Analyzing the online reputation and positioning of airlines

Abstract

The aim of this study is to propose a methodology to define the positioning of airlines in terms of their online reputation measured with quantitative variables and applied in the airline industry. Reviews shared on the Internet give key information about service quality and value as perceived by customers. To carry out the empirical study, we obtained the information available on TripAdvisor about airlines in Europe, the USA, Canada, and other countries in America, differentiating also between airlines that follow a low-cost strategy and those that do not apply it. The results show that there is a significant difference in key service quality variables between airlines in the different geographical areas studied on the one hand, and the low-cost strategy applied on the other. The variables to be used to conduct the positioning analysis in the airlines are determined. They also show that the methodology has relevant practical implications and provides tools to further develop research related to the online reputation and strategic positioning of airlines.