Empirical analysis of airline choice using survey data in Hong Kong

This study aims to evaluate the level of importance of choice factors on airline choice. Empirical study is conducted to obtain relevant data from Hong Kong residents. Regarding the service perceptions, the results showed that there are significant differences among passengers who travel for different purposes, take different roles (decision makers against non-decision makers), as well as at different age and income groups. The findings also indicated that passengers consistently rank cost as the most important factor when deciding where to make the reservation and the airline choice. This may explain why Low-Cost Carriers (LCC) have an increasing market share in the recent years. To compete with the LCC, Full-Service Carriers (FSC) should focus on efficient flight operations, such as increasing flight frequency and minimizing delays. As these factors are greatly emphasized by passengers.