Loyalty as a Competitive Advantage in the Airline Industry

This mixed methods research study explores assuring travellers’ loyalty as a competitive advantage and develops a model of success factors of airlines loyalty programmes. The main issue identified with regards to travellers’ loyalty is frequent flyer programmes (FFPs). FFPs are loyalty programmes offered by many airlines. Typically airline customers enrolled in the programme accumulate frequent flyer miles corresponding to the distance flown on that airline or its partners. To achieve the research aim two main issues were identified i.e. DEEPLIST factors (Demographic Economic Ecological Political Legal Informational Social and Technological) and Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). The literature review cultivates the development of a conceptual framework which is used as a tool to structure the results. This led to the development of an initial model of assuring travellers’ loyalty. The final model was refined in the light of the way academics experts and travellers approach FFP issues.