IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/transa/v176y2023ics0965856423002501.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Eliciting preferences of Indians for air travel during COVID-19 pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • Singh, Manjinder
  • Bansal, Prateek
  • Raj, Alok
  • Dixit, Aasheesh

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed air travel like never before. Airlines are rebuilding consumer confidence by taking several measures, such as providing luggage sanitation and flexible ticket services, blocking middle seats for social distancing, and implementing fast check-in processes. This study develops a fresh understanding of how these factors shape air travel demand in the peri-pandemic situation. To this end, we conducted a discrete choice experiment among over 600 domestic air travelers in India. The estimated discrete choice models provide the relative importance of factors in explaining travelers’ itinerary preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for new services. The results provide several policy-relevant insights. First, the maximum WTP for refundable ticket service is zero for 21% of respondents and below INR 1000 (≈ USD 12.5) for 84% of respondents. Air travelers who are married with children and opt for luggage sanitation services are more likely to be potential buyers of refundable tickets. Second, Indian air travelers’ WTP for fast check-in and luggage sanitation services is around 10% of the base ticket fare. Third, the airlines could increase aging travelers’ comfort and safety perception by implementing fast check-in service, as their itinerary preferences are three times more sensitive to the provision of this service than their younger counterparts. Fourth, while a blocked middle seat does not affect air travel demand, mandatory vaccination certification is preferred on average over an RT-PCR test. This study thus helps airlines to operationalize comfortable and safe air travel in peri-pandemic situations.

Suggested Citation

  • Singh, Manjinder & Bansal, Prateek & Raj, Alok & Dixit, Aasheesh, 2023. "Eliciting preferences of Indians for air travel during COVID-19 pandemic," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:transa:v:176:y:2023:i:c:s0965856423002501
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tra.2023.103830
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965856423002501
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.tra.2023.103830?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kim, Seung-Bok & Park, Jin-Woo, 2017. "A study on the importance of airline selection attributes by airline type: An emphasis on the difference of opinion in between Korean and overseas aviation experts," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 76-83.
    2. Hess, Stephane & Adler, Thomas & Polak, John W., 2007. "Modelling airport and airline choice behaviour with the use of stated preference survey data," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 43(3), pages 221-233, May.
    3. Tsai, Tsung-Hsien, 2016. "Homogeneous service with heterogeneous products: Relationships among airline ticket fares and purchase fences," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 164-175.
    4. Greene, William H. & Hensher, David A., 2003. "A latent class model for discrete choice analysis: contrasts with mixed logit," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 37(8), pages 681-698, September.
    5. Santos, Luca J. & Oliveira, Alessandro V.M. & Aldrighi, Dante Mendes, 2021. "Testing the differentiated impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on air travel demand considering social inclusion," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    6. Chen, Tiantian & Fu, Xiaowen & Hensher, David A. & Li, Zhi-Chun & Sze, N.N., 2022. "Air travel choice, online meeting and passenger heterogeneity – An international study on travellers’ preference during a pandemic," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 165(C), pages 439-453.
    7. Joan L. Walker & Yanqiao Wang & Mikkel Thorhauge & Moshe Ben-Akiva, 2018. "D-efficient or deficient? A robustness analysis of stated choice experimental designs," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 84(2), pages 215-238, March.
    8. Chen, Hsi-Tien & Chao, Ching-Cheng, 2015. "Airline choice by passengers from Taiwan and China: A case study of outgoing passengers from Kaohsiung International Airport," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 53-63.
    9. Sun, Xiaoqian & Wandelt, Sebastian & Zhang, Anming, 2022. "STARTUPS: Founding airlines during COVID-19 - A hopeless endeavor or an ample opportunity for a better aviation system?," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 10-19.
    10. Tinessa, Fiore & Marzano, Vittorio & Papola, Andrea, 2020. "Mixing distributions of tastes with a Combination of Nested Logit (CoNL) kernel: Formulation and performance analysis," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 1-23.
    11. Tahanisaz, Sahar & shokuhyar, Sajjad, 2020. "Evaluation of passenger satisfaction with service quality: A consecutive method applied to the airline industry," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    12. Lamb, Tracy L. & Ruskin, Keith J. & Rice, Stephen & Khorassani, Leili & Winter, Scott R. & Truong, Dothang, 2021. "A qualitative analysis of social and emotional perspectives of airline passengers during the COVID-19 pandemic," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    13. Tinessa, Fiore, 2021. "Closed-form random utility models with mixture distributions of random utilities: Exploring finite mixtures of qGEV models," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 262-288.
    14. Amankwah-Amoah, Joseph, 2020. "Note: Mayday, Mayday, Mayday! Responding to environmental shocks: Insights on global airlines’ responses to COVID-19," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    15. Chen, Tiantian & Fu, Xiaowen & Hensher, David A. & Li, Zhi-Chun & Sze, N.N., 2022. "The effect of online meeting and health screening on business travel: A stated preference case study in Hong Kong," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    16. Mandy Ryan & Diane Skåtun, 2004. "Modelling non‐demanders in choice experiments," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 13(4), pages 397-402, April.
    17. Graham, Anne & Kremarik, Frances & Kruse, Willy, 2020. "Attitudes of ageing passengers to air travel since the coronavirus pandemic," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    18. Proussaloglou, Kimon & Koppelman, Frank S., 1999. "The choice of air carrier, flight, and fare class," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 5(4), pages 193-201.
    19. Bansal, Prateek & Kessels, Roselinde & Krueger, Rico & Graham, Daniel J., 2022. "Preferences for using the London Underground during the COVID-19 pandemic," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 45-60.
    20. Kalakou, Sofia & Moura, Filipe, 2021. "Analyzing passenger behavior in airport terminals based on activity preferences," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    21. Naboush, Eman & Alnimer, Raed, 2020. "Air carrier's liability for the safety of passengers during COVID-19 pandemic," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    22. Dube, Kaitano & Nhamo, Godwell & Chikodzi, David, 2021. "COVID-19 pandemic and prospects for recovery of the global aviation industry," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    23. Bliemer, Michiel C.J. & Rose, John M., 2011. "Experimental design influences on stated choice outputs: An empirical study in air travel choice," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 45(1), pages 63-79, January.
    24. Andrew Collins & John Rose & Stephane Hess, 2012. "Interactive stated choice surveys: a study of air travel behaviour," Transportation, Springer, vol. 39(1), pages 55-79, January.
    25. Larissa Neuburger & Roman Egger, 2021. "Travel risk perception and travel behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic 2020: a case study of the DACH region," Current Issues in Tourism, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(7), pages 1003-1016, April.
    26. Domino Determann & Dorte Gyrd-Hansen & G. Ardine de Wit & Esther W. de Bekker-Grob & Ewout W. Steyerberg & Mattijs S. Lambooij & Line Bjørnskov Pedersen, 2019. "Designing Unforced Choice Experiments to Inform Health Care Decision Making: Implications of Using Opt-Out, Neither, or Status Quo Alternatives in Discrete Choice Experiments," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 39(6), pages 681-692, August.
    27. David Boto-García & Petr Mariel & José Baños Pino & Antonio Alvarez, 2022. "Tourists’ willingness to pay for holiday trip characteristics: A Discrete Choice Experiment," Tourism Economics, , vol. 28(2), pages 349-370, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zhou, Heng & Norman, Richard & Xia, Jianhong(Cecilia) & Hughes, Brett & Kelobonye, Keone & Nikolova, Gabi & Falkmer, Torbjorn, 2020. "Analysing travel mode and airline choice using latent class modelling: A case study in Western Australia," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 187-205.
    2. Garaus, Marion & Hudáková, Melánia, 2022. "The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourists’ air travel intentions: The role of perceived health risk and trust in the airline," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    3. Samanci, Simge & Didem Atalay, Kumru & Bahar Isin, Feride, 2021. "Focusing on the big picture while observing the concerns of both managers and passengers in the post-covid era," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    4. Koo, Tay T.R. & Hossein Rashidi, Taha & Park, Jin-Woo & Wu, Cheng-Lung & Tseng, Wen-Chun, 2017. "The effect of enhanced international air access on the demand for peripheral tourism destinations: Evidence from air itinerary choice behaviour of Korean visitors to Australia," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 116-129.
    5. Freund-Feinstein, Uzi & Bekhor, Shlomo, 2017. "An airline itinerary choice model that includes the option to delay the decision," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 64-78.
    6. Zhang, Linfeng & Yang, Hangjun & Wang, Kun & Bian, Lei & Zhang, Xian, 2021. "The impact of COVID-19 on airline passenger travel behavior: An exploratory analysis on the Chinese aviation market," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    7. Hagmann, Carmen & Semeijn, Janjaap & Vellenga, David B., 2015. "Exploring the green image of airlines: Passenger perceptions and airline choice," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 37-45.
    8. Jing Lu & Cheng Lv & Zhongzhen Yang & Mark Hansen, 2019. "Market Segmentation of New Gateway Airports Incorporating Passengers’ Curiosity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-24, December.
    9. Chen, Yuting & Fuellhart, Kurt & Grubesic, Tony H. & Zhang, Shengrun & Witlox, Frank, 2024. "An analysis of the context factors influencing the diverse response of airports to COVID-19 using panel and group regression," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    10. Maria Grazia Bellizzi & Luigi dell’Olio & Laura Eboli & Carmen Forciniti & Gabriella Mazzulla, 2020. "Passengers’ Expectations on Airlines’ Services: Design of a Stated Preference Survey and Preliminary Outcomes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-14, June.
    11. Medina-Muñoz, Diego Ramón & Medina-Muñoz, Rita Dolores & Suárez-Cabrera, Miguel à ngel, 2018. "Determining important attributes for assessing the attractiveness of airlines," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 45-56.
    12. Wandelt, Sebastian & Sun, Xiaoqian & Zhang, Anming, 2023. "On the contagion leakage via incoming flights during China’s aviation policies in the fight against COVID-19," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    13. Su, Junbiao & Wu, Hanjun & Tsui, Kan Wai Hong & Fu, Xiaowen & Lei, Zheng, 2023. "Aviation resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic: A case study of the European aviation market," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    14. Zhou, Heng & Norman, Richard & Kelobonye, Keone & Xia, Jianhong (Cecilia) & Hughes, Brett & Nikolova, Gabi & Falkmer, Torbjorn, 2020. "Market segmentation approach to investigate existing and potential aviation markets," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 120-135.
    15. Cho, Woohyun & Windle, Robert J. & Dresner, Martin E., 2017. "The impact of operational exposure and value-of-time on customer choice: Evidence from the airline industry," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 455-471.
    16. Laura DIACONU (MAXIM), 2021. "The behaviour of airlines’ passengers in the context of COVID-19 pandemic," CES Working Papers, Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, vol. 13(2), pages 230-242, July.
    17. Arntz, Melanie & Brüll, Eduard & Lipowski, Cäcilia, 2021. "Do preferences for urban amenities really differ by skill?," ZEW Discussion Papers 21-045, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    18. Guerrero-Baena, M. Dolores & Villanueva, Anastasio J. & Gómez-Limón, José A. & Glenk, Klaus, 2019. "Willingness to pay for improved irrigation water supply reliability: An approach based on probability density functions," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 217(C), pages 11-22.
    19. María J. Alonso-González & Oded Cats & Niels van Oort & Sascha Hoogendoorn-Lanser & Serge Hoogendoorn, 2021. "What are the determinants of the willingness to share rides in pooled on-demand services?," Transportation, Springer, vol. 48(4), pages 1733-1765, August.
    20. Cho, Woohyun & Windle, Robert J. & Dresner, Martin E., 2015. "The impact of low-cost carriers on airport choice in the US: A case study of the Washington–Baltimore region," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 141-157.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:transa:v:176:y:2023:i:c:s0965856423002501. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/547/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.