Abstract
The aim of this paper is to help to understand price determination in air transport, both international and national, and its connection with the customer satisfaction problem. Nowadays price determination is quite complex: in fact two passengers on the same flight may have paid different prices and this discrepancy is due to the fact that users are different and, generally speaking, the markets to which the service is applied are different. The price varies not only because of the different distances travelled, but also according to the different services which the passenger wishes to receive on board and on the ground. The additional flight services (which represent the so-called 'extended product') are many today and they satisfy the consumer's every possible need. Obviously, for this reason, the prices vary. Through market segmentation it is possible to identify various categories of consumers and to offer them the service they require, which varies depending on numerous factors, both social and economic. Moreover, in the last decade, the effects of deregulation have been decisive, as removing controls from flights and air fares has also gained ground in those countries which were once against liberalisation. Among these are those countries of Europe (UK, Scandinavia) which, following the American example, have lobbied for the introduction of deregulation in Europe. At this time deregulation is not present everywhere and this creates considerable difficulties in negotiating tariffs. Finally, this paper indicates customer satisfaction as a fundamental factor in building customer loyalty, since customers really determine the success or the failure of an initiative, a service or even a whole organisational structure.
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