IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/bon/boncrc/crctr224_2023_400.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Price Competition and Endogenous Product Choice in Networks: Evidence From the US Airline Industry

Author

Listed:
  • Christian Bontemps
  • Cristina Gualdani
  • Kevin Remmy

Abstract

We develop a two-stage game in which competing airlines first choose the networks of markets to serve in the first stage before competing in price in the second stage. Spillovers in entry decisions across markets are allowed, which accrue on the demand, marginal cost, and fixed cost sides. We show that the second-stage parameters are point identified, and we design a tractable procedure to set identify the first-stage parameters and to conduct inference. Further, we estimate the model using data from the domestic US airline market and find significant spillovers in entry. In a counterfactual exercise, we evaluate the 2013 merger between American Airlines and US Airways. Our results highlight that spillovers in entry and post-merger network readjustments play an important role in shaping post-merger outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Christian Bontemps & Cristina Gualdani & Kevin Remmy, 2023. "Price Competition and Endogenous Product Choice in Networks: Evidence From the US Airline Industry," CRC TR 224 Discussion Paper Series crctr224_2023_400, University of Bonn and University of Mannheim, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:bon:boncrc:crctr224_2023_400
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.crctr224.de/research/discussion-papers/archive/dp400
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Molchanov,Ilya & Molinari,Francesca, 2018. "Random Sets in Econometrics," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107121201, September.
    2. Lee, Robin S. & Pakes, Ariel, 2009. "Multiple equilibria and selection by learning in an applied setting," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 104(1), pages 13-16, July.
    3. José‐Antonio Espín‐Sánchez & Álvaro Parra & Yuzhou Wang, 2023. "Equilibrium uniqueness in entry games with private information," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 54(3), pages 512-540, September.
    4. Andrew Chesher & Adam Rosen, 2020. "Econometric Modeling of Interdependent Discrete Choice with Applications to Market Structure," CeMMAP working papers CWP25/20, Centre for Microdata Methods and Practice, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    5. Jackson, Matthew O. & Wolinsky, Asher, 1996. "A Strategic Model of Social and Economic Networks," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 71(1), pages 44-74, October.
    6. Jorg Stoye, 2009. "More on Confidence Intervals for Partially Identified Parameters," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 77(4), pages 1299-1315, July.
    7. Thomas G. Wollmann, 2018. "Trucks without Bailouts: Equilibrium Product Characteristics for Commercial Vehicles," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 108(6), pages 1364-1406, June.
    8. Joseph Kuehn, 2018. "Spillovers from entry: the impact of bank branch network expansion," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 49(4), pages 964-994, December.
    9. Angelo Mele, 2017. "A Structural Model of Dense Network Formation," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 85, pages 825-850, May.
    10. Gualdani, Cristina, 2021. "An econometric model of network formation with an application to board interlocks between firms," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 224(2), pages 345-370.
    11. Berry, Steven & Levinsohn, James & Pakes, Ariel, 1995. "Automobile Prices in Market Equilibrium," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 63(4), pages 841-890, July.
    12. Jackson, Matthew O. & Watts, Alison, 2002. "The Evolution of Social and Economic Networks," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 106(2), pages 265-295, October.
    13. Alon Eizenberg, 2014. "Upstream Innovation and Product Variety in the U.S. Home PC Market," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 81(3), pages 1003-1045.
    14. Shuyang Sheng, 2020. "A Structural Econometric Analysis of Network Formation Games Through Subnetworks," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 88(5), pages 1829-1858, September.
    15. Cristina Gualdani, 2021. "An Econometric Model of Network Formation with an Application to Board Interlocks between Firms," Post-Print hal-03548907, HAL.
    16. Berry, Steven T, 1992. "Estimation of a Model of Entry in the Airline Industry," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 60(4), pages 889-917, July.
    17. Arthur Lewbel, 2007. "Coherency And Completeness Of Structural Models Containing A Dummy Endogenous Variable," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 48(4), pages 1379-1392, November.
    18. Elie Tamer, 2003. "Incomplete Simultaneous Discrete Response Model with Multiple Equilibria," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 70(1), pages 147-165.
    19. Tim Hellmann, 2013. "On the existence and uniqueness of pairwise stable networks," International Journal of Game Theory, Springer;Game Theory Society, vol. 42(1), pages 211-237, February.
    20. Bontemps, Christian & Remmy, Kevin & Wei, Jiangyu, 2021. "Ex-post evaluation of the American Airlines-US Airways merger: a structural approach," TSE Working Papers 21-1258, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
    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. Francesca Molinari, 2020. "Microeconometrics with Partial Identification," Papers 2004.11751, arXiv.org.
    2. Francesca Molinari, 2019. "Econometrics with Partial Identification," CeMMAP working papers CWP25/19, Centre for Microdata Methods and Practice, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    3. , 2023. "Price Competition and Endogenous Product Choice in Networks: Evidence from the US airline Industry," Working Papers 950, Queen Mary University of London, School of Economics and Finance.
    4. Shuowen Chen & Hiroaki Kaido, 2022. "Robust Tests of Model Incompleteness in the Presence of Nuisance Parameters," Papers 2208.11281, arXiv.org, revised Sep 2023.
    5. Ho, Kate & Rosen, Adam M., 2015. "Partial Identification in Applied Research: Benefits and Challenges," CEPR Discussion Papers 10883, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    6. Alex Centeno, 2022. "A Structural Model for Detecting Communities in Networks," Papers 2209.08380, arXiv.org, revised Oct 2022.
    7. Ming Li & Zhentao Shi & Yapeng Zheng, 2024. "Estimation and Inference in Dyadic Network Formation Models with Nontransferable Utilities," Papers 2410.23852, arXiv.org.
    8. Gualdani, Cristina, 2021. "An econometric model of network formation with an application to board interlocks between firms," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 224(2), pages 345-370.
    9. Tadao Hoshino, 2020. "A Pairwise Strategic Network Formation Model with Group Heterogeneity: With an Application to International Travel," Papers 2012.14886, arXiv.org, revised Feb 2021.
    10. Larry G. Epstein & Hiroaki Kaido & Kyoungwon Seo, 2016. "Robust Confidence Regions for Incomplete Models," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 84, pages 1799-1838, September.
    11. Bryan S. Graham, 2015. "Methods of Identification in Social Networks," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 7(1), pages 465-485, August.
    12. Bryan S. Graham, 2019. "Network Data," Papers 1912.06346, arXiv.org.
    13. Hiroaki Kaido & Yi Zhang, 2019. "Robust Likelihood Ratio Tests for Incomplete Economic Models," Papers 1910.04610, arXiv.org, revised Dec 2019.
    14. Hiroaki Kaido & Jiaxuan Li & Marc Rysman, 2018. "Moment Inequalities in the Context of Simulated and Predicted Variables," Papers 1804.03674, arXiv.org.
    15. Montag, Felix, 2023. "Mergers, foreign competition, and jobs: Evidence from the U.S. appliance industry," Working Papers 326, The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, George J. Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State.
    16. Chenyu Yang, 2020. "Vertical structure and innovation: A study of the SoC and smartphone industries," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 51(3), pages 739-785, September.
    17. Toru Kitagawa & Guanyi Wang, 2023. "Individualized Treatment Allocation in Sequential Network Games," Papers 2302.05747, arXiv.org, revised Jul 2024.
    18. Alonso Alfaro-Urena & Paolo Zacchia, 2024. "Matching to Suppliers in the Production Network: an Empirical Framework," CERGE-EI Working Papers wp775, The Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education - Economics Institute, Prague.
    19. Felix Montag, 2023. "Mergers, Foreign Competition, and Jobs: Evidence from the U.S. Appliance Industry," Rationality and Competition Discussion Paper Series 378, CRC TRR 190 Rationality and Competition.
    20. Luis Alvarez & Cristine Pinto & Vladimir Ponczek, 2022. "Homophily in preferences or meetings? Identifying and estimating an iterative network formation model," Papers 2201.06694, arXiv.org, revised Mar 2024.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Endogenous Market Structure; Networks; Airlines; Oligopoly; Product Repositioning; Mergers; Remedies;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection
    • L14 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Transactional Relationships; Contracts and Reputation
    • L22 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Organization and Market Structure
    • L40 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - General
    • L93 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Air Transportation

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:bon:boncrc:crctr224_2023_400. 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: CRC Office (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.crctr224.de .

    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.