Quality, Performance, and Consumer Perceptions: A National Study of US Airlines

Prior inquiry into consumer perceptions, attitudes, and overall satisfaction regarding commercial mainline passenger carriers in the United States has provided little more than a "snapshot" of the average air traveler. Building on 28 continuous years of research with the National Airline Quality Rating (AQR), this study attempts to move beyond descriptive information in order to identify relationships and trends in the airline industry’s performance and relate those observations to consumer perceptions. This study will utilize a comparative trend analysis methodology to analyze major United States Airlines' performance and quality over the last 28 years. This methodology provides a means of tracking airline's progressions and regressions in operational performance and allows for the development of theories in data shifts and trends. This study will attempt to exemplify the objective formula-driven weighted averages that constitute the Airline Quality Rating. The development of this qualitative model provides industry leaders with the ability to improve their understanding of airline performance and make adjustments to their operations for continued growth development.The student authors are affiliated with the Department of Safety in the College of Aviation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, AZ. Tori Kobayashi and Kaetlyn Blocker are graduate students in the College of Aviation, MS Safety Science program. Calissa Spooner is an undergraduate student in the Industrial Psychology and Safety program.