Abstract
Orientation: Delivering service quality is crucial for the continuous operation and sustainability of South African owned airlines. The term ‘South African owned airlines’ refers to six South African owned registered airlines, and is used for purpose of anonymity and confidentiality.Research purpose: The main aim of this study was to examine the interplay between service quality delivery, satisfaction, loyalty programmes and passengers’ loyalty to South African owned airlines.Motivation for the study: Intended to provide insight into quality to society of airline services, the global airline industry in general and the airline industry in South Africa in particular.Research approach, design and method: A quantitative research approach was adopted, using a cross-sectional (sample survey) method. Empirical data was directly collected by the researchers from 684 passengers at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg and King Shaka International Airport in Durban using a non-probability random sampling technique.Main findings: The study’s main findings were that: (1) generally, passengers of South African owned airlines were satisfied with the airlines’ service quality and rated such satisfaction as moderate to high. (2) Only 22% of passengers were part of a loyalty programme. However, in the South African context, loyalty programme membership is not indicative of passengers’ loyalty to airlines: 86% of the respondents stated that they are consistently loyal to the airlines (3). There was no association between passengers’ loyalty and frequency of travel. (4) South African passengers have limited choice of airlines; therefore, loyalty and patronage does not lean towards a particular airline.Practical implications: By offering superior service quality to passengers, South African owned airlines could gain competitive advantage ongoing patronage and loyalty, thus increasing overall profitability.Contributions: This study provides cognitive information, which management could use to design new marketing strategies to enhance loyalty in the airlines in South Africa and globally.
Highlights
H4: There is no significant association between passengers’ travel frequency and the loyalty programmes offered by South African owned airlines
This review examines the relationship between airline services quality, satisfaction, passengers’ loyalty and loyalty programmes in the airline industry from a South African perspective
The results further reveal that 85.7% of the respondents were loyal passengers who consistently patronise a particular South African owned airline, while 14.3% were not
Summary
As in the global airline marketplace, passengers are the key constituents of the South African airline industry. Providing service excellence and quality should be the airlines’ main fiduciary duty and responsibility. From a passenger’s perspective, excellent service quality induces customer satisfaction and future loyalty and patronage. From an airline’s perspective, providing service quality promotes competitive advantage and increases the prospect of enjoying ongoing passenger patronage and loyalty (Steven, Dong & Dresdner 2012:743). In the global airline industry, loyalty or frequent flyer programmes are widely used to build stronger links with customers (Keller 2013:189). The rationale is: ‘identifying, maintaining, and increasing the yield from a firm’s best customers through long-term, interactive, value-added relationships’ (Keller 2013:189)
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