The former academic research about airline industry and specifically measuring with qualitative approaches in this context is inconclusive on several vital questions within the passenger’s perceptions. The objective of this research is act as a tool to integer the misunderstanding from the previous quantitative studies. Instead of statistic numbers, visualized graphic could penetrate by distinct angles easily. From the stages of empathy map, persona, and customer journey map, this study can synthesize the framework of customer-oriented service for the reference of both airport, airline industry, and other industry relevant to the airline industry. This study can offer a more comprehensive journey map for airline companies to modify their strategies, for government to implement the policies to improve condition of the airports, and for service providers to seek opportunities of additional services.
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REFERENCES
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Bødker, M., Nielsen, L., & Orngreen, R. N. (2007). Enabling user centered design processes in open source communities, Usability and Internationalization.
HCI and Culture, Vol. 4559, pp 10-18
Bratsberg, H. M. (2010). Empathy Maps of the FourSight Preferences.Master Creative Studies Graduate Student Master's Projects, Buffalo State College.
Brown, T. (2008). Design Thinking, Harvard Business Review, pp. 84-92
Brugnoli, G. (2009). Connecting the dots of user experience: the design of an interaction system: a tool to analyze and design the user experience. Journal of Information Architecture, Vol. 1.
Chang, Y.-H., & Yeh, C.-H. (2002). A survey analysis of service quality for domestic airlines. European Journal of Operational Research, Vol.139, pp.166-177 Chen, F.-Y., & Chang, Y.-H. (2005). Examining airline service quality from a process
perspective. Journal of Air Transport Management, Vol. 11, pp.79-87
Civil Aeronautics Adminstration Motc ROC, (2012). CAA 2012 annual report, Civil Aeronautic Adminstration
Cooper, A. (1999). The Inmates are Running the Asylum. Sams
Dolnicar, S., Grabler, K., Grün, B., & Kulnig, A. (2011). Key drivers of airline loyalty.
Tourism Management, Vol.32, Iss:5, pp.1020-1026.
Economics, O. (2010). Economic Benefits from Air Transport in Taiwan, Oxford ecnomics.
Goodwin, K. ( 2009). Designing for the Digital Age: How to Create Human-Centered
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Products and Services: Wiley.
Gray, D., Brown, S., & Macanufo, J. (2010). Gamestorming: A Playbook for Innovators, Rulebreakers, and Changemakers: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
Grudin, J., & Pruitt, J. (2002). Personas, Participatory Design and Product Development: An Infrastructure for Engagement. Participation and Design Conference (PDC2002), Palo Alto.
Herskovitz, S., & Crystal, M. (2010). The essential brand persona: storytelling and branding. Journal of Business Strategy, Vol. 3, Iss: 3, pp. 21-28.
Kandampully, J., & Duddy, R. (1999). Competitive advantage through anticipation, innovation and relationships. Management Decision, Vol. 37, Iss:1, pp. 51-56.
Liou, J.H. (2009). A novel decision rules approach for customer relationship management of the airline market. Expert Systems with Applications,Vol. 36, pp. 4374-4381.
Mangiaracina, R., & Perego, G. B. A. (2009). The eCommerce Customer Journey: A Model to Assess and Compare the User Experience of the eCommerce Websites. Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, Vol.14, Iss:3.
Miaskiewicz, T., & Kozar, K. A. (2011). Personas and user-centered design: How can personas benefit product design processes? Design Studies, Vol.32, Iss:5, pp.417-430.
Müller, M. (2010). Management by Empathy: Learning with Experience Design, Conference M/O/T Management Schoo, Vienna.
Nielsen, L., Nielsen, K. S., Stage, J., & Billestrup, J. (2013). Going Global with Personas. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Vol. 8120, pp. 350-357.
Netta Iivari. (2009) "Constructing the users” in open source software development:
An interpretive case study of user participation, Information Technology &
People, Vol. 22 Iss: 2, pp.132 - 156
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Osterwalder, A., & Peigner, I. (2010). Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers, Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated.
Pakdil, F., & Aydın, Ö. (2007). Expectations and perceptions in airline services: An analysis using weighted SERVQUAL scores. Journal of Air Transport Management, Vol.13, Iss: 4, pp. 229-237.
Pruitt, J., & Adlin, T. (2006). The Persona Lifecycle : Keeping People in Mind Throughout Product Design, Morgan Kaufmann.
Temkin, B. D. (2008). The Customer Experience Journey: Customer-Centric DNA Propels Firms Through Five Levels Of Maturity: Forrester Research.
Vredenburg, K., Isensee, S., & Righi, C. (2002). User-Centered Design: An Integrated Approach, Prentice Hall PTR.
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APPENDIX-A
Research Questionnaire (In English)
Dear participants:
This questionnaire is purely an academic research survey, aiming at understanding the differences between service and expectations among the passengers with various objectives of taking flight. To ensure the fairness and effectiveness of the responses, we expect that all participants have flown with the domestic airline in the past six months. The result of the survey will strictly be used for academic purpose only, in which no individual responses can be identified.
National University of Kaohsiung International Master of Business Administration Advisor: Ting-Lin Lee Student: Tai-Ling Wu
Section 1: Personal Information
Gender: □ Male □ Female
Age: □ under 20 years □ 20 – 29 years □ 30 – 39 years □ 40 – 49 years □ 50 – 59 years □ over 60 years
Occupation: □ Self-employed/ own business □ Employee
□ Government employee □ Academic/teacher □ Student
□ Housekeepers/ Retire □ Manager □ Other
Education Level: □ Elementary □ Middle school □ High school
□ Two year college □ Bachelor Degree □Master Degree
□Doctoral Degree
Language Level:1 Chinese: □Very fluent □ Fluent □ Not fluent 2.Taiwanese: □Very fluent □ Fluent □ Not fluent 3.English: □Very fluent □ Fluent □ Not fluent
4.Other:_______: □ Very fluent □ Fluent □ Not fluent
Section 2: Flight Experience (multiple-choice question, please select one only) 1. What is your main purpose for
taking the international flight of Taiwanese airline within the last six months?
Business Travel
Education/ Working Holiday Other：＿＿＿＿＿＿
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2. Which Taiwanese airline did you chose to take：
China Airlines Eva Air
TransAsia Airways
Far Eastern Air Transport Please answer the following questions below by your last flight experience, the questions will identifies the experience and feeling between the process of booking, check-in, boarding, in-flight, post-flight: (Please select one only)
1. Booking
3. What is the main reason you chose that airline company?
Price
Professional Service Convenient flight schedule Comfortable and clean facilities Other：＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
Reservation staff responding immediately The reservation and ticketing websites are
clear and precise
The reservation and ticketing service process are convenient.
Courtesy of traffic agents Accuracy of flight information Other：＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
2. Check-in 6. What transportation do you take
to access to the airport?
Public transportation (High Speed Rail、Shuttle bus、Train、MRT)
7. Which of the following matters to you the most about
transportation access to the
Convenience to take the transportation Variety choices of transportation
Direct route to the airport
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airport? Convenient schedule of the airport transportation Sanitary and pleasant restroom Clear and precise signs for guiding
passengers
Pleasant and well-decorate environment Convenient of all the facility in the airport
(carts, currency exchange, stores, etc.) Clear and instantaneity of the flight
information
Other：＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
9. What matters to you the most about the check-in process?
Providing self-check in system
Service efficiency of check-in counter The professional ability of ground
employee to handle the check-in process
Courtesy of ground attendants Appearance of the ground attendants Efficiency of baggage handling Courtesy of security inspectors Other：＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
3. Boarding 10. Which of the following
activities do you like to do the most while waiting to
Courtesy of the employee of VIP room Adequate facility provided by the VIP
room
Providing business facilities in the VIP room
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The pleasant environment of the place Other：＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
13. What matters to you the most about the duty-free stores?
Courtesy of the employee of the duty-free store
Availability of variety of merchandise The price of merchandise of the duty-free
store
Other：＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
14. Which of the following is the most essential when boarding a flight?
Clear and precise airport announcement Courtesy of the employee from check-in
process
Efficiency of check-in process Other：＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
4. In-flight 15. Which of the following
activities do you like to do the most during flight?
In-flight entertainment Rest
Watching magazines or newspaper Handling something from work Other：＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
16. Which of the following is the most important of the cabin crew?
Appearance of cabin crew including:
Uniform, manner, courtesy.
Fairness of the service process from the cabin crew
Language and communication skills of the cabin crew
The ability of cabin crew to understand passenger specific needs
The ability of cabin crews to handle complaints of the passengers Clear and precise cabin announcement Other：＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
17. Which kind of in-flight service do you concern the most?
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18. Which service matters to you the most when arriving at the airport?
Vehicles Rentals
Travel itinerary planning Transportation
Other：＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
19. What matters to you the most about airline’s customer complaint disposal process?
Ability of airline firms to handle passenger complaints
Variety channels of airline firms for passengers to give complaints and suggestions
Airline firms can upgrade up-to-date facilities
Other：＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
Thank you for your participation!
This is a qualitative research. For the next steps, the researcher will do one-on-one interview and observation for supplementary qualitative data
collection. The interview will take about 45 minutes. The result of the survey will strictly be used for academic purpose only. If you are willing participate with the interview, please leave your information for contacts. Thank you!
Name：__________________________________________________________
Phone：__________________________________________________________
E-Mail: __________________________________________________________
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APPENDIX-C
Interview Questions (InEnglish)
Interview Questions
General Questions
What’s your occupation? Do you need to fly to other countries very often?
What’s the frequency you taking flight? Do you have particular season, vacations or specific period you taking flight?
Do you consider price when you book flight ticket?
Do you have to pay for the ticket by your own or others like: company?
What do you concern the most when you choose Airline Company?
Why do you think your concerns are important?
Do you have particular airline company you reluctant to take it? Why?
Do you fly alone or with accompany?
If with a company, who usually fly with you?
Is your flight short or long distance? Do you have to transfer?
Are you reluctant to transfer?
Booking
How do you book your ticket: online, travel agency, or from third parties:
company or assistant?
Why do you prefer booking ticket in by way?
What are your feelings about booking ticket by this way?
Are there particular thing that you feel inconvenient booking ticket by this way?
Check-in
What are your emotion and attitude toward taking airplane?
What kind of transportation do you take to get to the airport?
What are your feelings toward that transportation?
Are there any particular things that you feel inconvenient about the transportation to the airport?
Do you think the airport direction sign is clear?
If the direction sign is not clear, what will you do? What do you feel about asking other people?
What kind of facilities do you think you will use when you are in the airport?
What kind of facilities do you think the airport should provide, but it’s not provided yet?
What do you feel about the check-in service?
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Have you ever experience check-in service provided by the airline staff that makes you happy or upset?
Boarding
What are your feelings toward customs check process? Have you ever experience customs administrators asking you too many questions, with discrimination, or other uncomfortable language?
What are your feelings toward carry-on baggage security check process?
What kind of activities do you usually do before boarding? Why do you prefer to do that kind of activities?
Before boarding, do you want any facilities or information provided by the airport?
In-flight
What are your feelings toward the in-flight services (space, atmosphere, meals, magazines, in-flight entertainment, and facilities)?
Are you satisfied with in-flight service process? Do you think there are particular things you feels inconvenient?
What kind of activities do you usually do when you take flight?
What kind of traits do you considered the most of cabin crews?
Have you ever experience check-in service provided by the cabin crews that makes you happy or upset?
What are your feelings toward transfer flight? What kind of activities do you usually do when you transfer?
Post Flight
What are your feelings toward the circulation of baggage claims? Are there any particular things that you feel inconvenient about the transportation to the airport?
What is the first thing you do when you enter arrival hall?
What kind of service or facilities do you think is essential at the arrival hall?
Overall from your flight experience, what impressed you the most?
What’s your expectation toward the perception of the entire flight service (efficient, relaxing, comfortable, enjoyable, exciting, and passionate)?
What kind of service process you considered the most when taking flight?
Why?
Do you prefer or like any of those processes? Why?
Do you encounter any difficulties for the entire flight service? Or do you have any suggestions for it?
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拿電腦起來, 是否可以更便民或更快速的方法？
候機時，您通常會做什麼活動？為什麼你通常都會做那樣子的活動？
候機時，您有希望機場內有提供什麼樣的設施嗎？
搭機
請問您在客艙內（空間 氛維 服務 餐點 雜誌 娛樂 設施）的時候感受
如何？
請問您客艙內通常會做哪些活動？希望期望提供哪些活動？
您對飛機上的服務流程感到滿意嗎？還是有需要改進的地方？
請問您對空服員做出哪些舉動感到開心和不開心？
在飛機上時，是否有任何讓您不便或是感覺愉快的事？
請問您轉機的感受如何？通常都在做什麼樣的活動（逛免稅店 休息 按
摩 餐廳吃東西 貴賓室…）？
抵達
請問您拿行李時的感受如何？
出關後，您通常第一件事是會做什麼？
出關後，您希望機場內會有什麼樣的設施或服務？
請問搭飛機的經驗當中，有什麼事讓您特別印象深刻？
您期望整個搭機的整個服務流程感受是什麼? (快速便捷、愉悅的、放
輕鬆的…)
您最不喜歡搭機時的哪個服務流程？為什麼？
您最喜歡搭機時的哪個服務流程？為什麼？
搭機的整個服務流程中，有沒有遇到什麼困難？