Understanding the determinants of users’ continuance intention to buy low-cost airline flights online

TTam, C., Barroso, M., & Cruz-jesus, F. (2022). Understanding the determinants of users’ continuance intention to buy low-cost airline flights online. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, 13(2), 264-280. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTT-12-2020-0316Purpose Low-cost carriers’ (LCC) worldwide market share is gaining momentum. This paper aims to propose using the expectation confirmation model (ECM) combined with brand awareness and image, website quality and visual appeal to evaluate the continuance use intention of low-cost airlines (LCA) websites. Design/methodology/approach The empirical approach was based on an online survey of 272 individuals collected in Portugal. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings Brand awareness, brand image and satisfaction are the variables that best explain continuance intention. The leftover constructs can empirically explain ECM. Originality/value This study seeks to understand the significance of brand awareness and image, website quality and visual appeal in LCA websites’ confirmation and continuance use intention. Understanding the influence on confirmation and long-term viability, strategies based on these conclusions are proposed for LCC companies to better promote consumers’ continuance use intention.authorsversionpublishe

Evaluating competitiveness of airports - Airport competitiveness index

The paper introduces a concept of airport competitiveness index. The index consists of numerous indicators grouped into four categories: market potential, infrastructure, charges and recent traffic results. Another important factor we take into account is safety. We find that from the selected sample the most competitive airports are Singapore Changi, New York Kennedy, Newark Liberty and Dubai International. U.S. and South-East Asian airports in general are among the most competitive.airport, air traffic, airport competitiveness index

Developing communication tools for resource management in western Alaska: an evaluation of the Western Alaska Landscape Conservation Cooperative coastal projects database

Master's Project (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2017Science communication is an essential component in decision-making for resource management in Alaska. This field aids in bridging knowledge gaps between scientists and diverse stakeholders. In 2014, the Western Alaska LCC developed a database cataloging the current coastal change projects in order to facilitate collaboration amongst researchers, managers, and the surrounding communities. In order to better inform similar outreach projects in other LCC regions, this MNRM project entailed an evaluation of this database between April and September 2016 and comprised a ten-question phone interview with the database participants and other involved personnel. Results from this evaluation can help refine the database to better suit its users' needs in the future, and it can also inform the creation of similar tools in other LCC regions. This project evaluated the use and usability of the Western Alaska LCC Coastal Change Database. First, I review coastal change and its impacts on Western Alaska. Next, I explore how institutions can respond to these changes and what resources they can use, including decision-support tools. I then provide examples of different decision-support tools (both in academic literature and in Alaskan projects) and discuss methodologies for evaluating their use. Interview results are then reported. The evaluation of the WALCC Coastal Change Database indicated that the tool was mostly used to enhance general understanding of the research occurring in the region. Respondents were less likely to use it for time-intensive tasks such as collaboration. Respondents also indicated that a place exists for tools like this database to flourish, but they need 1) persistent outreach, 2) a dynamic design, and 3) immediate benefits for users' time. In the future, regular updates and frequent outreach could improve the database's usability and help maintain its credibility

The decline of the traditional travel agent model

This article analyzes the struggle between traditional travel agencies and airlines to gain control of the Spanish airline services market. Also analyzed is the strong emergence of a third player, online travel portals that act as online travel agencies. We use a multinomial logit model to study the influence of 27 socio-economic factors and trip attributes on pas- senger purchase channel choice. The results show that the profile of a passenger who has a greater likelihood of making his/her bookings online is that of a young person, a student or educated to a high level, a habitual traveler, booking a simple journey and using an LCC. The factors linked to an increased likelihood of making purchases by phone include: being male, middle-aged, on a business or short trip, and the passengers usually use a travel agency. Finally, passengers who are over 65 years of age, with a lower academic level, who use a travel agency and are going to make a more complicated journey, are more likely to purchase their tickets in-store

Sustainable Refurbishment for School Buildings:A Literature Review

Purpose: Any building refurbishment is challenging and school buildings offer no exception. They are increasingly in need of refurbishment due to their age and evolving teaching and learning. The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of literature on sustainable refurbishment so as to identify key lessons from selected successful refurbishment projects. The review findings are expected to contribute to the development of refurbishment plans in an effective and innovative manner that should extend building’s service life, focus on resource efficiency, and comfort their users. It will also contribute to knowledge base of refurbishment and suggest future directions for research. Design/methodology/approach: The paper has undertaken a literature review on the sustainability assessment of buildings and frameworks for sustainable refurbishment. Besides, the work also provides a review of recent successful refurbishment projects to collect and structure systems experiences which can be adopted in developing a sustainable refurbishment strategy for school buildings. Findings: Findings include three groups of lessons in terms of reasons, process and barriers in the selected refurbishment projects that assist stakeholders to prepare a suitable refurbishment plan for their school buildings. The potential of 3D scanners and BIM applications in the refurbishment process will also be reviewed in order to develop a proposed framework of 3D scanner vs BIM for the refurbishment process. Recommendations highlight the role of a national strategy as a driving factor for applying the advantages of information technology to enhance optimal solution selection processes to get better and more sustainable results. Originality/value: The conceptual framework for 3D scanner and BIM applications within sustainable refurbishment for school buildings is currently under researched, and the findings aimed to address such a gap when considering 3D scanners and BIM applications in the refurbishment process

Structuring Guidelines for Web Application Designers - A Meta-model

International audienc

Investigation of Passengers’ Intentions to Use High-Speed Rail and Low-Cost Carriers in China

With a large population, China is an ideal market for high-speed rail (HSR) and low-cost carrier (LCC) services. While HSR has gained substantial market share in China over the past decade, LCCs have achieved only limited market penetration. The potential growth of LCCs in China, however, is promising given the growing travel demand and government policy support. As LCCs expand their service in the domestic market, they are likely to become a strong competitor of HSR. The potential competition between LCCs and HSR justifies the research of passengers’ behavioral intentions to use HSR and LCCs in China. This research focused on factors that influenced passengers’ intentions to use HSR and LCCs in China. Based on the extensive literature review, this study adopted the theory of planned behavior (TPB) as the ground theory and developed the expanded TPB models for HSR and LCCs. In addition to the original TPB components, trust, total travel time, price, service quality, access, and frequency were added to the HSR model. For LCCs, the TPB model was extended with the inclusion of price, service quality, uncertainty avoidance, access, frequency, and technology self-efficacy. This research used a survey method to collect data from LCC passengers in Shanghai and Shijiazhuang and from HSR passengers in Beijing and Shanghai. The total sample size was 484 for HSR and 596 for LCCs. This study used the structural equation modeling (SEM) method for data analysis. The results indicated that attitudes, subjective norms, price, access, service quality and total travel time were significant determinants of passengers’ intentions to use HSR; while frequency, trust and perceived behavioral control (PBC) were not important factors. Service quality had the strongest impact on passengers’ intentions to use HSR, followed by total travel time. For LCC passengers, attitudes, subjective norms, price, access, technology self-efficacy, service quality, and uncertainty avoidance significantly affected their motivation in using LCCs, while PBC and frequency were found insignificant. Price was the most important factor in passengers’ intentions to use LCCs, followed by service quality. The findings greatly enhance the understanding of passenger motivation in traveling by HSR and LCCs in China. The model comparison yields valuable insights into potential competition between HSR and LCCs in China. Both HSR and LCC passengers were significantly influenced by attitudes, subjective norms, price, access, and service quality in their decisions to use HSR and LCCs. The finding sheds new light into future competition between the two modes in China. The model comparison sample size was 484 for HSR and 596 for LCCs. This study used the structural equation modeling (SEM) method for data analysis. The results indicated that attitudes, subjective norms, price, access, service quality and total travel time were significant determinants of passengers’ intentions to use HSR; while frequency, trust and perceived behavioral control (PBC) were not important factors. Service quality had the strongest impact on passengers’ intentions to use HSR, followed by total travel time. For LCC passengers, attitudes, subjective norms, price, access, technology self-efficacy, service quality, and uncertainty avoidance significantly affected their motivation in using LCCs, while PBC and frequency were found insignificant. Price was the most important factor in passengers’ intentions to use LCCs, followed by service quality. The findings greatly enhance the understanding of passenger motivation in traveling by HSR and LCCs in China. The model comparison yields valuable insights into potential competition between HSR and LCCs in China. Both HSR and LCC passengers were significantly influenced by attitudes, subjective norms, price, access, and service quality in their decisions to use HSR and LCCs. The finding sheds new light into future competition between the two modes in China

Change, Choice, and Commercialization: Backpacker Routes in Southeast Asia

South-East Asia has the oldest and largest backpacker trails. This paper examines the geographies of such flows, drawing upon the largest survey to date of backpackers in Asia using qualitative research to survey the key changes from the 1970s to the 2000s. Backpacker trails have changed significantly and new routes have emerged including the ‘northern trail’ (Bangkok - Cambodia - Vietnam - Laos). It is to be expected that routes change as backpackers constantly seek new places, pioneering for later mass tourism. However, this paper suggests that using institutionalization as a framework, these changing trails and backpacker ‘choices’ can be seen as driven by growing commercialization and institutionalization. This then operates in combination with external variables (travel innovations - low cost airlines, and new transport networks); exogenous shock (political instability, terrorism); and growing regional competition from emerging destinations such as Vietnam and Cambodia

The impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on European airlines' passenger satisfaction

The COVID-19 pandemic brought many challenges to the airline industry, resulting in radical changes to the passengers’ experience. The purpose of this study is to understand the differences in customer satisfaction between the pre-COVID-19 period and during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well the factors that influence said satisfaction. The sample of this study consists of a dataset with 9,745 reviews written by passengers on the well-known airline reviews website, airlinequality.com, owned by SKYTRAX. The reviews were analyzed with a sentiment analysis tool that was specially calibrated for the aviation industry to be more accurate. The findings of this study show that passengers were unhappy with airlines before the pandemic, and those feelings were aggravated after the COVID-19 outbreak. The behavior of airline staff is the main factor to influence passengers’ satisfaction. The main takeaway is that passengers, after the pandemic, are mostly worried with refunds and aircraft cabin cleanliness. This study shows that analyzing passenger reviews is an effective way of gathering customer feedback, paving the way for airlines to continuously improve their service offerings.A pandemia COVID-19 trouxe muitos desafios à indústria da aviação, resultando em drásticas alterações à experiência dos passageiros. O objetivo deste estudo é compreender as diferenças na satisfação dos passageiros, antes e depois da pandemia COVID-19, bem como quais os fatores que a influenciam. A amostra consiste em 9745 comentários deixados por passageiros no conhecido site de comentários, airlinequality.com, cujo proprietário é a SKYTRAX. Os comentários foram analisados recorrendo a uma ferramenta de análise de sentimentos, especialmente calibrada para a indústria aeronáutica, de modo a obter resultados mais precisos. Os resultados sugerem que os passageiros não estavam satisfeitos com as companhias aéreas, e esse sentimento foi agravado durante a pandemia. O comportamento dos trabalhadores das companhias aéreas são o fator que mais influencia a satisfação dos passageiros. A principal conclusão é que os passageiros, após a pandemia, demonstram preocupações acrescidas com reembolsos e com a limpeza da cabine das aeronaves. Este estudo mostra que análise de comentários de passageiros é uma forma eficiente de recolher a opinião dos clientes, dando oportunidade às companhias aéreas de melhorarem continuamente os seus serviços