IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jaitra/v17y2011i2p130-135.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Legacy carriers fight back: Pricing and product differentiation in modern airline marketing

Author

Listed:
  • Hazledine, Tim

Abstract

The adoption of the low-cost carrier business model has applied competitive pressure on established network or “legacy†carriers, by offering fares at prices that legacy carriers find it difficult to match and still cover their fixed costs. This paper reports how two medium-sized national airlines-Air New Zealand and Air Canada-have coped with the low-cost threat by, in effect, turning their fixed costs into profit centres. Features such as full regional networks, long-haul connections, frequent flyer programs, membership in global alliances, lounges and business class cabins can be bundled into products which can be marketed and sold profitably to business and even some leisure travellers, and which cannot be easily replicated by low-cost carriers. Although not panaceas, the innovations of Air New Zealand and Air Canada to the competition they face in their domestic and trans-border markets demonstrate the possibility of an effective legacy carrier response to the low-cost carrier business model.

Suggested Citation

  • Hazledine, Tim, 2011. "Legacy carriers fight back: Pricing and product differentiation in modern airline marketing," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 130-135.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jaitra:v:17:y:2011:i:2:p:130-135
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jairtraman.2010.10.008
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969699710000943
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2010.10.008?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Austan Goolsbee & Chad Syverson, 2008. "How Do Incumbents Respond to the Threat of Entry? Evidence from the Major Airlines," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 123(4), pages 1611-1633.
    2. Tretheway, Michael W, 2004. "Distortions of airline revenues: why the network airline business model is broken," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 10(1), pages 3-14.
    3. Tim Hazledine, 2010. "Pricing, Competition and Policy in Australasian Air Travel Markets," Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, University of Bath, vol. 44(1), pages 37-58, January.
    4. Gillen, David & Gados, Alicja, 2008. "Airlines within airlines: Assessing the vulnerabilities of mixing business models," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(1), pages 25-35.
    5. Steven L. Puller & Anirban Sengupta & Steven N. Wiggins, 2009. "Testing Theories of Scarcity Pricing in the Airline Industry," NBER Working Papers 15555, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Zhang, Shengrun & Derudder, Ben & Witlox, Frank, 2013. "The impact of hub hierarchy and market competition on airfare pricing in US hub-to-hub markets," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 65-70.
    2. Albers, Sascha & Daft, Jost & Stabenow, Sebastian & Rundshagen, Volker, 2020. "The long-haul low-cost airline business model: A disruptive innovation perspective," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    3. Wang, Stephen W. & Kao, Grace Hsiu-Ying & Ngamsiriudom, Waros, 2017. "Consumers' attitude of endorser credibility, brand and intention with respect to celebrity endorsement of the airline sector," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 10-17.
    4. Manuela Jr., Wilfred S. & Rhoades, Dawna L. & Curtis, Tamilla, 2019. "Market power at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport: The case of Alaska Airlines," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 90-99.
    5. Nicolau, Juan Luis & Santa-María, María Jesús, 2012. "Effect of innovation on airlines' operating leverage: A Spanish case study," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 44-46.
    6. Wang, Yixiao & Sun, Luoyi & Teunter, Ruud H. & Wu, Jianhong & Hua, Guowei, 2020. "Effects of introducing low-cost high-speed rail on air-rail competition: Modelling and numerical analysis for Paris-Marseille," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 145-162.
    7. Valido, Jorge & Socorro, M. Pilar & Medda, Francesca, 2020. "Airport capacity and entry deterrence: Low cost versus full service airlines," Economics of Transportation, Elsevier, vol. 22(C).
    8. Henderson, Isaac Levi & Tsui, Kan Wai Hong & Ngo, Thanh & Gilbey, Andrew & Avis, Mark, 2019. "Airline brand choice in a duopolistic market: The case of New Zealand," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 147-163.
    9. Pearson, James & Merkert, Rico, 2014. "Airlines-within-airlines: A business model moving East," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 21-26.
    10. Tim Hazledine, 2011. "Price discrimination in Australasian air travel markets," New Zealand Economic Papers, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(3), pages 311-324, July.
    11. Yuen, Andrew Chi Lok & Lei, Zheng & Chow, Clement Kong Wing & Fung, Michael Ka Yiu, 2017. "Could market power explain hub premiums?," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 64(PA), pages 55-59.
    12. Beria, Paolo & Bertolin, Alberto, 2019. "Evolving long-distance passenger services. Market concentration, fares and specialisation patterns in Italy," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 77-92.
    13. Fangwu Wei & Tony H. Grubesic, 2015. "A Typology of Rural Airports in the United States: Evaluating Network Accessibility," The Review of Regional Studies, Southern Regional Science Association, vol. 45(1), pages 57-85, Spring.
    14. Zuidberg, Joost, 2019. "Network geographies and financial performances in low-cost carrier versus network carrier competition: The case of Norwegian versus SAS," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 1-1.
    15. Chiuling Lu & Ann Yang & Jui-Feng Huang, 2015. "Bankruptcy predictions for U.S. air carrier operations: a study of financial data," Journal of Economics and Finance, Springer;Academy of Economics and Finance, vol. 39(3), pages 574-589, July.
    16. Sun, Xiaoqian & Wandelt, Sebastian & Zhang, Anming, 2023. "Price discrimination through hidden city options? A data-driven study on the extent and evolution of skiplaggability in the global aviation system," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    17. Jorge Valido & M. Pilar Socorro & Francesca Medda, 2013. "DYPES: Vertical differentiation, schedule delay and entry deterrence: Low cost vs. full service airlines," Working Papers 2013-05, FEDEA.
    18. Tin H. Ho & Dat T. Nguyen & Thanh Ngo & Tu D. Q. Le, 2021. "Airfares Data in New Zealand Domestic Aviation Market," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-5, August.
    19. Ko, Young Dae & Kwag, Sung Il & Oh, Yonghui, 2020. "An efficient airline seat reallocation algorithm considering customer dissatisfaction," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    20. Cho, Woohyun & Min, Dong-Jun, 2018. "Longitudinal examination of passenger characteristics among airline types in the US," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 11-19.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zhang, Yahua & Sampaio, Breno & Fu, Xiaowen & Huang, Zhibin, 2018. "Pricing dynamics between airline groups with dual-brand services," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 46-59.
    2. Nicolas De Roos & Gordon Mills & Stephen Whelan, 2010. "Pricing Dynamics in the Australian Airline Market," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 86(275), pages 545-562, December.
    3. Diaconu Maxim Laura, 2012. "The Development of the Low-Cost Carriers’ Business Models. Southwest Airlines Case Study," Scientific Annals of Economics and Business, Sciendo, vol. 59(1), pages 231-238, July.
    4. Zuidberg, Joost, 2014. "Identifying airline cost economies: An econometric analysis of the factors affecting aircraft operating costs," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 86-95.
    5. Marco Cornia & Kristopher S. Gerardi & Adam Hale Shapiro, 2010. "Consumer Heterogeneity and Markups over the Business Cycle: Evidence from the Airline Industry," BEA Working Papers 0056, Bureau of Economic Analysis.
    6. Marco Cornia & Kristopher S. Gerardi & Adam Hale Shapiro, 2012. "Price Dispersion Over the Business Cycle: Evidence from the Airline Industry," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(3), pages 347-373, September.
    7. Wang, Kun & Tsui, Wai Hong Kan & Li, Lan-Bing & Lei, Zheng & Fu, Xiaowen, 2020. "Entry pattern of low-cost carriers in New Zealand - The impact of domestic and trans-Tasman market factors," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 36-45.
    8. David Gillen & Tim Hazledine, 2016. "Pricing of Regional Airline Services in Australia and New Zealand, 2011–2015," Economic Papers, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 35(2), pages 87-98, June.
    9. Homsombat, Winai & Lei, Zheng & Fu, Xiaowen, 2014. "Competitive effects of the airlines-within-airlines strategy – Pricing and route entry patterns," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 1-16.
    10. Heinz, Stephan & O’Connell, John F., 2013. "Air transport in Africa: toward sustainable business models for African airlines," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 72-83.
    11. Ali Hortacsu & Olivia R. Natan & Hayden Parsley & Timothy Schwieg & Kevin R. Williams, 2021. "Organizational Structure and Pricing: Evidence from a Large U.S. Airline," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 2312R, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University, revised Mar 2022.
    12. Miguel Ángel Ropero, 2021. "Entry deterrence when the potential entrant is your competitor in a different market," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 87(3), pages 1010-1030, January.
    13. Kai Huschelrath & Kathrin Muller, 2014. "The Value Of Bluer Skies. – How Much Do Consumers Gain From Entry By Jetblue Airways In Long-Haul U.S. Airline Markets?," Articles, International Journal of Transport Economics, vol. 41(1).
    14. Fageda, Xavier, 2014. "What hurts the dominant airlines at hub airports?," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 177-189.
    15. Maria José Gil-Moltó & Claudio A. Piga, 2007. "Entry and Exit in a Liberalised Market," Rivista di Politica Economica, SIPI Spa, vol. 97(1), pages 3-38, January-F.
    16. Jeffrey J. Burks & Christine Cuny & Joseph Gerakos & João Granja, 2018. "Competition and voluntary disclosure: evidence from deregulation in the banking industry," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 1471-1511, December.
    17. Gayle, Philip G. & Wu, Chi-Yin, 2013. "A re-examination of incumbents’ response to the threat of entry: Evidence from the airline industry," Economics of Transportation, Elsevier, vol. 2(4), pages 119-130.
    18. Sengupta Anirban & Wiggins Steven N., 2012. "Comparing Price Dispersion on and off the Internet Using Airline Transaction Data," Review of Network Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 11(1), pages 1-38, March.
    19. Daniel Hanner & Daniel Hosken & Luke M. Olson & Loren K. Smith, 2015. "Dynamics in a Mature Industry: Entry, Exit, and Growth of Big‐Box Grocery Retailers," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(1), pages 22-46, March.
    20. Yongmin Chen & Scott J Savage, 2011. "The Effects of Competition on the Price for Cable Modem Internet Access," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 93(1), pages 201-217, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jaitra:v:17:y:2011:i:2:p:130-135. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-air-transport-management/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.