This study aimed to investigate the allowable range of satisfaction level and of dissatisfaction level perceived by customers by first classifying the components of airline service quality into five elements-attractive quality, one-dimensional quality, must-be quality, skeptical quality, and indifferent-quality based on Kano theory and then computing the customer satisfaction coefficient suggested by Timko(1993). Potential Customer Satisfaction Improvement (PCSI) index was also calculated in order to find out potentially improvable customer satisfaction using current satisfaction level of quality elements classified by Kano theory. In addition, this study aimed to suggest differentiated marketing strategies by discovering airline service quality items that require primary attention, using the specified and inherent importance of service quality elements perceived by customers using airline services through Revised-IPA based on Kano theory.
To Achieve the purpose of this study, survey was conducted targeting adults in their 20s who have experience using an airliner during the last one year. Survey was conducted for one month starting from August 15 to September 15, 2012. Total of 550 questionnaires were distributed, and total of 496 questionnaires excluding unreliable ones were used for the final analysis. To process the data collected in this study statistically, SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science) v. 18.0 was used. First, frequency analysis was leveraged to examine the respondents’ demographic characteristics and general characteristics. Then, Kano model’s quality classification method was used for the analysis.
First, classifying the elements of airline service quality applying Kano theory, five factors were confirmed as attractive quality elements such as ''consideration for individual request'', ''variety of in-flight food and beverages'', ''variety of in-flight duty-free items'', ''latest aircraft'', ''variety of discounted air fairs''.
Second, examining the extent of satisfaction that can be improved when customer gratification is heightened from the current satisfaction level through PCSI index, it was confirmed that all elements are improvable. Among the improvable elements, it was found that the current satisfaction level for booking and ticketing service is at the bottom.
Third, examining the findings from carrying out the revised IPA on all elements of airline service quality, seven items were drawn from attractive quality elements including ''consideration for individual request'', ''service quality of in-flight food and beverages'', ''providing a variety of in-flight entertainment'', ''variety of in-flight food and beverages'', ''providing in-flight supplies'', and ''latest air-craft''. Most of the items drawn are related to in-flight service. Since customer encounter services are delivered for the longest amount of time during these items, the such finding signifies that they should be adopted as opportunities of marketing means that will differentiate one airline from another by gathering various customer needs related to them.