Beyond solo UAM flights: Service preferences incorporating price sensitivity and user behaviors

Urban Air Mobility (UAM) represents a promising solution for addressing urban transportation challenges, yet critical knowledge gaps remain regarding user acceptance of shared service models compared to private operations. This study investigates user preferences and price sensitivity for shared and non-shared UAM services, addressing the underexplored intersection between pricing incentives, environmental awareness, and demographic heterogeneity in UAM adoption decisions. Using a stated preference survey design, we collected choice data comparing solo UAM flights with shared UAM services across varying service attributes including travel time, cost, waiting time, and passenger capacity. We develop a hybrid choice model that incorporates environmental awareness and price sensitivity to capture factors influencing mode choice decisions. The model framework accounts for taste heterogeneity through demographic interactions and quantifies the trade-offs between service attributes and latent psychological factors. Our findings reveal significant heterogeneity in user preferences, with environmental awareness and price sensitivity serving as key mediating factors in shared service adoption. The results suggest that users with higher environmental awareness show greater willingness to accept shared services, while price sensitivity varies substantially across demographic segments. Cost emerges as an important determinant, with shared services offering substantial potential for reducing per-passenger costs through improved vehicle utilization. The study offers preliminary insights for UAM operators regarding pricing strategies and service design, while informing policy discussions about sustainable urban transportation solutions.