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Dynamic availability of fare products with knowledge of customer characteristics

Author

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  • Michael D Wittman

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, International Center for Air Transportation)

  • Peter P Belobaba

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, International Center for Air Transportation)

Abstract

Recent advancements in airline distribution technology, including IATA’s New Distribution Capability (NDC), could offer airlines a wealth of information about the characteristics of individual customers arriving to book. Recent literature has envisioned a world where airlines, enabled by this new distribution technology, are able to make personalized fare quotes in real time, effectively heralding the end of traditional booking classes. However, academic literature suggests that this type of price discrimination may intensify competition and lead to lower revenues for firms. In this article – the first in a series of papers exploring models of dynamic product availability with knowledge of customer characteristics – we test a simple dynamic availability (DynA) heuristic that adjusts fare class availability after inheriting information about a customer’s trip purpose. Through results from the Passenger Origin-Destination Simulator, we find that this DynA heuristic is often revenue-negative for airlines and unstable in competitive environments. The results raise questions about airline benefits from simple approaches to personalized pricing enabled by NDC, and open up opportunities for future research regarding more nuanced and advanced strategies for customized pricing and availability in the airline industry.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael D Wittman & Peter P Belobaba, 2017. "Dynamic availability of fare products with knowledge of customer characteristics," Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 16(2), pages 201-217, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:jorapm:v:16:y:2017:i:2:d:10.1057_rpm.2016.26
    DOI: 10.1057/rpm.2016.26
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Ren, Xinhui & Pan, Na & Jiang, Hong, 2022. "Differentiated pricing for airline ancillary services considering passenger choice behavior heterogeneity and willingness to pay," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 292-305.
    2. Michael D. Wittman & Peter P. Belobaba, 2018. "Customized dynamic pricing of airline fare products," Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 17(2), pages 78-90, April.
    3. Klein, Robert & Koch, Sebastian & Steinhardt, Claudius & Strauss, Arne K., 2020. "A review of revenue management: Recent generalizations and advances in industry applications," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 284(2), pages 397-412.
    4. Muzaffer Buyruk & Ertan Güner, 2022. "Personalization in airline revenue management: an overview and future outlook," Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 21(2), pages 129-139, April.
    5. Strauss, Arne K. & Klein, Robert & Steinhardt, Claudius, 2018. "A review of choice-based revenue management: Theory and methods," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 271(2), pages 375-387.

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