An Analysis of Customer Satisfaction in the Airline Industry: A Case Study of Ryanair

This research study analyzes customer satisfaction in the airline industry, with a specific focus on Ryanair. It explores the factors affecting customer satisfaction and recommends strategies to enhance it. The study aims to measure the satisfaction level of customers in the airline industry, specifically for Ryanair airlines. The research is conducted using primary data collected through questionnaires and secondary data from past research and journals. The findings suggest that while customers are fairly satisfied with the existing services of Ryanair, there is room for improvement to enhance customer satisfaction and make processes more efficient.

An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
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An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
Abstract
Customer satisfaction is one of the hot topics for companies in the airline sector. Since this
research study is particularly about Ryanair and describes customer satisfaction of the
company; it can be used by the organisations to formulate its strategies with which customer
satisfaction can be increased. The research aims to measure the satisfaction level of
customers in the airline industry; the report specifically assesses the satisfaction level for
Ryanair airlines. The objectives of the study are to measure the existing services efficiency
and customer satisfaction of the Ryanair airlines along with recommending the strategies
which enable them to enhance the service and satisfaction level amongst the customers. The
primary data are collected with the help of questionnaire and secondary data are collected
with the help of past researches and journals. The literature review has covered the several
factors affecting customer satisfaction in airlines, and what all can be done to enhance the
level of satisfaction. The research explores the area of customer satisfaction in airline
industry. 60 respondents have given their honest opinion about Ryanair airlines. The
collected data have been explained and graphically represented in the section of results and
findings. The overall survey says that customers are fairly satisfied with the existing services
of the Ryanair airlines; however there is a huge scope of improvement to enhance the level of
customer satisfaction and to make processes more efficient.
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An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
Table of content
Abstract.....................................................................................................................................2
Table of content........................................................................................................................3
Chapter 1: Introduction..........................................................................................................5
1.1 Background......................................................................................................................5
1.2 Rationale of the study.......................................................................................................6
1.3 Research aim and objectives............................................................................................7
1.3.1 Research aim.............................................................................................................7
1.3.2 Research objectives...................................................................................................7
1.4 Research questions...........................................................................................................7
Chapter 2: Literature review..................................................................................................9
2.1 Chapter introduction.........................................................................................................9
2.2 Importance of customer satisfaction................................................................................9
2.3 Customer satisfaction in the airline industry..................................................................10
2.4 Factors affecting customer satisfaction in Ryanair........................................................12
2.5 Customer satisfaction in Ryanair...................................................................................14
2.6 Measures to enhance customer satisfaction in Ryanair..................................................15
2.7 Gap in literature..............................................................................................................17
2.8 Conclusion......................................................................................................................17
Chapter 3: Research Methodology.......................................................................................18
3.1 Chapter introduction.......................................................................................................18
3.2 Research Philosophy......................................................................................................18
3.3 Research Approach........................................................................................................19
3.4 Research Strategy...........................................................................................................20
3.5 Research Design.............................................................................................................20
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An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
3.6 Data Collection...............................................................................................................21
3.6.1 Sampling.................................................................................................................22
3.7 Limitation of the research...........................................................................................22
3.7.1 Ethical consideration...............................................................................................23
3.8 Conclusion......................................................................................................................23
Chapter 4 Results and findings.............................................................................................24
Chapter 5 References.............................................................................................................33
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An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Background
The business of an organisation is affected by various marketing factors such as customer
satisfaction, prices of products or services, customer targeting and many others. Various
scholars argue that the level of customer satisfaction is the most important factor, which also
levies significant effects over the profitability of organisations (Hapsari et al., 2016). For this
reason, it becomes essential for companies to look for the demands and needs of their
customers and the approaches, which are considered for meeting those needs. Evaluation of
customer satisfaction becomes important for the organisations active in the aviation sector.
This is because airline companies have a service-based business model in which the
satisfaction level of customers may directly affect the revenues and other financial aspects of
the business.
Ryanair is a well-reputed company, which is known for providing low-cost air travel services
to its customers. The organisation was established in the year 1985 in Ireland. In the context
of Ryanair, it has been found that it was introduced with a share capital of 1£ with 25
employees. Initial operations in Ryanair included travel services from Waterford to London
Gatwick, and now it has become a popular airline in which around 67 million passengers
served by Ryanair annually (Cooper, 2018). Ryanair is the employer to more than 13000
people and operates mostly in European countries. These may include Ireland, UK, Germany,
France and many others. One of the noticeable features that make Ryanair different from
other companies in the aviation sector is extremely low price strategy considered for
providing different services to its customers.
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An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
This research work is an analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry. The
company chosen for this purpose is Ryanair. The research is exploring the level of
satisfaction of the customers of the company with the services that are provided at airports.
Not only this, but, evaluation of the factors that affect the customer's satisfaction in the airline
industry, is also made concerning Ryanair. Along with this, the research study is also
exploring the approaches which are considered in the organisation to enhance customer
satisfaction and how it is affecting the profitability and sustainability of Ryanair in the airline
industry.
1.2 Rationale of the study
This research study is containing much information, which makes it important to future
research works. Customer satisfaction is one of the hot topics for companies in the airline
sector. Since this research study is particularly about Ryanair and describes the ways in
which level customer satisfaction can be enhanced; therefore, it can be used by the
organisations to formulate its strategies with which customer satisfaction can be increased.
Further, there is much information about the current customer level and the factors associated
with customer satisfaction in Ryanair. This information may allow organisations in the airline
sector to focus on customer services if the research work is published. This research is
developing an understanding of how managers in airline companies such as Ryanair and
many others can improve their services to acquire more customer satisfaction in their targeted
business markets. As far as usability of the current research work is considered for future
researches; it can be said that facts and information described in this research study may act
as guidelines for future scholars who wish to execute research on the same or similar topic.
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An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
1.3 Research aim and objectives
This research study has been accomplished considering an aim for which various research
objectives, are formed. These aim and objectives are described in the following manner.
1.3.1 Research aim
The aim of the research study is to the analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline
industry. The research work particularly aims at customer satisfaction in Ryanair.
1.3.2 Research objectives
There are many research objectives for accomplishing this study, which include:
 To determine the factors that may affect customer satisfaction in the airline industry
 To evaluate the approaches that are considered in Ryanair for enhancing customer
satisfaction
 To analyse the satisfaction level of customers that make use of the services provided by
Ryanair
 To recommend certain approaches or measure through which customers satisfaction in
Ryanair can be enhanced
1.4 Research questions
There are many questions, which will be answered in this research study. These research
questions are described in the following way.
 What are the factors that may affect customer satisfaction in the airline industry?
 What are the approaches that are considered in Ryanair for enhancing customer
satisfaction?
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An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
 What is the satisfaction level of customers that make use of the services provided by
Ryanair?
 What approaches or measure can be recommended through which customer’s satisfaction
in Ryanair can be enhanced?
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An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
Chapter 2: Literature review
2.1 Chapter introduction
This chapter in the research study is providing a theoretical framework as it contains the
information described in various other research works on a similar topic. For this purpose,
facts and information illustrated in books, journal articles and websites are mentioned in this
chapter.
2.2 Importance of customer satisfaction
Saadat et al., (2018) has explained in their research work that customer satisfaction plays a
considerable role in determining the profitability and sustainability of an organisation. The
scholar indicates that organisations customer, which remain satisfied with the products or
services offered by an organisation, also show a high degree of loyalty (Calder, 2017). These
customers usually become frequent users of services and products of the organisation. In the
scenario, where customers of an organisation are not satisfied; it is found that customers may
give preferences to other companies. This way, it can be interpreted that high customer
satisfaction is accountable for making customers committed towards an organisation. High
customer satisfaction may result in more sales of products and services offered by a
company, which ultimately enhances profitability.
Further, customer satisfaction can also be analysed against competition (Schminke, 2015).
Different studies show the organisations in which customers are satisfied withstand ahead of
their competitors in the business markets. When customers become satisfied with the quality
of products and services, prices and many other factors; probabilities for the purchase of the
same products or services become high (Baker, 2014). In this case, sales in organisations
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An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
increases, which reduces the factor of competitive rivalry also. This way, it can be interpreted
that customer satisfaction has an antagonistic relationship with the competitive rivalry of an
organisation.
Barnes, (2017) found in his research work that acquiring a high level of customer satisfaction
is essential for the organisation as it has significant effects over the brand positioning.
Customers, when gratified with the services of an organisation, share their experiences with
peers, friends, relatives and many others (Wohlbrück, 2017). The scholar further describes
that most of the organisations nowadays exhibit the approaches of acquiring feedbacks and
sharing them over their websites and in social media. In such cases, if customers remain
satisfied with the policies, products and services of the organisation; they provide positive
feedback to the organisation. Other potential customers acknowledge these feedbacks and
also enhance the positioning of the brand in its business sector.
From the above analysis, it can be said that customer satisfaction may help an organisation to
become more competent and productive. Therefore, it is highly essential for organisations to
develop approaches to enhance customer experiences.
2.3 Customer satisfaction in the airline industry
Research work of Sefanov (2018), indicate that customer satisfaction is highly important for
organisations that are operating in the airline industry such as Ryanair and many others.
Source of generating revenues for these organisation are the services that are provided to the
customers. Air ticketing, airport pickup and drop, lounges, in-flight facilities and services
may affect the experiences of the customers during their trips (Lawton, 2017). Quality of
these experiences can make travellers and customers satisfied or dissatisfied with the services
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An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
of an airline. The study reveals that low prices of the flight tickets may have significant
effects over customer satisfaction in Ryanair. However, it is not always true as many sources
indicate that poor inboard facilities may exhaust the customers despite the low prices paid for
the tickets. The study reveals that expectations of customers for the quality of services are
usually very high even in low-cost airlines. Therefore, cuts in prices of tickets cannot always
satisfy the customers.
Düsseldorf, (2016) describes that it is essential for Ryanair to consider the factor of customer
satisfaction while operating in their business markets. Higher customer satisfaction can allow
the organisation to acquire more customers and business opportunities as satisfied customers
are likely to recommend the airline to their relatives and which is a business enhancing factor
(Moyle, 2018). For this purpose, customer satisfaction surveys are being carried out in the
organisation after completion of the trip through emails. Evaluation of customer satisfaction
can be an excellent approach in Ryanair to acquire continuous improvement and retain their
customers. Experiences and feedbacks given by the customers of the organisation on the
services experienced can be useful for the Ryanair in the formulation of new customer
services and improvising the existing ones (Cooper, 2018). Along with this, it is also seen
that after acquiring feedbacks management in Ryanair consider providing solutions to the
issues and challenges faced by customers. These approaches are accountable for enhancing
the experiences of customers.
Belobaba et al., (2015) have found in his research work that approaches and practices for
enhancing customer satisfaction in Ryanair may have a valuable contribution in finance
generation and excellence of the organisation in the airline industry. There is much effect of
customer satisfaction on outcomes of marketing and promotion (Bamber et al., 2013). If, the
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An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
customer of Ryanair become satisfied with the services provided by the company; then, their
trust and loyalty towards the organisation increases, which also bring more business
opportunities. Since Ryanair is a low-cost company in airline sector; therefore, customer
retention is highly important for acquiring sustainability and enhancing profitability, which
can only be achieved with high customer satisfaction (Kalaiarasan et al., 2015). This way, it
can be interpreted that customer satisfaction plays an unimaginable role in shaping the
pathways for growth and development for Ryanair.
Further, there are number of tools, which can be considered by organisations to measure the
level of satisfaction of the customers such as six sigma and many others (Moyle, 2018). In the
airline industry, the application of six sigma tool can highlight approaches considered by
organisations for improving the quality of its services and mitigating the loopholes and gaps.
It can be said that six sigma tool indicate the gap between the expected service quality from
customers’ end and the delivered services by airlines. More gap in expected and delivered
services indicate low customer satisfaction.
2.4 Factors affecting customer satisfaction in Ryanair
There are many factors, which are accountable for affecting the level of customer satisfaction
in Ryanair. Snyder, (2014) explains in his research work that quality of service is one of the
biggest factors influencing customer satisfaction in Ryanair. On this basis, there can be two
types of services qualities, either good or bad. Good services provided to the customers can
gratify their experiences, which ultimately enhances their satisfaction level and also increase
loyalty towards the company (Tolpa, 2012). Further, it is also found that the speed of service
also plays a significant role in affecting customer satisfaction. Late and lethargic services
provided at airports can make customers frustrated and angry with the organisation despite
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An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
their superior quality. For this reason, it becomes necessary for Ryanair to increase the pace
of service delivery at airports. For example, long queues at ticketing counters due to slow
service can affect the satisfaction level with Ryanair (Curry and Gao, 2012). For this reason,
multiple ticketing counters can be opened by the company so that customers need not wait in
long queues for acquiring tickets.
The atmosphere is another but highly significant factor that may affect customer satisfaction
in Ryanair. It is found that different organisations in the airline industry provide different
services to their customers at airports (David, 2013). Nice and attractive ambience provided
by the organisation at airports and proper facilities such as restaurants, shops, lounges,
lavatories and many others may enhance the experiences of the customers in Ryanair. Along
with this, Farooq et al., (2018) have identified that prices of the services charged by the
organisations from their customers are also a considerable factor that affectscustomer
satisfaction greatly. When airlines provide valuable services at fewer prices; then, customers
remain happy and joyful despite some issues faced by them during their travel. Not only has
this but, low prices for air travel services also attracted more customers towards the company.
Scotti et al., (2016) explained that unwanted incidents occurring at airports might also affect
customer satisfaction with the company. The scholar further elaborates that no customers
want to experience inconvenience during air travel. Inconvenience caused due to mistakes of
Ryanair or due to other factors may decrease the satisfaction level of the customers with the
services (Hussain et al., 2015). For example, baggage loss, delay in flight departure or arrival
and many other unpleasant incidents can increase the difficulties of customers due to which
they might become less satisfied with the services of Ryanair.
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An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
From the above analysis, it can be said that prices, service quality, inconvenience and many
other factors may significantly affect customer satisfaction in Customer satisfaction in
Ryanair.
2.5 Customer satisfaction in Ryanair
As described on the official website of Ryanair, 92% of the total customers, which make use
of the services provided by the organisation, were satisfied in the year 2017 (Ryanair, 2017).
There are various parameters, which have been considered by Ryanair to evaluate the level of
customer satisfaction such as boarding, friendliness of the crew, quality of food and drinks
offered during flight, service onboard and many others (Gee, 2016). However, there are also
customers, who were found less happy with the services quality in Ryanair; but, by prices of
service, these customers gave a satisfactory rating to the company. With such information, it
can be interpreted that customer satisfaction in Ryanair is high. People admire the low-cost
services that are offered by the organisation at airports.
In another study that has been conducted for evaluating customer satisfaction in Ryanair, it is
found that service quality in the organisation was terrible resulting in a poor level of
satisfaction of customers (Consumer and Society, 2017). Most of the complaints in the
surveys and feedbacks acquired from customers’ end included poor quality of the products,
improper addressing by the flight attendants and manya others (Martin, 2019). For example,
there are many complaints about the cuts in baggage allowance. Usually, the organisation
allows the customers to carry 20 kilograms of baggage. Sudden cuts in this quantity without
prior notification made the customers furious and dissatisfied with the policies of Ryanair
(Thompson, 2018). This way, it can be said that there are many complaints about the service
quality in Ryanair raised from customers’ end, which depicts their less satisfaction.
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An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
Yunus et al., (2013) describes the effects of less customer satisfaction on the business and
popularity of Ryanair. The scholar describes that many of the customers considering Ryanair
for the first time directly compare its services against that of other organisations in the low-
cost airline industry of the UK such as EasyJet and many more. For example, many
customers have complained that there is very small leg room in the flights of Ryanair due to
which the journey becomes uncomfortable. For this reason, customers, who were frequent
flyers in Ryanair switched to other companies for their supreme and top class services despite
taking low prices for their service (Leong et al., 2015). However, it is not always the same.
Many customers are found quite satisfied with the services of Ryanair as the organisation
manages its operations on a critically large number of airports in Europe. There are many
other organisations, which are active in the low-cost industry but do not have large fleet size
and more destinations for operation.
After analysis of the above literatures, my opinion is that the services provided by Ryanair
are not as good as expected by the customers. However, customers travelling with Ryanair
are satisfied with the prices of the tickets; but, other services provided by the organisation are
poor in quality such as leg room in flights, baggage allowance and many more, which are
accountable for decreasing the level of satisfaction of the customers.
2.6 Measures to enhance customer satisfaction in Ryanair
Steven et al., (2012) have given many recommendations that can be considered by Ryanair to
enhance customer satisfaction. The scholar describes that management in the organisations
needs to focus on the quality of its foods and drink, which are offered to the customers during
flight. However, prices for air travel in Ryanair are quite low; but, meals provided during the
flight are costly and the organisation charge extra for that service (Chow, 2014). Poor quality
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An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
of foods and drinks despite high charges are accountable for making the customer
dissatisfied. For this reason, it is highly essential for the Ryanair to improve the quality of its
meals, which is offered to customers during flight.
Further, it is also found that Ryanair manages its business from airports of different sizes and
popularity. Services provided at large airports by Ryanair are quite satisfactory than the
services which are offered at smaller airports (Jiang and Zhang, 2016). Similar differences
are also found in the airports that lie in big cities such as London and many others and small
cities such as different countries. For this reason, its management in Ryanair is required to
put efforts for providing the same quality service at different airports irrespective of their size
and location.
Keiningham et al., (2014) describe that Ryanair needs to reconsider its pricing strategy. Over
the past few years, there has been a decline in the quality of services provided by the
organisation due to the intense increase in customer size. Not only this, but there are also
other organisations in the low-cost airline industry, which offer comparatively good services
than Ryanair. These may include Easy Jet, Wizz Air, Vueling and many others. For this
reason, price cutting can be a great option for Ryanair to enhance customer satisfaction along
with enhancing the quality of services. This approach, if considered, can be immensely
effective in drawing the attention of the customers and enhancing their experiences with the
company. It can also be said that customer satisfaction can be enhanced with cutting prices
for services despite their reduced quality.
Shaw, (2016) explains that Ryanair also needs to improve other services that are provided to
the customers before the flight. These may include personalised calls and text messages in
case of flight delay and many others. Such approaches will be effective in making customers
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An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
aware of the timings of their flight and can make them not to wait at airports for long hours in
case of delay (Holloway, 2016). Further, acquiring feedbacks is an admirable strategy that
can be considered in Ryanair to enhancing customer experiences. It can be said that the
company should ask about the quality of services and issues faced by the customers. Further,
these feedbacks and suggestions can be considered for improving the quality of services and
resolving the issues of the customers. This way, there are many recommendations that canbe
given to Ryanair for enhancing customer satisfaction.
2.7 Gap in literature
In the above chapter, facts and information described in the different book, journal articles
and websites have been analysed on customer satisfaction in Ryanair. However, there is
much information about customer satisfaction in the organisation and the factors affecting it;
but, most of the information is theoretical. There is very less information about the statistics
on customer satisfaction in Ryanair. Not only this, but, most of the information mentioned in
this chapter is not recent about customer satisfaction. For this reason, it can be said that there
is scope for further research in which real-time information can be collected and analysed to
evaluate the current level of customer satisfaction in Ryanair.
2.8 Conclusion
It can be concluded from this chapter that customer satisfaction plays a considerable role in
determining the profitability and sustainability of organisations especially in the airline
industry, which has service-based business models. There are many factors, which may affect
customer satisfaction in Ryanair such as prices of tickets and other services, quality and many
others. It is found that some customers in Ryanair are quite satisfied with the services while
there are others who have less degree of customer satisfaction.
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An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
Chapter 3: Research Methodology
3.1 Chapter introduction
Research methodology is a significant chapter of the research as it enables the researchers to
identify the adequate procedure to attain the objectives of their studies. This chapter includes
different sections such as research philosophy, research approach, research strategy, and
research design, methods of data collection and limitation of the research. The limitation of
the research could have a negative impact on the research in terms of accuracy and reliability.
In this manner, the ethical consideration for enhancing the exactitude of the research is also
included in this chapter, which emphasises on maintaining the standards and beliefs of the
research.
3.2 Research Philosophy
It helps in identifying an adequate approach for completing the research. Pragmatism,
positivism, realism and interpretive are the four types of research philosophies that are often
used for developing beliefs and assumptions in the research. Pragmatic research philosophy
denies one opinion on the research topic and considers that a single notion can be expressed
on different forms(Abutabenjeh and Jaradat, 2018). This research philosophy considers
research questions as a vital part of the research to attain the objectives of the study. Realism
research philosophy emphasisesthe notion of scientific approaches to obtain the information.
Further, interpretivism research approach emphasises on the theoretical position of the ideas
so that different approaches can be used in the attaining the research objectives.
On the other hand, the researchers use positivism research philosophy in different settings,
which makes the philosophy a bit complex. This research philosophy uses information from
reliable sources so that the relevant and adequate data about the research topic can be
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An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
attained(Cazurra et al., 2017). This research philosophy concentrates on gathering the
information and data from different perspectives so that it can be interpreted objectively.
Therefore, based on the understanding of the research philosophies, the focus had been laid
on using the pragmatism research philosophy for analysing customer satisfaction in the
airline company in terms of Ryanair.
3.3 Research Approach
Deductive research approach and inductive research approach are two types of research
approaches, which are often used in the research study. The inductive research approach
begins with observations of the theory for the research. The information or data used in the
inductive research approach move from specific to general (Malliari and Togia, 2016).
Inductive research approach emphasises on collecting the data related to the research topic.
The analysis of data patterns helps in formulating theory based on the collected information
in the inductive research approach.
On the other hand, deductive research approach is considered as a bottom-up approach where
observations initiate from the social theories. The movement of the data is considered from
general to specific, which enables the researcher to develop an understanding of the research
topic (Lobo et al., 2018). In deductive research approach, the focus is laid on both
observations of the others point of view and analysing the theories related to the research
topic.
Therefore, for analysing the customer satisfaction in the airline industry in terms of Ryanair
focus had been laid on using deductive research approach. This research approach helped in
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An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
analysing all the essential aspects related to the research so that an effective understanding of
customer satisfaction can be developed. Explain why
3.4 Research Strategy
There are various types of research strategies such as qualitative research strategy,
quantitative research strategy, descriptive research strategy and analytical research strategy.
The qualitative research strategy is related to the evaluation of the ideas and notions to
develop an adequate understanding of the research topic(Windsong, 2018). The qualitative
research strategy concentrates on reasons and opinions to attain information about the
research topic. The quantitative research strategy is focused on statistics and numerical facts,
which are collected from the surveys, observations, and other methods.
On the other hand, the descriptive research strategy is used to describe the situations and
circumstances, which include the behaviour of society. The analyticalresearch strategy is
focused on using current information and data to explain the issues related to the research
topic(Alavi et al., 2018). However, the research study was focused on analysing customer
satisfactionin the airline industry in terms of Ryanair, which require both quantitative and
qualitative data. Therefore, quantitate, and qualitative research strategy has been used in
attaining the objective of this research. Justify it
3.5 Research Design
Research design helps in defining the type of research in terms of the experimental,
correlational, survey and semi-experimental types. Therefore, the research design is focused
on analysing the techniques for data collection for the research, selecting the research
methodology, timeline and measurements of the analysis. The research design has some of
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An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
the characteristics such as the validity of the data, reliability, neutrality, and
generalisation(Long, 2014). The research strategy is of different types such as qualitative
research strategy and quantitative research design. The qualitative research design focus on
developing a relationship between the collected data and observations based on the
mathematical calculation.
On the other hand, quantitative research design is focused on attaining the statistical
calculations for collecting actionable insights. The quantitative research design assists in
understanding the point of view and opinions of different aspects for attaining theobjectives
of the research(Merkow et al., 2018). However, the research is related to the customer
satisfaction in the airline industry for which the qualitative and quantitative research design
has been used in the study so that an effective understanding in terms of customer satisfaction
in Ryanair could be attained.
3.6 Data Collection
Data collection is also an essential section of the research methodology, which assist in
identifying the methods of data collections for attaining the objectives of the research. In this
manner, the two types of data collection, primary data collection and secondary data
collection methods are usually used in research. The primary data collection is related to
conducting first-hand research, which includes survey questionnaires, interviews, group
discussions and face-to-face interactions with the sample(Gaus, 2017). The primary data
collection uses a sample size for attaining different opinions on the research topic so that an
effective analysis can be developed to achieve the research objectives.
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An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
On the other hand, the secondary data collection method uses data from the surveys of other
researchers and authors. This method of data collection can be acknowledgedas using already
available data to attain the research objectives(Paradis et al., 2016). In this manner, the data is
collected from websites, journal articles, news articles, books, magazines and research
papers, which are done of someone else. The secondary data collection method helps in
collecting more information on the research in a small amount of time.
This research study has focused on using primary data collection method for analysing
customer satisfaction in the airline industry in terms of Ryanair. For this purpose, a
questionnaire has been distributed among the participants. Refer to appendix Questionnaire
put in appendix
3.6.1 Sampling
Sampling is one of the important aspectsof the research that helps in conducting primary
research effectively(Thy et al., 2015). In analysing the customer satisfaction in the airline
industry in terms of Ryanair, the focus had been laid on using random sampling method,
where the participants in the survey were selected randomly to avoid bias research. Around
100 participants include customers and ground level staff members of Ryanair were included
in the survey questionnaire. Do not add Ryanair staffs and the participants reduce to 100
3.7 Limitation of the research
Since the research study was focused on collecting the primary data through a questionnaire,
it is essential to focus on analysing the limitations of the research. For example, the sample
size participants could be considered small or ineffective in attaining the objectives of the
research(Thy et al., 2015). Along with this, the responses of the participants could be
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An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
indistinct, which could affect the achievability of the objectives. Also, inadequate credibility
to the data collected from the websites, journals and books could also behave as a limitation
for the research.
3.7.1 Ethical consideration
Ethical consideration is one of the essential requirements for completing the research
effectively. Unethical practices in the research could have a negative impact on the reliability
of the research (Ward et al., 2014). In this manner, consent had been attained from the
participants before filling the questionnaire. Also, the samples participated in the survey on
their will; nobody was forced to answer any questions against their permission. In addition,
no personal information of the participants was asked in the questionnaire. The identity of the
ground level employees of Ryanair had been kept confidential while asking them to
participate in the questionnaire survey. Also, the participants were ensured that the
information attained from them would be used for academic use only and it would not be
published on public platforms.
3.8 Conclusion
From this chapter, it can be concluded that research methodology is an important chapter,
which helped in determining the methods of data collection for the study so that the
objectives of the research can be attained effectively. In this manner, research philosophy,
research approach, research strategy, research design and data collection method had been
discussed.In addition, the primary data collection method has been used for analysing
customer satisfaction in the airline industry in terms of Ryanair. The data had been collected
through a questionnaire, which had been distributed in 200 participants. Please explain how
the chapter 3 would help achieve the research objectives
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An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
Chapter 4 Results and findings
The questionnaire was prepared to assess the level customer satisfaction for the Ryanair
airlines. The results and findings are described as below. The graphs are prepared based on
the data collected as a part of primary research. Total 100 questionnaires were sent, 60
respondents replied with their opinion. The questions were in a form of statement which was
asked to measure on the attribute of Likert scale.
 Statement 1: Prices of tickets are the only factors that affect the satisfaction of
customers in an airline company
The question was asked whether prices of the tickets are the only factor which leads you to
select the airlines and satisfy your needs. There are 43% of the people say no to this question.
Surprisingly people tend to look more comfort and safety while travelling in airlines rather
than only prices. Price is considered as one of the key factor in decision making, but it is not
the only one due to which customers make their choices for flying or not flying. There are
40% of the respondents who are agreeing with the statement. There is almost a similar ratio
of agreeing and disagreeing amongst the group of respondents. Hence the airlines should take
care that people tend to look for better experience along with prices.
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An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
 Statement 2: Pricing strategies in Ryanair are extremely admirable
As we know that pricing has always been an essential aspect in any product or industry, so
with the Ryanair airlines. On asking to rate the statement whether pricing strategies of
Ryanair are extremely admirable or not, between strongly agree to strongly disagree, there
are 17% of the respondents who are agreeing with the statement. 22% of the total participants
are agreeing with the statement. Overall 35-40% of the respondents are saying that pricing
strategies in Ryanair are admirable and appropriate. 35% of the total participants are neutral
with the statement, which means they neither agree nor disagree with the fact. However, there
are 25% of the respondents who do not get agree with the statement as they do not find the
pricing strategy as admirable as it has been mentioned. Their pricing are more or less similar
to another airlines.
 Statement 3: Along with low prices, Ryanair also focuses on improving in-flight
facilities for customers
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An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
The next question was to check whether Ryanair focuses on improving in-flight facilities
along with low prices, it has been observed that 10% are strongly agree and 15% are agree
with the statement, they are telling that the company is enhancing their level of services to
satisfy their customer with keeping low prices. It seems that Ryanair is following low price
model and keeping low prices with compared to its competitors. On the other side, there are
overall 35% of the total respondents are not agree with the statement. They feel that Ryanair
has not substantially increases the level of services whether it’s in flight attainment services
or safety issues. It is recommended to the company to shift its focus to services they are
providing to the customers from prices (Sefanov, 2018), It is important to observe that Air
ticketing, airport pickup and drop, lounges, in-flight facilities and services also affect the
experiences of the customers during their trips. Hence company needs to take care of these
facilities also.
 Statement 4: The company provides good accommodation services at airports
We asked a question about the company provides good accommodation services at airport, it
was observed that 45% of the respondents are neutral, that means it does not provide any
extra ordinary accommodation facilities to the visitors. There are 25% and 10% of the
respondents who are disagreeing and extremely disagreeing with the statement respectively.
However, there are 20% of the people who say that Ryanair provides good accommodation
services at airports. It is suggested to a company to focus on such miscellaneous aspect of the
airline operation which even helps the company to build a good brand image. Customers are
not satisfied with the current accommodation facilities and there are chances that they may
26

An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
shift to other airline because of such reasons. Customers expect to have good experience with
the airlines in all aspects apart from prices.
 Statement 5: Ryanair staff is polite and courteous
It is important to havepolite and courteous inflight staff. Scotti et al., (2016) explained that
unwanted incidents occurring at airports might also affect customer satisfaction with the
company. There are various parameters, which have been considered by Ryanair to evaluate
the level of customer satisfaction such as boarding, friendliness of the crew, quality of food
and drinks offered during flight, service onboard and many others (Gee, 2016).
 Statement 6: Ryanair’s flight experience is comfortable for customers
Extremely
Agree Agree Neutral Do not Agree Extremely
Disagree
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
0
30
40
20
10
Flight experience is comfertable for customers
Response in %
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An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
On asking customers to rate the question based on their level of comfert with the Ryanair
flight facilties and journey, there are 30% of the customers who experienced comfertable
flying with the airline, and 30% customer who feel discomfert while flyng. however, there
are 40% customers who are neutral , they are neither happy nor upset with the existing flight
experience of the airlines. they are fairly satisfied with the existing Rayanair airlines flying
services but they expect more comfert and safetyduring the journey. it is important for
airlines to take a feedback from their customers and serve them better, the accurate feedback
system would help them to know where they fail in meeting expectations of customers. which
are the processes they can imporve and the aspects of operations which can be made more
efficicent. the airlines needs to provide excellent service quality in order to retain their
exsitng customers and attract more customers.
 Statement 7: Services provided by Ryanair are worth the price charged
It is observed that there are contrast views when we asked whether the services of airlines are
value for money. There are 40% and 27% of the customer who are strongly agreed and agree
respectively with the statement. More than 60% of the customers feel that whatever charges
are being taken by Ryanair airlines are worth spending. It provides such facilities in return. It
provides value for money. However there are 18% of the participants who are neither agree
and disagree with the question asked. Moreover there are 15% respondents from the crowd
says that services provided by Ryanair are not worth the price charged.
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An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
 Statement 8: Services of Ryanair are better than its competitors such as Easy Jet
and other airlines
The article by (Yunus et al., 2013) describes that many of the customers considering Ryanair
for the first time directly compare its services against that of other organisations in the low-
cost airline industry of the UK such as Easy Jet and many more. For example, many
customers have complained that there is very small leg room in the flights of Ryanair due to
which the journey becomes uncomfortable. For this reason, customers, who were frequent
flyers in Ryanair switched to other companies for their supreme and top class services despite
taking low prices for their service (Leong et al., 2015).with comparing the survey with
literature review, it was observed that 50% of the respondents are not agree with the
statement. Hence there are fairly disagreement prevail amongst the customers of Ryanair
airlines.
The study reveals that low prices of the flight tickets may have significant effects over
customer satisfaction in Ryanair. However, it is not always true as many sources indicate that
poor inboard facilities may exhaust the customers despite the low prices paid for the tickets.
The study reveals that expectations of customers for the quality of services are usually very
high even in low-cost airlines. Therefore, cuts in prices of tickets cannot always satisfy the
customers (Lawton, 2017).
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An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
 Statement 9: There have been improvements in services of Ryanair in the past five
years
looking at the graph of imrpovement, the airline has imrpoved a lot as per their literature
review and news feed. but it is important to assess wether the imrpovemets are noticed by the
customres. It is essential to check whichever processes have been imporvised , wether it
results in customer satisfaction, wehter it has reached to customers. if yes than they should
maintain the level of service quality and if not them they should keep an eye upon each
processes and department invloved in the operation. It is recommended to Ryanair to adopt
SERVQUAL model to imporve overall service quality. The survey shows that 30%
customers expresses that Ryanair airlines has improved a lot in past five years. however,
there are few customers who feel that the airlines has not made any substaintial changes in
delivering their services.
 Statement 10: You are overall satisfied with the services of Ryanair
Overall services of airlines includes the comfertlevel of customers while flying, the security
check before and after flying, polite behavior of crew membes, smooth landing by pilot,
flight timings, in house catering of food and beverages, online ticket booking, easy of check
in or boarding facilties, price of tickets, promotions and offering before and after flying,
accomodation at airport if required, luguage handling, etc (Gee, 2016).
30

An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
there are list of services which includes when we ask for overall service qulity of the airlines.
It is important for an airlines to deliver quality services at each level, that helps them to
spread satisfaction amoungst the customers. Half of the customers are neutral with the
services offered. Moreover, 30% of the customers are satisfied with the existing services. the
report aims to asses the customer satisfaction of the Ryanair airlines. overall the customers
are faily satisfied but there is hue scope of service quality imporvement. TQM can be
recommend to the administration of the airlines, total quality management measures and
imporved the quality serives in a wholistc manner. services are important part of a business
where there is a service industry.
 Statement 11: There is scope for improvement in Ryanair’s overall services
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An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
Based on the analysis, we discussed in the earlier question only that there is a huge scope of
improvement in the airlines. Each operations and processes must be in line with customer
satisfaction. It is important to measure each processes and find out the gap, try to fill those
gap by executing total quality management at the workplace. Total quality management
includes each and every processes of the service industry starting from training of crew
member till cleanliness of a jet. More than 60% of the customers say that there is scope of
improvement even though they are fairly satisfied with current facilities. But the expectation
is increasing with introducing several competitors in the industry.\
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An Analysis of customer satisfaction in the airline industry: A case study of Ryanair
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