This study forms a new structure to analysis the airline service with innovated approaches that the previous study did not focus on. Also, there are difference of the result of this research and the former research results. Former research result as Chen and Chang (2005) focus only on ground service and in-flight service. This research extended the stages and identified from booking airline tickets to post flight activities.
Several opportunities and solutions have been identified for extending the stages.
Also, the study of Pakdil and Alydin (2007) implied importance of treating each customer as a unique individual but without specific fact that should be change. The result of this research can draw to be reference of forming specific standard individual service with three fiction categories of customers.
This study has provided opportunities for airline service associated industries such as: travel agencies, airplane designers, airplane seat designers, airport engineers, airport architects, airline service providers, and etc. The object of the research is to find innovated ideas and solutions from the perspective of the passengers. However, the research merely acts as reference for the designers to design customer-oriented services or products. Undoubtedly, these ideas might be constrained by funds, government policies, and management strategies. In spite of that, airline service providers could practice in those aspect and eventually find solutions.
1. Develop differentiate business model for varied segmentation
Several implications can be drawn from the above conclusions. First, airline companies should develop differentiate business model. The service process should not only limited on the check-in and in-flight stages. Airline companies or other related travel industries should extend their original service, and reveal the additional parts of booking and post-flight stages to create seamlessly services. The study
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indicated the airline companies should provide travel packages with wider range of accommodate planning and booking. Airline firms usually cooperate with dominant large hotels which only attract certain range of customers. Yet, there are opportunities to ease the inconveniences of travel planning for limited budge passengers by alliance with hostels, youth hostels, and other small and local hotels. Also, this research result indicated that the need for passengers to ease their efforts of carrying their baggage to the airport. For airline companies, they could cooperate or alliance with delivery companies to form airport baggage delivery service. Moreover, airline companies could invest in direct airport pick up with transportations that provide wider spaces for baggage and customers.
2. Create flexible and insightful passenger service strategies
Rules and policies are always priority for service providers to obey in the airline firms. How to make flexible and insightful service strategies will depend on the logistic thinking and solutions skills of the staff training. Airline firms should not only focus on the restrictions and rules, but also strategies for service providers such as: ticketing staff members, ground attendants, flight attendants to be proactively and enthusiastically when they provided service. In fact, standing in passengers’ point of views and tried to comfort and ease their frustration and inconvenience are matters to the passengers the most.
3. Enhance development of App and implementation of technologies
Due to the rapid development of information technologies, nowadays, Corporations in numerous industries created social media official accounts or developed official App for customer to ensure customer get information as fast as possible. Although, many airline firms in Taiwan do provide App to ensure seat and
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flight status, however, it is only available to the business class members. In fact, the customers using smartphone are not merely ranged in business class. Also, lounge provided tablets, computer, or other technological facilities can not only release the stress or boredom of the passengers, but also can act as role to provide information and bring joy to the passengers.
4. Based on 80-20 rule and STP theory to differentiate merchandises at the duty-free stores
The Pareto principle also known as the 80–20 rule is the distribution is claimed to appear in several different aspects relevant to entrepreneurs and managers. The principle set out the parameters that 80% of a company's sales come from 20% of its products. If 80% of sales came from 20% of its particular souvenirs such as pineapple cake and Gaoliang liquor, duty-free shops should differentiated or distinguishing that particular products from others, to make it more attractive to that particular target market such as: China tourist. The concept of market segmentation developed by Wended Smith in 1956 came up with the STP theory which stands for segmenting, targeting, and positioning. The STP theory suggests that company should segment the products by identified different needs, buying power, and other factors of particular target customers. The companies should later positioning and alter their products or strategies to meet the targeting market. For duty-shops in the airport, there are various passengers with different background, buying power, and needs. They should develop innovating ideas or marketing strategies to sale that particular 20% merchandises.
Also, they should focus differentiate and qualify the 20% of souvenirs that account for 80% of the sale with approaches like wider price range and different size of package in order to meet the expectations of customers.
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5. Develop platforms or channels to communicate with customers
In former research, quantitative result identified the satisfaction of the passengers through score facilities and service provided by staff. The former study by Chen and Chang highlighted the differences between passengers’ expectation and perceptions that are due to the misjudgment of passengers’ expectation from the frontline managers and employees. This research result consisted with former research results that the standard service set of process has not been properly and specify exercised to customer needs. To be more precise, the designers often make incorrect estimate on what the customer want, or develop service design that is not intuitive for the customers. This can be identifying as lack of communication with customers. Airline companies should make more effort develop platforms or channels that listen to customer needs. Channels not only can act as an approach that travelers can release their stress, but also reference concrete suggestions and close observation for airline companies to innovate their services. This research not only distinguishes the specific touch points that airline services can emphasized on, but also have significant result of customer relation by identifying and provide solution to their inquiries and obstacles.
6. Convenience for reaching information of post-flight service
Post-flight activities are essential to the passengers since those activities are the connection of the start points of their journeys. Customers are always looking for information for various matters such as: transportation, communication tool, guidance to find hotel or destinations. Most of the passengers looking for transportations or maps when they entered arrival hall, therefore, this research indicated that better visual designed direction signs and the place for subway maps or official tour guides.
The color and the design of the sign and place for maps should be vivid and attractive.
Also, multiple services provided in one desk, such as: pone card, accommodation,
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airport pick up, and information desk can ease the inconveniences for passengers look for various service providers, and deal the matters all in once.