IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/trapol/v170y2025icp163-177.html

Study on travel choice behavior of medium and long distance intercity passengers in the context of air-rail competition

Author

Listed:
  • Chu, Yanchang
  • Ai, Yanbo
  • Wu, Zhenghong
  • Zhang, Huijuan

Abstract

In the highly competitive environment of medium and long distance passenger transport market, enhancing passengers' willingness to choose air travel and market share is an important issue for airlines. This paper establishes a passenger travel choice behavior model that considers transfers between urban and intercity transportation as well as network information, focusing on air and high-speed rail. Based on the survey of passengers in Tianjin, partial least squares structural equation model and necessary condition analysis is employed to show that perceived tangibility, perceived inertia, perceived comfort, perceived convenience, perceived safety and perceived reliability of two travel modes have a positive effect on perceived value. Perceived value significantly influences satisfaction, while both satisfaction and perceived value of time significantly affect travel behavior intention. Network information guidance plays a moderating role between satisfaction and travel behavior intention. The moderating effect of transfer efficiency on travel choice behavior is only significant in air travel. Perceived tangibility, perceived inertia, perceived comfort, perceived value and satisfaction are the necessary conditions of travel behavior intention in air travel, while perceived comfort and perceived value are the necessary conditions of travel behavior intention in high-speed rail travel. Those findings are helpful to understand factors affecting travel choice behavior of air passengers, and provide important references for optimizing air services and formulating targeted market strategies.

Suggested Citation

  • Chu, Yanchang & Ai, Yanbo & Wu, Zhenghong & Zhang, Huijuan, 2025. "Study on travel choice behavior of medium and long distance intercity passengers in the context of air-rail competition," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 170(C), pages 163-177.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:trapol:v:170:y:2025:i:c:p:163-177
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tranpol.2025.05.011
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967070X25001908
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.tranpol.2025.05.011?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

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Wang, Kun & Xia, Wenyi & Zhang, Anming & Zhang, Qiong, 2018. "Effects of train speed on airline demand and price: Theory and empirical evidence from a natural experiment," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 99-130.
    2. Cui, Qiang & Liu, Yujie & Zhao, Xinyue, 2024. "Aircraft-related noises increased but compensation decreased in Chinese airports," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    3. Oliveira, Alessandro V.M. & Oliveira, Bruno F. & Vassallo, Moisés D., 2023. "Airport service quality perception and flight delays: Examining the influence of psychosituational latent traits of respondents in passenger satisfaction surveys," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    4. Yang, Min & Wang, Zheyuan & Cheng, Long & Chen, Enhui, 2022. "Exploring satisfaction with air-HSR intermodal services: A Bayesian network analysis," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 69-89.
    5. Wang, Jian & Du, Huanhuan & Lin, Kefu, 2025. "Substitution effects of high-speed railway on carbon mitigation: From theory to empirics," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    6. Xinjie Zhang & Hongzhi Guan & Haiyan Zhu & Junze Zhu, 2019. "Analysis of Travel Mode Choice Behavior Considering the Indifference Threshold," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(19), pages 1-23, October.
    7. Albalate, Daniel & Fageda, Xavier, 2016. "High speed rail and tourism: Empirical evidence from Spain," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 174-185.
    8. Imre Keseru & Cathy Macharis, 2018. "Travel-based multitasking: review of the empirical evidence," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(2), pages 162-183, March.
    9. Yang, Hangjun & Zhang, Anming, 2012. "Effects of high-speed rail and air transport competition on prices, profits and welfare," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 46(10), pages 1322-1333.
    10. Yuan, Yalong & Yang, Min & Feng, Tao & Rasouli, Soora & Li, Dawei & Ruan, Xinpei, 2021. "Heterogeneity in passenger satisfaction with air-rail integration services: Results of a finite mixture partial least squares model," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 133-158.
    11. Zhang, Fangni & Graham, Daniel J. & Wong, Mark Siu Chun, 2018. "Quantifying the substitutability and complementarity between high-speed rail and air transport," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 191-215.
    12. Yuan, Zhiyi & Dong, Changgui & Ou, Xunmin, 2023. "The substitution effect of high-speed rail on civil aviation in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 263(PC).
    13. Alnoor, Alhamzah & Abbas, Sammar & Sadaa, Abdullah Mohammed & Chew, XinYing & Bayram, Gül Erkol, 2025. "Navigating the power of blockchain strategy: Analysis of technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework and innovation resistance theory using PLS-SEM and ANN insights," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 214(C).
    14. Huang, Yuqiao & Gao, Linjie & Ni, Anning & Liu, Xiaoning, 2021. "Analysis of travel mode choice and trip chain pattern relationships based on multi-day GPS data: A case study in Shanghai, China," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    15. Jin, Zeqian & Li, Zhi-Chun & Yang, Xia & Holguin-Veras, Jose & Li, Chen, 2024. "Public transport mode choice behavior of different-income passengers during large-scale public health incidents," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 140-154.
    16. Behrens, Christiaan & Pels, Eric, 2012. "Intermodal competition in the London–Paris passenger market: High-Speed Rail and air transport," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(3), pages 278-288.
    17. Aghaabbasi, Mahdi & Shekari, Zohreh Asadi & Shah, Muhammad Zaly & Olakunle, Oloruntobi & Armaghani, Danial Jahed & Moeinaddini, Mehdi, 2020. "Predicting the use frequency of ride-sourcing by off-campus university students through random forest and Bayesian network techniques," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 262-281.
    18. Jia Tang & Feng Zhen & Jason Cao & Patricia L. Mokhtarian, 2018. "How do passengers use travel time? A case study of Shanghai–Nanjing high speed rail," Transportation, Springer, vol. 45(2), pages 451-477, March.
    19. Muhamad Rizki & Tri Basuki Joewono & Dimas B. E. Dharmowijoyo & Prawira Fajarindra Belgiawan, 2021. "Does multitasking improve the travel experience of public transport users? Investigating the activities during commuter travels in the Bandung Metropolitan Area, Indonesia," Public Transport, Springer, vol. 13(2), pages 429-454, June.
    20. Jeeradist, Thongchai & Thawesaengskulthai, Natcha & Sangsuwan, Thanawan, 2016. "Using TRIZ to enhance passengers' perceptions of an airline's image through service quality and safety," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 131-139.
    21. Tang, Xinyi & Wang, Dianhai & Sun, Yilin & Chen, Mengwei & Waygood, E. Owen D., 2020. "Choice behavior of tourism destination and travel mode: A case study of local residents in Hangzhou, China," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Asep Yayat Nurhidayat & Hera Widyastuti & Sutikno & Dwi Phalita Upahita, 2023. "Research on Passengers’ Preferences and Impact of High-Speed Rail on Air Transport Demand," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-26, February.
    2. Wu, Di & Martín, Juan Carlos, 2025. "Exploring passengers' preferences for high-speed rails: A CiteSpace bibliometric analysis," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 27-41.
    3. Gu, Hongyi & Wan, Yulai, 2022. "Airline reactions to high-speed rail entry: Rail quality and market structure," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 165(C), pages 511-532.
    4. Liu, Shuli & Wan, Yulai & Ha, Hun-Koo & Yoshida, Yuichiro & Zhang, Anming, 2019. "Impact of high-speed rail network development on airport traffic and traffic distribution: Evidence from China and Japan," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 115-135.
    5. Sun, Xiaoqian & Zheng, Changhong & Li, Jiachang & Jiang, Changmin & Zhang, Anming & Wandelt, Sebastian, 2024. "A review on research regarding HSR interactions with air transport and outlook for future research challenges," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 74-85.
    6. Zhang, Anming & Wan, Yulai & Yang, Hangjun, 2019. "Impacts of high-speed rail on airlines, airports and regional economies: A survey of recent research," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 1-19.
    7. Ren, Xiaohang & Zeng, Gudian & Dong, Kangyin & Wang, Kun, 2023. "How does high-speed rail affect tourism development? The case of the Sichuan-Chongqing Economic Circle," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    8. Jiang, Changmin & Wang, Kun & Wang, Qiang & Yang, Hangjun, 2022. "The Impact of High-Speed Rail Competition on Airline On-Time Performance," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 109-127.
    9. Wang, Yingzhi & Jiang, Xiushan & Ma, Jihui, 2025. "Optimizing air-HSR intermodal service considering trade-offs in duration at airport: A game analysis in a vertically structured transport market," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    10. Wang, Chunan & Jiang, Changmin & Zhang, Anming, 2021. "Effects of Airline Entry on High-Speed Rail," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 242-265.
    11. Wang, Chunan & Chen, Ruotian & Jiang, Changmin, 2024. "Welfare implications of a mixed ownership-operations structure of high-speed train," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    12. Li, Tao & Rong, Lili, 2022. "Spatiotemporally complementary effect of high-speed rail network on robustness of aviation network," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 155(C), pages 95-114.
    13. Gu, Hongyi & Wan, Yulai, 2020. "Can entry of high-speed rail increase air traffic? Price competition, travel time difference and catchment expansion," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 55-72.
    14. Wang, Yingzhi & Jiang, Xiushan & Yin, Chuanzhong, 2025. "Airport subsidy for air-HSR intermodal service in a multi-airport system: Direct amount vs. discount," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    15. Ma, Wenliang & Wang, Qiang & Yang, Hangjun & Zhang, Anming & Zhang, Yahua, 2019. "Effects of Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail on air travel: Passenger types, airline groups and tacit collusion," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 64-76.
    16. Álvarez-SanJaime, Óscar & Cantos-Sanchez, Pedro & Moner-Colonques, Rafael & Sempere-Monerris, Jose J., 2020. "Pricing and infrastructure fees in shaping cooperation in a model of high-speed rail and airline competition," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 22-41.
    17. Wang, Yixiao & Pels, Eric & Teunter, Ruud H. & Sun, Luoyi & Wu, Jianhong, 2023. "Railway liberalization, airport congestion toll, and infrastructure pricing: Modelling and numerical analysis for European and Chinese markets," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    18. Xia, Wenyi & Jiang, Changmin & Wang, Kun & Zhang, Anming, 2019. "Air-rail revenue sharing in a multi-airport system: Effects on traffic and social welfare," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 304-319.
    19. Bergantino, Angela Stefania & Madio, Leonardo, 2020. "Intermodal competition and substitution. HSR versus air transport: Understanding the socio-economic determinants of modal choice," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    20. Yang, Hangjun & Ma, Wenliang & Wang, Qiang & Wang, Kun & Zhang, Yahua, 2020. "Welfare implications for air passengers in China in the era of high-speed rail," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 1-13.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:trapol:v:170:y:2025:i:c:p:163-177. 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.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/30473/description#description .

    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.