State of the art of pricing policy in air transportation: network carriers vs. low-cost airlines

Authors

  • Christian Wehner University of Seville
  • Jesús Manuel López-Bonilla University of Seville
  • José António C. Santos University of Algarve, ESGHT and CIEO/CINTURS

Keywords:

Pricing policy, Revenue Management, willingness to pay, network carriers, low-cost airlines.

Abstract

The modern air transport industry is highly competitive. To survive in the market, the implementation of a successful marketing strategy is fundamental. In particular, an effective pricing policy has become crucial for airlines to remain profitable. Correspondingly, the different types of airline in the market have also established very distinct pricing policies. The present study is based on a literature review and presents the state of the art of pricing policy in air transportation. The aim is to compare and discuss the pricing strategies of network carriers and low-cost airlines. Special attention is paid to Revenue Management, which is a very important management tool used by airlines to take advantage of the differences in willingness to pay of passengers. The pricing policy, however, depends on the overall business strategy of the airline. Results show many differences, resulting from the fact that these two types of airline are characterized by very different fundamental business models and, correspondingly, also target groups. Since network carriers and also low-cost airlines have adjusted their pricing strategies lately, these recent developments will be discussed as well. This paper adds to the knowledge of this topic because it presents the most up-to-date and complete study on pricing regarding network carriers vs. low-cost airlines.

Author Biography

  • Christian Wehner, University of Seville
    Doutor e Mestre em Estudos Alemães pela Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Licenciado em Línguas e Literaturas Modernas e Bacharel em Turismo Professor Adjunto, ESGHT / Universidade do Algarve Editor de Tourism & Management Studies Coordenador do "Master in European Tourism Management", o qual se encontra integrado numa rede de 7 universidades europeias.

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Published

31.07.2018

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Section

Tourism/Hospitality: Research Papers

How to Cite

Wehner, C., López-Bonilla, J. M., & C. Santos, J. A. (2018). State of the art of pricing policy in air transportation: network carriers vs. low-cost airlines. Tourism & Management Studies, 14(3), 32-40. https://tmstudies.net/index.php/ectms/article/view/1090

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