Service quality in Turkish Airlines: UGC approach to quality variables analysis

Abstract

This paper aims to study (1) What are the variables of satisfaction that determine overall satisfaction, (2) What are the variables of satisfaction that determine intention of recommendation, (3) Do variables of satisfaction vary according to traveller type, (4) Does intention of recommendation vary according to traveller type, and (5) What are the main themes in the narratives shared online by passengers. This dissertation was based on data collected from the online platform Skytrax and conducted a quantitative and qualitative analysis of both numerical ratings and textual content. The study confirmed that the variables that determine overall satisfaction are the same variables that enhance intention of recommendation, i.e. value for money, ground service and seat comfort. The data revealed that the most relevant determinants for travellers segmented by type are value for money, ground service and seat comfort in all categories except for solo travellers that preferred wi-fi & connection before seat comfort. The study also confirms that, for customers overall, only value for money, ground service and seat comfort are relevant to recommend the airline. It also reveals that there is no correlation between traveller type and intention to recommend. Lastly, the analysis from passengers’ comments reveals that the most important themes are flight, Turkish Airlines, airport, seat, boarding, service, food, ticket, room, experience and IFE. The study will try to understand the main variables that passengers value as good quality and hopefully clarify practitioners and researchers on how they can improve their service.

Esta tese tem como objetivo estudar (1) Quais as variáveis de satisfação que determinam a satisfação dos consumidores no geral, (2) Quais as variáveis que determinam a intenção de recomendação, (3) As variáveis mudam de acordo com o tipo de viajante, (4) A intenção de recomendação varia de acordo com o tipo de viajante, e (5) Quais são os temas centrais mencionados nas narrativas partilhadas online pelos passageiros. O estudo utilizou dados recolhidos através da Plataforma online Skytrax e procedeu ao estudo quantitativo e qualitativo tanto de rankings numéricos como conteúdo textual. Os resultados revelaram que as variáveis que determinam satisfação geral são as mesmas que incentivam intenção de recomendar, i.e., “value for money”, “ground service” e “seat comfort”. Ainda, as variáveis mais importantes, tendo em conta o tipo de viajante, são “value for money”, “ground service” e “seat comfort” para todas as categorias exceto “solo traveller” que preferiu “wi-fi & connectivity” em alternativa ao “seat comfort”. Além disso, o estudo confirma, que para os passageiros no geral, apenas “value for money”, “ground service” and “seat comfort” são relevantes para potenciar a intenção de recomendação. É ainda revelado que não há correlação entre tipo de viajante e a intenção de recomendação. Por fim, a análise detetou que os temas mais importantes para os passageiros são: “flight”, “Turkish Airlines”, “airport”, “seat”, “boarding”, “service”, “food”, “ticket”, “room”, “experience” and “IFE”. Esta tese pretende elevar as orientações aos gestores e escolásticos sobre como melhorar a qualidade do serviço.