IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/transe/v48y2012i2p555-565.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Multimarket contact, alliance membership, and prices in international airline markets

Author

Listed:
  • Zou, Li
  • Yu, Chunyan
  • Dresner, Martin

Abstract

This paper tests the mutual forbearance view in the context of airline alliances in the international air travel market. Using passenger booking and airfare data on transpacific routes, we find consistent evidence for the positive association between multimarket contact and airfares. Our results also suggest that multimarket contact between non-aligned airlines is associated with higher airfares, whereas multimarket contact between airlines in the same alliance has no additional upward impact on airfares. Moreover, it is shown that higher airfares tend to exist when airlines have greater multimarket contact on open-skies routes. In restrictive (non-liberal) international markets, however, multimarket contact may not affect airfare.

Suggested Citation

  • Zou, Li & Yu, Chunyan & Dresner, Martin, 2012. "Multimarket contact, alliance membership, and prices in international airline markets," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(2), pages 555-565.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:transe:v:48:y:2012:i:2:p:555-565
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tre.2011.09.001
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1366554511001128
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.tre.2011.09.001?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. Joel A. C. Baum & Helaine J. Korn, 1999. "Dynamics of dyadic competitive interaction," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(3), pages 251-278, March.
    2. Javier Gimeno, 2002. "The performance effects of unintended and purposive multimarket contact," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 23(4-5), pages 209-224.
    3. Feinberg, Robert M, 1985. ""Sales-at-Risk": A Test of the Mutual Forebearance Theory of Conglomerate Behavior," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 58(2), pages 225-241, April.
    4. Henrich R. Greve, 2008. "Multimarket contact and sales growth: evidence from insurance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(3), pages 229-249, March.
    5. Harumi Ito & Darin Lee, 2007. "Domestic Code Sharing, Alliances, and Airfares in the U.S. Airline Industry," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 50(2), pages 355-380.
    6. Aneel Karnani & Birger Wernerfelt, 1985. "Multiple point competition," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 6(1), pages 87-96, January.
    7. Ciliberto, Federico & Williams, Jonathan, 2010. "Does Multimarket Contact Facilitate Tacit Collusion? Inference on Conjectural Parameters in the Airline Industry," MPRA Paper 24888, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Corwin D. Edwards, 1955. "Conglomerate Bigness as a Source of Power," NBER Chapters, in: Business Concentration and Price Policy, pages 331-359, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. Owen R. Phillips & Charles F. Mason, 1992. "Mutual Forbearance in Experimental Conglomerate Markets," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 23(3), pages 395-414, Autumn.
    10. Nerea Fernández & Pedro L. Marín, 1998. "Market Power and Multimarket Contact: Some Evidence from the Spanish Hotel Industry," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(3), pages 301-315, September.
    11. Philip M. Parker & Lars-Hendrik Roller, 1997. "Collusive Conduct in Duopolies: Multimarket Contact and Cross-Ownership in the Mobile Telephone Industry," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 28(2), pages 304-322, Summer.
    12. Scott, John T, 1982. "Multimarket Contact and Economic Performance," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 64(3), pages 368-375, August.
    13. Sergio G. Lazzarini, 2007. "The impact of membership in competing alliance constellations: Evidence on the operational performance of global airlines," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(4), pages 345-367, April.
    14. B. Douglas Bernheim & Michael D. Whinston, 1990. "Multimarket Contact and Collusive Behavior," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 21(1), pages 1-26, Spring.
    15. Javier Gimeno & Carolyn Y. Woo, 1996. "Hypercompetition in a Multimarket Environment: The Role of Strategic Similarity and Multimarket Contact in Competitive De-Escalation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 7(3), pages 322-341, June.
    16. repec:bla:jindec:v:46:y:1998:i:3:p:301-15 is not listed on IDEAS
    17. Li Zou & Martin Dresner & Robert Windle, 2011. "Many Fields of Battle How Cost Structure Affects Competition Across Multiple Markets," Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, University of Bath, vol. 45(1), pages 21-40, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Balaguer, Jacint & Ripollés, Jordi, 2021. "Does multimarket contact affect prices in the retail fuel industry? First empirical evidence," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    2. Donggeun Kim & Myongjin Kim & Kerry Tan, 2021. "Tacit collusion and price dispersion in the presence of Southwest Airlines," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 88(1), pages 3-32, July.
    3. Bernardo, Valeria & Fageda, Xavier, 2017. "The effects of the Morocco-European Union open skies agreement: A difference-in-differences analysis," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 24-41.
    4. Mantin, Benny & Rubin, Eran, 2018. "Price volatility and market performance measures: The case of revenue managed goods," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 35-50.
    5. Heiets, Iryna & La, Jiezhuoma & Zhou, Wenhui & Xu, Shaoxin & Wang, Xingyue & Xu, Yuchen, 2022. "Digital transformation of airline industry," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    6. Gayle, Philip G. & Thomas, Tyson, 2016. "Assessing firm behavior in carve-out markets: Evidence on the impact of carve-out policy," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 178-194.
    7. Zhang, Yahua & Sampaio, Breno & Fu, Xiaowen & Huang, Zhibin, 2018. "Pricing dynamics between airline groups with dual-brand services," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 46-59.
    8. Ma, Wenliang & Wang, Qiang & Yang, Hangjun & Zhang, Yahua, 2020. "Is multimarket contact an antitrust concern? A case of China’s airline market," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 515-526.
    9. Jules Yimga, 2023. "Multimarket Contact and Market Power Implications in the US Airline Industry," Networks and Spatial Economics, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 985-1024, December.
    10. Coccorese, Paolo & Pellecchia, Alfonso, 2013. "Multimarket contact, competition and pricing in banking," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 187-214.
    11. Bock, Sebastian & Mantin, Benny & Niemeier, Hans-Martin & Forsyth, Peter John, 2020. "Bankruptcy in international vs domestic markets: Evidence from the airline industry," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 728-743.

    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. Faouzi Bensebaa, 2003. "La dynamique concurrentielle:défis analytiques et méthodologiques," Revue Finance Contrôle Stratégie, revues.org, vol. 6(1), pages 5-37, March.
    2. Murakami, Hideki & Asahi, Ryota, 2011. "Multimarket Contact And Market Power: A Case Of The U.S. Airline Industry," Hitotsubashi Journal of commerce and management, Hitotsubashi University, vol. 45(1), pages 81-88, October.
    3. Werner Güth & Kirsten Häger & Oliver Kirchkamp & Joachim Schwalbach, 2016. "Testing Forbearance Experimentally: Duopolistic Competition of Conglomerate Firms," International Journal of the Economics of Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(1), pages 63-86, February.
    4. Jules Yimga, 2023. "Multimarket Contact and Market Power Implications in the US Airline Industry," Networks and Spatial Economics, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 985-1024, December.
    5. Faouzi Bensebaa, 2001. "Impact des sphères d'influence sur le comportement concurrentiel des firmes," Revue Finance Contrôle Stratégie, revues.org, vol. 4(2), pages 33-61, March.
    6. Coccorese, Paolo & Pellecchia, Alfonso, 2013. "Multimarket contact, competition and pricing in banking," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 187-214.
    7. Pankaj Ghemawat & Catherine Thomas, 2008. "Strategic Interaction Across Countries and Multinational Agglomeration: An Application to the Cement Industry," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 54(12), pages 1980-1996, December.
    8. Degl’Innocenti, Marta & Girardone, Claudia & Torluccio, Giuseppe, 2014. "Diversification, multimarket contacts and profits in the leasing industry," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 231-252.
    9. Hideki Murakami & Ryota Asahi, 2011. "An empirical analysis of the effect of multimarket contacts on air carriers' pricing behaviors: A case of the U.S," Discussion Papers 2011-35, Kobe University, Graduate School of Business Administration.
    10. Cruz-García, Paula & Fernández de Guevara, Juan & Maudos, Joaquín, 2021. "Bank competition and multimarket contact intensity," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    11. Robert M. Feinberg, 2015. "“Exports‐at‐Risk”: The Effect of Multimarket Contact in International Trade," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 81(3), pages 769-781, January.
    12. Saadet Kasman & Adnan Kasman, 2016. "Multimarket contact, market power and financial stability in the Turkish banking industry," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 50(2), pages 361-382, March.
    13. Ma, Wenliang & Wang, Qiang & Yang, Hangjun & Zhang, Yahua, 2020. "Is multimarket contact an antitrust concern? A case of China’s airline market," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 515-526.
    14. Pham, Tho & Talavera, Oleksandr & Yang, Junhong, 2016. "Multimarket Competition and Profitability: Evidence from Ukrainian banking," MPRA Paper 72376, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Javier Coronado & Sergi Jiménez-Martín & Pedro L Marín, 2007. "Multimarket Contact in Pharmaceutical Markets," Working Papers 303, Barcelona School of Economics.
    16. Wonsang Ryu & Jeffrey J. Reuer & Thomas H. Brush, 2020. "The effects of multimarket contact on partner selection for technology cooperation," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(2), pages 267-289, February.
    17. Jaime Gómez & Raquel Orcos & Sergio Palomas, 2013. "Multimarket Contact Externalities: The Effect of Rivals' Multimarket Contacts on Focal Firm Performance," Working Papers 1302, Departament Empresa, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, revised Apr 2013.
    18. Feinberg, Robert M., 2014. "Price effects of multimarket contact among movie chains in small US metropolitan areas," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 123(1), pages 6-8.
    19. Eric Darmon & Thomas Le Texier & Zhiwen Li & Thierry Pénard, 2019. "Multimarket Contact and Platform Competition: Reassessing the Mutual Forbearance Hypothesis," Economics Working Paper Archive (University of Rennes & University of Caen) 2019-07, Center for Research in Economics and Management (CREM), University of Rennes, University of Caen and CNRS.
    20. Paolo Coccorese & Alfonso Pellecchia, 2009. "Multimarket Contact and Profitability in Banking: Evidence from Italy," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 35(3), pages 245-271, June.

    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:transe:v:48:y:2012:i:2:p:555-565. 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/600244/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.