communication (VC) using adaptive choice-based conjoint analysis. We argue that the process of decision making of business travelers is distinct to that of leisure travelers, as the fundamental decision between FtF and VC occurs prior to subsequent travel decisions. We show that the purpose of the meeting, the char-acter of the message, and the location of the meeting are the decision attributes of greatest importance. Using a novel methodology we present a holistic decision model that increases the theoretical understanding of business traveler decision-making and provides practitioners with comprehensive insights relevant to travel policy development, and executives in the business travel market with guidance with management decisions.
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  • Publication
    Influence of Marketing Instruments on Consumer Behavior in the Process of Purchasing Leisure Flight Tickets
    (Gabler/GWV-Fachverl, 2019-05)
    Klein, Maximilian
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    The article discusses the influence on the process of purchasing leisure flight tickets of different marketing instruments as determinants. It examines the perceived importance of 39 instruments based on an adaptive choice-based conjoint analysis and refers to four different instrument categories that impact the consumer's decision.
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  • Publication
    Willingness to Pay for Green Products in Air Travel: Ready for Take-Off?
    (Wiley, 2015-11-17)
    Hinnen, Gieri
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    We examine the willingness to pay (WTP) for green products in air travel. Green products in aviation are supplementary services, which are sold on top of the travel service (e.g. carbon offsets, organic on-board food). We identify a set of potential green products in aviation and report the preferences for additional airline services of 811 Swiss air travellers using an adap- tive choice-based conjoint survey. We find that 20% of those passengers who are interested in purchasing supplementary services show a considerable WTP for green products. The green segment differs from the regular segment only in terms of behavioural features, not in terms of demographic or socio-economic characteristics.
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    Scopus© Citations 54
  • Publication
    Cost and revenue synergies in airline mergers : Examining geographical differences
    (Elsevier, 2015-08-01)
    Schosser, Maximilian
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    Deregulation, privatization and shifting demand patterns in the airline industry, combined with the emergence of low-cost airlines and rising fuel prices have increased the competitive pressure on legacy airlines. Since alliances do not deliver sufficient benefits to counterbalance these trends, many airlines have engaged in mergers to seek for additional cost and revenue synergies. An extent body of literature investigates the synergy potential in mergers and alliances, but there is no study on how synergies differ among mergers and what potential influence factors cause these differences. This paper aims at explaining differences in synergy estimates and realized synergies in recent airline mergers and places a special focus on geographical influence factors. The research methodology uses a comparative case study comprising six large airline mergers between 2003 and 2012 from Europe, North America and Latin America. After analyzing the cases individually, the pre-merger situation of the merging airlines, the synergy estimates and the realized synergies of the cases were compared. The results show considerable geographical differences in pre-merger cost structures, synergy estimates, and synergy realization. The European mergers present lower synergy estimates but also lower integration costs than mergers in the Americas. Whereas European airlines estimate cost synergies higher than revenue synergies, both North and Latin American airlines expect more revenue synergies than cost synergies from airline mergers. Only one merger showed superior post-merger profitability which indicates that the achieved synergies in the broad majority of the cases are insignificant.
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    Scopus© Citations 16
  • Publication
    Purchasing a General Ticket for Public Transport - A Means-End Approach
    (Elsevier, 2014-06-26) ;
    Switzerland offers a dense network of public transport means. The Swiss General Ticket (GT) is a popular travel pass, which allows the use of most of the public transport facilities in Switzerland. The buying behavior for public transport general tickets underlies a complex decision process. Public transport customers can deal with the complexity in two ways: either one decides on choice heuristics according to ones rather emotional beliefs or decides systematically based on a rational price comparison. Judgment and decision theory creates the basis for the discussion of heuristic versus systematic decision-making in this paper. The goal of the study is the explanation of the two consumer typologies when buying a GT along the continuum from more heuristically to systematically made decisions. Drivers for a more heuristically based as opposed to. a systematically based decision process, taking into consideration endogenous and exogenous factors, are evaluated. Literature provides some relevant heuristic and systematic decision factors. Primary research with railway customers in Switzerland (research panel) was conducted using an exploratory, semi-standardized approach using the laddering technique, which helps to identify relevant factors involved in the buying decision process. Functional attributes, which were put into context of higher-level personal values using the means-end approach, were detected. These functional attributes are the ones influencing a buying decision. Results show that convenience factors have a high influence when it comes to purchasing a season ticket, but price is the crucial factor behind the final purchase decision.
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    Scopus© Citations 3
  • Publication
    Customer value of purchasable supplementary services : The case of a European full network carrier's economy class
    (Elsevier Science, 2014-01) ;
    Rowley, Edward
    There is a general trend in the airline industry to try to find ways to generate ancillary revenue by offering additional or unbundled services. Low-cost carriers in particular are known to offer unbundled services, but only a few network carriers have started to unbundle their services and seek ancillary revenues. Meanwhile, others do not attempt this, due to a possible negative impact on customer perception and their brand image. The goal of this study is to determine the viability and customer value of purchasable supplementary services for economy class passengers of European full-service network carriers. The focus of the study lies in determining specific characteristics of the customer value concept in the context of purchasable supplementary services. By conducting a choice model the implicit preferences in regard to purchasable supplementary service of economy class passengers were analysed. A survey was conducted at Zurich Airport in Switzerland and the results and analysis were built on the data of 249 respondents. The results show that economy class passengers do perceive value in purchasable supplementary services and display a general intention to purchase such services provided they give the passenger added value and utility.
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    Scopus© Citations 26
  • Publication
    The future of ancillary service fees in air travel : an exploratory investigation of budget air travellers
    (Inderscience Enterprises, 2012) ;
    Boksberger, Philipp
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    Gerber, Andreas
    Ancillary service fees are often associated with Low-Cost Carriers (LCC). However, today, more and more Full Service Carriers (FSC) have introduced such fees as well and service chains of LCC's and FSC's look very similar. This article compares different European Airlines in terms of ancillary fees and services for the low yield passenger segment and based on a passenger survey, it researches into the question what the Budget air traveler of today really wants when he/she books a flight. Interestingly, the willingness-to-pay and the willingness-to-use selected service elements differ between Budget air travelers of a FSC and those of a LCC. Generally, passengers of LCC's would pay higher amounts for additional service attributes than passengers of FSC's. However, the main lesson is clear: There are additional service elements that add value to budget air travelers and the latter are generally willing to pay considerable amounts for these value-adding propositions.
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    Influence of airlines' environmental activities on passengers
    (JATS Hellenic Aviation Society, 2012-07) ;
    Wegelin, Linda
    This paper discusses the question whether passengers are fully aware of the efforts taken by airlines to protect the environment and if this knowledge in turn influences potential customers in choosing a certain airline. The topic is analysed by taking the case of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) passengers at Zurich Airport. It was found that these efforts are not apparent to passengers. However, passengers are interested in an airline's environmental responsibility. It was also found that the airline's action is appealing to customers. Nevertheless, the price plays an important role for passengers when choosing an airline even in the case of it being more environmentally-aware. Furthermore, there is a relation between the environmental activities of an airline and the brand image. The brand of the airline is strenghened if it is engaged in environmental activities and communicates them efficiently to passengers
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  • Publication
    A Customer-Value Framework for Analyzing Airline Services
    (Penn State University Press, 2011-03-17)
    Boetsch, Tina
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    A renewed interest in airline service quality has emerged as a result of ongoing growth of long haul services and competition for high yield passengers. This paper focuses on the importance of specific service elements for business class travelers. Customer value drivers are identified based on expert interviews and the existing literature. The customer value drivers are analyzed by applying choice based conjoint analysis and evaluated according to customer segments. The results show that emotional values such as the airline brand play a more important role than other factors such as price, product features, service quality, and journey time
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    Scopus© Citations 21
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    Scopus© Citations 18