The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on airlines’ passenger satisfaction

Abstract

This study aims to understand airline passengers' satisfaction trends by analyzing the most influential factors on satisfaction before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample consists of a dataset with 9745 passenger reviews published on airlinequality.com. The reviews were analyzed with a sentiment analysis tool calibrated for the aviation industry for accuracy. Machine learning algorithms were then implemented to predict review sentiment based on airline company, travelers' type and class, and country of origin. Findings show passengers were unhappy before the pandemic, aggravated after the COVID-19 outbreak. The staff's behavior is the main factor influencing passengers' satisfaction. Predictive modeling showed that it is possible to predict negative review sentiments with satisfactory performance rather than positive reviews. The main takeaway is that passengers, after the pandemic, are most worried about refunds and aircraft cabin cleanliness. From a managerial standpoint, airline companies can benefit from the created knowledge to adjust their strategies in agreement and meet their customers' expectations.