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Measuring strategic firm interaction in product-quality choices: The case of airline flight frequency

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  • Brueckner, Jan K.
  • Luo, Dan

Abstract

This paper investigates strategic interaction among airlines in product-quality choices. Using an instrumental variables approach, the paper estimates flight-frequency reaction functions, which relate an airline׳s frequency on a route to its own characteristics and to the frequencies of competing airlines. A positive reaction function slope is found in some cases, suggesting the presence of strategic interaction in the choice of frequencies. The paper also asks whether multimarket contact generates mutual forbearance in frequency competition, finding no evidence for such an effect.

Suggested Citation

  • Brueckner, Jan K. & Luo, Dan, 2014. "Measuring strategic firm interaction in product-quality choices: The case of airline flight frequency," Economics of Transportation, Elsevier, vol. 3(1), pages 102-115.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecotra:v:3:y:2014:i:1:p:102-115
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecotra.2014.04.004
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    9. David Agrawal & Marie-Laure Breuillé & Julie Le Gallo, 2020. "Tax competition with intermunicipal cooperation," Post-Print hal-02949334, HAL.
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    16. Kang Hua Cao & Betty Krier & Chia-Mei Liu & Brian McNamara & Jerrod Sharpe, 2017. "The Nonlinear Effects of Market Structure on Service Quality: Evidence from the U.S. Airline Industry," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 51(1), pages 43-73, August.
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    20. Greenfield, Daniel, 2014. "Competition and service quality: New evidence from the airline industry," Economics of Transportation, Elsevier, vol. 3(1), pages 80-89.
    21. Doi, Naoshi & Kono, Tatsuhito & Suzaki, Izumo, 2023. "Optimizing Multiple Airport Charges with Endogenous Airline Quality Considering the Marginal Cost of Public Funds," MPRA Paper 116176, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    22. Benny Mantin & Eran Rubin, 2016. "Fare Prediction Websites and Transaction Prices: Empirical Evidence from the Airline Industry," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 35(4), pages 640-655, July.
    23. Calzada, Joan & Fageda, Xavier, 2023. "Airport dominance, route network design and flight delays," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Reaction function; Airlines; Flight frequency;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L10 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - General
    • L93 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Air Transportation

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