Mind, service quality, relationship with airlines

Abstract

The study examines the relationships between passengers’ mindfulness, airline service quality, customer relationship quality and loyalty with the airlines of their choice. Service quality was modelled as a moderator between mindfulness and the proposed criterion variables. To capture a wide range of passengers, the study conducted a survey that was undertaken at departure gates within a European airport. Data were collected from passengers who have air travel experiences in both low-cost carriers and flagship airlines. The results show that mindfulness is significantly and positively related to three indicators of relationship quality, namely commitment, satisfaction and trust in the case of low-cost carriers. However, commitment and trust are not significantly related to passengers’ loyalty with low-cost air carriers. In the case of flagship airlines, both satisfaction and commitment have a significant influence on customer loyalty whereas trust does not. This study provides a fresh look at relationship quality and customer loyalty from an individual’s mental state in relation to the service, rather than being assessed on the service offered. This study contributes to the literature by approaching customer loyalty from a non-organizational perspective. The implications are highlighted for airline marketers to conclude the paper.