Airline Brand Experience Passengers’ Perceptions of the Big Three Carriers in the United States by Sarinthree Udchachone Bachelor of Technology Management Air Traffic Management Civil Aviation Training Centre, Thailand 2003 Master of Sciences Aviation Management Griffith University, Australia 2008 Master of Research Accounting, Financing, and Management University of Essex, United Kingdom 2013 A dissertation submitted to the College of Aeronautics of Florida Institute of Technology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Aviation Sciences Melbourne, Florida August 2020 We the undersigned committee hereby approve the attached dissertation, “Airline Brand Experience: Passengers’ Perceptions of the Big Three Carriers in the United States” by Sarinthree Udchachone _______________________________________________ John Deaton, Ph.D. Professor College of Aeronautics Major Advisor _________________________________________________ Deborah Carstens, Ph.D. Professor College of Aeronautics _________________________________________________ Brooke Wheeler, Ph.D. Assistant Professor College of Aeronautics _________________________________________________ Theodore Richardson, Ed.D. Professor Nathan M. Bisk College of Business ________________________________________________ Ulreen Jones, Ph.D. Assistant Professor and Dean College of Aeronautics Abstract TITLE: Airline Brand Experience: Passengers’ Perceptions of the Big Three Carriers in the United States AUTHOR: Sarinthree Udchachone COMMITTEE CHAIR: John E. Deaton, Ph.D. The purpose of the study was to observe passengers’ perceptions about brand experience research in the airline industry by applying a transcendental or descriptive phenomenological methodology designed to evaluate interview transcriptions and organize derived knowledge into defined themes. The NVivo program was utilized to analyze data from textual transcriptions. The experiences of passengers of the Big Three United States legacy carriers, including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines, were described. The participants comprised three couples and seven individuals, all frequent-flyer members of the Big Three carriers and their partnering global airline alliances. The researcher- constructed instrument was used for in-depth interviews and data collection while the qualitative rigors ensured trustworthiness. The findings are purposeful guides for airline managers to help identify customer preferences and maintain lasting relationships. In legacy carriers, long known as full-service airlines, customer expectations are higher than for those in newer business models like the low-cost and ultra-low-cost carriers. Three significant findings were related to airline brand experiences (ABEs), loyal iii members, and customer retention behavior. First, ABE concepts play a decisive role in implementing excellent airline service based on customers’ perceptions. Positive attributes of brand images transfer into brand loyalty, and in turn, improve business performance; in contrast, poor communication negatively impacts passengers during adverse customer service matters. Successful problem-solving, vital for management in attaining trust and in helping customers overlook mishandlings, leads to satisfied customers. Second, member benefits of Frequent- Flyer Programs, which are commitments between providers and members, motivate repeated passengers; hence, in the passengers’ views, rewards must be worth the efforts to continue being loyal. Last, convenient locations or hubs, reward programs, airline reputations, customer expectations, and customer relations are critical concepts established to develop and retain buying behaviors, also known as customer retention in the current study. iv Table of Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................ iii Table of Contents ............................................................................................................v List of Tables .............................................................................................................. viii List of Figures ................................................................................................................ix List of Abbreviations ......................................................................................................x Dedication .................................................................................................................... xii Acknowledgment ........................................................................................................ xiii Chapter 1 Introduction ...................................................................................................1 Background and Purpose ..............................................................................................1 Purpose of the Study ....................................................................................................8 Definition of Terms .................................................................................................... 11 Research Question ..................................................................................................... 15 Study Design ............................................................................................................. 15 Significance of the Study ............................................................................................ 18 Study Limitations and Delimitations ........................................................................... 19 Chapter 2 Reviews of Related Literature ..................................................................... 22 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 22 Overview of Underlying Theory ................................................................................. 22 Review of Past Research Studies ................................................................................ 36 v Summary and Study Implications. .............................................................................. 59 Chapter 3 Methodology ................................................................................................ 61 Population and Sample ............................................................................................... 61 Personal Biography .................................................................................................... 65 Instrumentation .......................................................................................................... 66 Procedures ................................................................................................................. 75 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................. 81 Chapter 4 Research Findings ....................................................................................... 89 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 89 Research Findings ...................................................................................................... 95 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 128 Chapter 5 Conclusion and Recommendations ........................................................... 132 Summary of Study ................................................................................................... 132 Summary of Findings ............................................................................................... 133 Conclusions ............................................................................................................. 136 Implications and Recommendations for Practitioners and Academic Researchers ...... 141 Recommendations .................................................................................................... 144 Study Limitations and Delimitations ......................................................................... 149 References ................................................................................................................... 154 Appendices .................................................................................................................. 167 Appendix A Pilot Interview Questions ....................................................................... 167 vi Appendix B Field Interview Questionnaires .............................................................. 168 Appendix C Proposed Form and Informed Consent ................................................. 172 Appendix D IRB Approval ......................................................................................... 174 Appendix E Invitation Email to Candidates .............................................................. 175 vii List of Tables Table 1. United States Carriers’ FFPs and Airline Alliances ................................. 10 Table 2. Number of Participants from Each Loyalty Program ............................... 62 Table 3. Data Collection Procedures .................................................................... 68 Table 4. Demographic Information about the Participants .................................... 96 Table 5. Questions Corresponding to ABE with