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Assessment of product debundling trends in the US airline industry: Customer service and public policy implications

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  • Garrow, Laurie A.
  • Hotle, Susan
  • Mumbower, Stacey

Abstract

This paper reviews product debundling trends that have occurred in the US airline industry. Multiple sources of ancillary fees related to ticketing refunds and exchanges, checked baggage, on-board pets, preferred and/or advanced seating assignments, frequent flyer ticket redemptions, and day of departure standby policies are reviewed. Despite the fact that both low cost and network carriers stress the importance of future ancillary fees in their investor reports, our assessment suggests that these fees will be more broadly adopted by low cost carriers. We anticipate that many network carriers will eliminate ancillary fees, particularly as they begin to recognize how these fees can impact other system performance objectives such as minimizing the number of misconnecting passengers. We estimate that the debundling phenomenon has diluted revenues to the US Airport and Airways Trust Fund by at least 5%.

Suggested Citation

  • Garrow, Laurie A. & Hotle, Susan & Mumbower, Stacey, 2012. "Assessment of product debundling trends in the US airline industry: Customer service and public policy implications," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 46(2), pages 255-268.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:transa:v:46:y:2012:i:2:p:255-268
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tra.2011.09.009
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Stacey Mumbower & Susan Hotle & Laurie A. Garrow, 2023. "Highly debated but still unbundled: The evolution of U.S. airline ancillary products and pricing strategies," Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 22(4), pages 276-293, August.
    2. Hugon-Duprat, Cindy & O'Connell, John F., 2015. "The rationale for implementing a premium economy class in the long haul markets – Evidence from the transatlantic market," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 11-19.
    3. Ren, Xinhui & Pan, Na & Jiang, Hong, 2022. "Differentiated pricing for airline ancillary services considering passenger choice behavior heterogeneity and willingness to pay," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 292-305.
    4. Shao, Shuai & Kauermann, Göran & Smith, Michael Stanley, 2020. "Whether, when and which: Modelling advanced seat reservations by airline passengers," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 490-514.
    5. Song, Woon-Kyung & Lee, Hyun Cheol, 2020. "An analysis of traveler need for and willingness to purchase airline dynamic packaging: A Korean case study," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    6. Mumbower, Stacey & Garrow, Laurie A. & Newman, Jeffrey P., 2015. "Investigating airline customers’ premium coach seat purchases and implications for optimal pricing strategies," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 53-69.
    7. Scotti, Davide & Dresner, Martin, 2015. "The impact of baggage fees on passenger demand on US air routes," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 4-10.
    8. Chiambaretto, Paul, 2021. "Air passengers’ willingness to pay for ancillary services on long-haul flights," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    9. Chiew, Esther & Daziano, Ricardo A. & Garrow, Laurie A., 2017. "Bayesian estimation of hazard models of airline passengers’ cancellation behavior," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 154-167.
    10. Shaban, I.A. & Wang, Z.X. & Chan, F.T.S. & Chung, S.H. & Eltoukhy, A.E.E. & Qu, T., 2019. "Price setting for extra-baggage service for a combination carrier using the newsvendor setup," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 1-14.
    11. Li, Max Z. & Ryerson, Megan S., 2019. "Reviewing the DATAS of aviation research data: Diversity, availability, tractability, applicability, and sources," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 111-130.
    12. Cho, Woohyun & Dresner, Martin E., 2018. "The impact of a baggage fee waiver on airline choice: Evidence from the Washington-Baltimore region," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 4-17.
    13. Leon, Steven & Uddin, Nizam, 2017. "Airline Ancillary Services: An Investigation into Passenger Purchase Behavior," Journal of the Transportation Research Forum, Transportation Research Forum, vol. 56(1), April.
    14. Adam Bockelie & Peter Belobaba, 2017. "Incorporating ancillary services in airline passenger choice models," Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 16(6), pages 553-568, December.
    15. Button, Kenneth, 2019. "Applied economics and understanding trends in air transportation policy," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 78-85.
    16. Scotti, Davide & Dresner, Martin & Martini, Gianmaria, 2016. "Baggage fees, operational performance and customer satisfaction in the US air transport industry," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 139-146.
    17. Miyoshi, Chikage & Rubio Molina-Prados, Jesus, 2022. "Measuring the impact of long-haul low-cost carriers on lowering fares: A quasi-experimental design to assess the pre-COVID market," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 52-64.
    18. Atallah, Stephanie & Hotle, Susan L. & Mumbower, Stacey, 2018. "The evolution of low-cost Carrier operational strategies pre- and post-recession," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 87-94.
    19. Rouncivell, Adam & Timmis, Andrew J. & Ison, Stephen G., 2018. "Willingness to pay for preferred seat selection on UK domestic flights," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 57-61.
    20. Arinbjörn Kolbeinsson & Naman Shukla & Akhil Gupta & Lavanya Marla & Kartik Yellepeddi, 2022. "Galactic Air Improves Ancillary Revenues with Dynamic Personalized Pricing," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 52(3), pages 233-249, May.

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