Determinants of airport train operational performance

This study aims to analyze the improvement of the operational performance of Indonesia’s Soekarno-Hatta Airport train through service quality which is mediated by train passenger loyalty and passenger satisfaction. The main problems in this study are the use of the same railway for long-distance train, airport train, and commuter Line train, the limited use of airport railway with four schedules, the headway which becomes 30 minutes since the number of travels becomes 82 trips, and the tariff being applied now is considered as burdening the passengers. The research method uses a quantitative analysis approach with the technique of Structural Equation Modeling-Lisrel. Data collection is done through observation and questionnaire distribution. The respondents are 306 passengers of trains heading for Soekarno-Hatta Airport. The benefit of this study for the domestic railway company is that by improving service quality, passenger loyalty and satisfaction, it will improve the operational performance of airport trains. The result of this research indicates the significant influence of service quality variable on passenger loyalty through passenger satisfaction, the significant influence of service quality variable on operational performance through passenger satisfaction and passenger loyalty as well as the significant influence of passenger satisfaction variable on operational performance through passenger loyalty.

Air-Travelers’ Perceptions of Service Quality during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from Tripadvisor Sites

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted both healthcare and the economy on a global scale. This pandemic has changed consumer habits and behaviors significantly, primarily because of confinement-related issues. While numerous research has been undertaken to study customer satisfaction using surveys and online passenger ratings, the effect of COVID-19 on passenger satisfaction has not been explored. It is vital to assess satisfaction indicators gathered from online consumer reviews to ascertain consumers’ preferences for airline services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of this study is to determine the primary themes that emerged from airline travelers’ internet reviews during the COVID-19 outbreak. Additionally, it attempts to determine which of these themes relate to higher and lower passenger satisfaction. The article uses qualitative (i.e., narratives) analyses to examine the main components of passengers’ subjective experiences of the airline. Data are represented by passenger reviews posted on the TripAdvisor website. The analyses revealed ten themes in descriptions of airline travel experiences. These include “flight”, “service”, “staff”, “food”, “check-in”, “cancellation”, “COVID-19”, “airport”, “class”, and “luggage”. Dissatisfying concepts are linked with the “cancellation”, “check-in”, “refund”, and “airport” concepts.

The mediating role of passenger satisfaction on the relationship between service quality and behavioral intentions of low-cost carriers

PurposeBy extending the existing service quality dimensions and reflecting the low-cost carriers (LCCs) context, the purpose ot this study aims to develop the research model to examine whether passenger satisfaction mediates the relationship between service quality and behavioral intentions of LCCs across low- and high-experience passengers.Design/methodology/approachData collected from 320 passengers (180 for low-experience passengers and 140 for high-experience passengers) to test the research model. The partial least square structural equation modeling approach was used to perform the path modeling and multi-group analysis.FindingsThe results confirm that passenger satisfaction mediates the relationship between four service quality constructs (tangible features, service reliability, quality of personnel and online ticketing service) and behavioral intentions (repurchase and recommendation intentions) for both low- and high-experience passengers. However, convenient flight schedule has a significant influence on passenger satisfaction only for low-experience passengers.Practical implicationsThe results of multi-group analysis indicated that passenger satisfaction exerts stronger effect on recommendation intentions for low-experience passengers. LCCs managers' priority should be placed on providing satisfying service experiences to less experienced passengers. Improved passenger satisfaction through superior service quality motivates low-experience passengers to recommend LCCs, thus increasing the positive word-of-mouth promotion.Originality/valueTheoretically, this study is first considering both low- and high-experience LCCs passenger perceptions to examine how passenger satisfaction mediates the relationship between service quality and post-purchase intentions. From the managerial perspective, the findings can provide useful management insights into developing multi-faceted strategies that allow LCCs firms to restore passenger confidence and retain their repurchase intentions.

Passenger satisfaction and decision of repurchasing on rail transportation services

The purpose of the study was to determine and analyze the effect of train rates, comfort and timeliness on passenger satisfaction and the impact of repurchase decision of train transportation services for the Jenggala Train on the Sidoarjo-Mojokerto route, at East Java, Indonesia. The main problem, there are complaints about unsatisfactory service, inaccuracy of departure and arrival time at the station aim. Also, the passenger capacity provided is large, but the volume transport is still minimal and there is no data on passengers who make repeat purchases. The sample are 100 Jenggala train crossing service Sidoarjo-Mojokerto passengers. Method of data analyze used path analysis. The result showed that the changes of rate amount, experience of passenger comfort, and timeliness of train travel had major impact on the decision of repurchase. As a theorithical and practical implication, the improvement of service user facilities at the station and on the train is very important needed to create comfort for users of transportation services train, because the comfort variable has a significant effect dominant in influencing purchasing decisions.

Air Passenger Preferences: An International Comparison Affects Boarding Theory

When boarding an aircraft, it is often assumed that minimizing the total boarding time meets economic objectives and passenger satisfaction. However, there are indications that not only the total boarding time should be considered in order to satisfy passengers. In “Air passenger preferences: an international comparison affects boarding theory,” a large survey among airplane passengers, which was conducted in Germany, Israel, and the United States, confirms that a significant share of passengers prefers short individual boarding times. Interestingly, if boarding is restricted to two boarding groups that differ by the passengers’ speed of taking their assigned seat (e.g., passengers with and without hand luggage), “slow-first” is best for minimizing the total boarding time, but “fast-first” is best for minimizing average individual boarding time. Thus, the paper presents a new boarding strategy called “slow-back-first,” where the resulting total boarding time and the resulting average individual boarding time are both close to their respective optimum.