Airline Service Quality: A Revisited Concept

This article critically examines the development of service quality constructs in airline services, placing particular emphasis on the continuing ‎pursuit of reliability in operationalizing perceived customer perceptions. Although numerous conventional models, such as SERVQUAL, ‎have been widely used to measure service quality, they have also been criticized in general for their inability to document industry specifics ‎and to reflect the evolving expectations of airline customers. To address these constraints, many authors have developed alternative methodologies that can be better adapted to the complicated context of the airline industry. This paper analyses established and evolving airline service ‎quality models, scrutinizing the strengths, limitations, and implications of the models in the airline industry today. The paper adds to the ‎current literature on the theoretical foundations and criticisms of service quality models, contributing to the continued improvement of service quality assessment instruments. Particular emphasis is placed on delineating the impact of service quality on satisfaction, behavioral ‎loyalty, and psychological variables, such as price elasticity and perceptions of value. The findings of this study reveal the strategic role of ‎service quality as a competitive advantage, especially in mature, price-sensitive markets. It suggests that a more defined, context-specific ‎evaluation framework will help airlines to more closely match their level of service delivery with customer expectations. Overall, this paper ‎recommends the development of more holistic and context-specific models to improve service quality measurement, facilitate strategic planning, and manage customer relationships in the airline industry‎.