A STUDY OF CHINA’S MAJOR DOMESTIC AIRLINES’ SERVICE QUALITY AT SHANGHAI’S HONGQIAO AND PUDONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS

Hongwei Jiang,Graham Wild,Glenn S Baxter

doi:10.3846/16487788.2017.1415224

Abstract

In a highly competitive market, service quality can be the core competitive advantage for airline’s profitability and sustained development. This paper has investigated the differences in the passengers’ expectations and perceptions of the service quality of China’s four major domestic airlines: Air China, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, and Hainan Airlines in China’s domestic market. The results will assist airline management to improve service quality by reducing the difference. Surveys were conducted with domestic passengers at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport and Shanghai Pudong Airport in China. The results show that there are significant differences of service quality between passengers’ expectations and perceptions among major Chinese airlines. Passengers consistently rate ‘good safety records’ as the first priority of seven SERVQUAL dimensions, but low price remains the most important factor that passengers consider when choosing a Chinese airline. The conclusions reached in this work suggest that Chinese airlines should consider improving service quality rather than providing cheaper air tickets in order to gain competitive advantage.

Highlights

Research related to service quality and customer satisfaction in the airline industry has continued to grow in interest, because the delivery of high service quality is considered essential for the competitiveness of an airline as well as ensures its survival in the highly competitive world airline industry (Park et al 2004)
The aims of this paper are: (1) to investigate the gap between passengers’ perceptions and their expectations for China’s four major domestic airlines; (2) to examine whether significant differences exist in the service quality between these four airlines; (3) to provide information to passengers when choosing an airline with regards to service quality; (4) to provide information to airline managers in order to reduce the gaps of service quality; and (5) to investigate the importance of price and its role for passengers when selecting an airline for their domestic travel in China
The aim of this study was to examine the service quality provided by Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, and Hainan Airlines, in China’s domestic market

Summary

Introduction

Research related to service quality and customer satisfaction in the airline industry has continued to grow in interest, because the delivery of high service quality is considered essential for the competitiveness of an airline as well as ensures its survival in the highly competitive world airline industry (Park et al 2004). Service quality is highly important for the world’s airlines and can provide a source of competitive advantage. China’s air travel market has experienced tremendous growth over the past 30 years (Fu et al 2012). In 2013, China’s airlines carried 354 million domestic passengers. More than 90 percent of passengers are carried by four largest airlines in China’s domestic market, namely, Air China, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, and Hainan Airlines. The International Air Transport Association (2014) have predicted that China will overtake the United States as the world’s largest passenger market (defined by traffic to, from and within) by 2030. Despite the importance of China’s air travel market there has been limited research undertaken in the area of service quality of China’s major domestic airlines. Is a great need to conduct research about the customers’ expectations and perceptions of Chinese airlines’ domestic service quality

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion