The benefits of airline global alliances: an empirical assessment of the perceptions of business travelers

Many claims have been made concerning the benefits of airline global alliances, often from the viewpoint of airline operators. By contrast, the focus of this paper is an empirical study of the perceptions of consumers. Studied first are the perceptions that business travelers have of the benefits of global alliances. Results show that a sizeable minority are unsure of the benefits or hold at least some misconceptions. This varies depending on the nature of the benefit and the type of respondent. Results also suggest that no major differences are perceived in the benefits offered by competing global alliances. Second, the importance of global alliance benefits in determining airline choice by business travelers is considered. Relative to other benefits, alliance benefits are not seen as particularly important.