Influence of Low-Cost Carriers on Customer Satisfaction: A Case Study of EasyJet Airways

RESEARCH PROJECT
INFLUENCE OF LOW-COST CARRIERS ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION WITH
REFERENCE TO EASY JET AIRWAYS
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ABSTRACT
Low-cost carriers (LCCs) gains a competitive advantage in today’s scenario over the
full-service carriers across the world as these services lead to lower fares that render
the service quality similar to the full-service carriers. There can be witnessed an
influence of the low-cost carriers over the customer satisfaction (Rajaguru, 2016).
This research aims at studying the customer satisfaction of Easy Jet Airways
passengers satisfaction level the help of the low-cost carriers in the airline industry.
Through the low-cost carriers, Easy Jet Airways as a company has rendered an
influence on the customer satisfaction in the travel and tourism sector. Through this
research customer satisfaction has been identified with respect to the low-cost
carriers in the airline industry. From this research, the findings were that the
dimensions of the customer satisfaction were responsiveness and the tangibles,
through the customer satisfaction the consequences came out in the form of the
purchase intentions of the customers and the word-of-mouth.
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Table of Contents
ABSTRACT................................................................................................................. 2
TASK 1- RESEARCH PROPOSAL.............................................................................5
1.1 AND 1.4 RESEARCH FORMULATION AND SPECIFICATION........................5
RESEARCH TITLE.............................................................................................. 5
INTRODUCTION................................................................................................. 5
RESEARCH PROBLEM...................................................................................... 5
RESEARCH QUESTIONS...................................................................................5
SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE TO BE GAINED.....................................................5
AIMS.................................................................................................................... 6
OBJECTIVES.......................................................................................................6
1.2 RATIONALE FOR THE RESEARCH.................................................................7
1.3 LITERATURE REVIEW.....................................................................................8
1.4 METHODOLOGY FOR DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS......................11
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY..........................................................................11
RESEARCH STRATEGY...................................................................................11
DATA COLLECTION......................................................................................... 11
SAMPLING OF DATA........................................................................................11
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS...........................................................................11
RESEARCH DESIGN........................................................................................12
1.5 ACTION PLAN.................................................................................................13
GANTT CHART................................................................................................. 13
TASK 2- WRITTEN REPORT...................................................................................14
2.1 IMPLEMENTATION.........................................................................................14
2.2 DATA COLLECTION.......................................................................................15
2.3 DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION....................................................16
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TASK 3......................................................................................................................26
3.1 EVALUATION OF OUTCOMES......................................................................26
3.2 FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS.........................................................................28
APPLICATION OF RESEARCH........................................................................28
LIMITATIONS OF THE RESEARCH.................................................................28
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE RESEARCH...................................................29
AREAS OF FUTURE RESEARCH....................................................................29
TASK 4......................................................................................................................30
4.1 POSTER PRESENTATION.............................................................................30
REFERENCES..........................................................................................................31
APPENDIX................................................................................................................ 34
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TASK 1- RESEARCH PROPOSAL
1.1 AND 1.4 RESEARCH FORMULATION AND SPECIFICATION
RESEARCH TITLE
“Influence of low-cost carriers on customer satisfaction with reference to Easy
Jet airways”.
INTRODUCTION
The competitiveness in the airline industry has been increased due to the
emergence of the low-cost carriers as there is an increase in the rate of the
passenger seating provided by the low-cost carriers. The low-cost carriers are
successful in meeting the needs of the customers in the terms of the low-cost air
travel. Through the low-cost carriers, the customer satisfaction has been witnessed
to increase over time as these airlines have been successful in rendering the high
level of the service quality. The customer satisfaction has seemed to be influenced
by these low-cost carriers not only in the terms of the cost drivers but also the quality
drivers attract the passengers and lent them satisfaction (Rajaguru, 2016).
RESEARCH PROBLEM
This research will aim to draw out the influence of the low-cost carriers on the
customer satisfaction with reference to Easy Jet airways.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Some of the research questions are as under:
 How often you prefer low-cost carriers to travel?
 What is the level of the satisfaction that low-cost carriers render in terms of
quality?
 Do the low fares offered by Low-cost Carriers airlines render more
satisfaction?
SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE TO BE GAINED
This research will render the skills and the knowledge about the customer
satisfaction in travel and tourism industry with reference to the low-cost carriers that
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influences the decision making of the passengers in the airline industry (Yee Liau
and Pei Tan, 2014).
AIMS
The aim of this research is to identify the influence of the low-cost carriers in the
customer satisfaction of the passengers of Easy Jet airlines. This research will be
aimed at focusing on the passengers of the airline's industry and then identify the
level of satisfaction that they gain from the low-cost carriers offered by airways.
OBJECTIVES
In order to achieve the aim of this research the following objectives are laid out that
will help to achieve the desired outcomes:
 To identify the factors of customer satisfaction with reference to the airline
industry
 To explore the importance of the customer satisfaction for the Easy Jet
airways (Yee Liau and Pei Tan, 2014).
 To identify the importance of low-cost carriers for the passengers when they
select their airways
 To identify the importance of customer satisfaction with reference to low-cost
carriers by Easy Jet airways
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1.2 RATIONALE FOR THE RESEARCH
The main rationale behind the research is that this will help in identifying the factors
responsible for the customer satisfaction with reference to the airline's industry that
offers low-cost carriers. This research will help in the effective functioning of the
airline business as it will help the airlines industry to understand the importance of
the customer satisfaction and will help to render the services in alignment to the
same (Matzler, et al. 2015). Through low-cost carriers by Easy Jet Airways, low fares
will be charged to the customers that too at the same quality offered. Thus through
this research, the main research problem will be solved and will help to gain insights
about the factors that lead to customer satisfaction in airlines industry and the role of
the low-cost carriers in rendering customer satisfaction as well. This research will
also help in fulfilling the interest areas of gaining information about the factors of the
customer satisfaction in the airline industry and will also help in learning about the
different aspects of the airline industry (Hill and Alexander, 2017).
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1.3 LITERATURE REVIEW
Satisfaction
Kotler and Keller (2006) defined satisfaction as the feeling of a person’s pleasure
and disappointment that is the outcome of a comparison of the perceived
performance of a product or service against the set expectations. It is the belief of
the consumer that is regarded with respect to the services experienced (Akamavi, et
al. 2015).
Customer satisfaction
Kotler, et al. (2013), customer satisfaction is the predetermined belief against the
services experienced and received in terms of the pleasure of disappointment.
According to him customer satisfaction shared a direct connection with the
customers’ needs and is identified on the basis of various aspects. In travel and
tourism Industry customer satisfaction was identified in the terms of the services and
the quality through a combination of various features (Leong, et al. 2015).
Zeithaml (2010), added further that the customer's satisfaction can be influenced by
the internal as well as external factors which will help in better fulfilling the needs of
the customers (Hapsari, et al. 2017).
Kano Model
Professor Noriaki Kano in 1980s developed a Kano Model which is a theory of the
product development and the customer satisfaction. This model challenges the
traditional customer satisfaction model which is better than other models of customer
satisfaction (Han and Hwang, 2017). According to Kano, the performance on the
product and service attributes are not equal in the eyes of the customers and in
certain categories performance attributes renders better satisfaction level than others
(Hapsari, et al. 2017).
Kano assessed the customer satisfaction on the basis of the customer's needs and
thus on this basis, these were divided into dissatisfies, satisfies and the exciters
groups. According to Kano, the functionality is the secondary aspect rather the
customer’s emotions forms the primary aspect. Through this model, the customers'
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