Abstract
M.Com. (Marketing Management)
The growth of self-service technologies within the airline industry has been a prominent trend within the global airline industry with continued investment in the area. The growth of self-service technologies in the airline industry has been driven jointly by rising passenger demand for improved services and by the potential value they provide relating to cost saving, reduced waiting times, and reduced space requirements. The value provided by self-service technologies from a cost saving and service point of view revolves around the removal of the service employee from the service process, which allows the airline industry to experience cost efficiencies and provide a superior level of service. This service enhancement is manifested in self-service technologies’ ability to make the consumer a productive resource in the service delivery process, where self-service technologies can be designed specifically to meet the changing needs of consumers.
Self-service technologies within the airline industry have traditionally manifested in the form of self-check-in kiosks and online websites, but recent trends have seen a shift towards the implementation of airline mobile applications. This shift has been widespread with over 95 percent of airports investing in mobile application technology. These mobile applications can provide a whole host of service options previously not available to passengers such as electronic boarding passes, live flight status updates, and baggage tracking. Despite the widespread investment in airline mobile applications and the numerous benefits they provide, consumer adoption has been a major concern.
An understanding of passengers’ readiness to adopt and perceptions towards airline mobile applications is important when developing the technology and designing communication strategies that can overcome the current barriers to adoption. This study investigated passengers’ current levels of technology readiness, and perceptions of usefulness and ease of use towards airline mobile applications using the updated technology readiness and acceptance model (TRAM 2.0). The primary research objective was thus to determine passengers’ level of technology readiness, and their perceptions of mobile applications in the airline industry and their adoption thereof.
An exploratory research design was used in the study where data was collected using a predetermined questionnaire. Respondents who were current South African citizens and who had travelled on a commercial airline in the last 12 months were invited to participate in the study. A total of 315 responses were gathered, collated, checked and entered into the software program SPSS 21 for analysis. A combination of descriptive and inferential statistical...