Comparing the effective factors of customers' preferences according to business models of airline companies

Airline companies are implementing different business models in order to survive and achieve competitive advantage in a competitive environment. The airline companies conducting regular flights basically might be divided into two different groups according to their business models. First is conventional airline companies which has a large web structure; and the second is low-cost airline companies which operate mostly short-distance flights, and is based on cost leadership. The undertaking of airline companies having these two business models and the factors which are effective for customers in this way on preferring airline companies with these business models may differ. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to compare effective factors of customer preference according to the business models of airline companies and to present in what degree these factors explicate customers' preference of airline business plan. Airline companies which apply different business models and domestic and international passengers form the basis of this research. In the study cluster sampling method has been chosen as a sampling method. Research data -within quantitative research method by using survey technic- has been collected from native and foreign passengers travelling domestically or internationally from both Atatürk Airport and Sabiha Gökçen Airport. In the process of gathering research data, nothing but only one criterion has been taken into account: surveyors having travelled during last fifteen days. In total 418 survey forms have been taken into evaluation and the data, by analyzing on SPSS analysis program, have been interpreted. In the conclusion, factors which are effective on customers' preference of an airline company classified under six factors which are advantage, economy, security, superior service, information technology and efficiency. According to the result of the study, factors which are effective on customers' preference of company accordingly differ in airline companies' business plans.