Examining electronic ticketing in air transport sector with unified theory of acceptance and use of technology model

The purpose of this study is to investigate the airline users' usage levels of e-ticket web sites and mobile ticketing applications. For this purpose, Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology Model and its dimensions were used in order to determine the levels of users in terms of the relevant dimensions. In the first chapter of the thesis, literature review was presented related to civil aviation and air transport and, in the second chapter, literature review was presented for the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology Model. The third chapter is related to the obtained analysis results and findings. Scale published over the Internet for 1 month, were distributed through e-mail, social networks and mobile applications. Eventually, 308 valid participations from Turkey and abroad were included to study. Factor analysis was conducted in order to determine the scale items which pointed to the basic components. During validity and reliability phase, scale which is originally in English, has been translated to Turkish by experts. Then, the Turkish version was translated back into English. Discrepancies were resolved by comparing both initial and secondary English forms. Comparisons were made again between two forms and consistency was ensured in the second phase. The last Turkish version of scale was used as a data collection tool. The effects of the demographic characteristics (age, gender, education) on the use of e-ticket websites and mobile applications were analyzed by using T-tests and analyses of variance. To investigate the direction, extent and significance of the relationships between variables, correlation analyses were conducted. After that, in order to examine the linear relationships, regression analyses were employed. According to the results obtained from the research; the percentage of e-ticketing usage is higher than the percentage of the use of mobile ticketing applications. Both e-ticketing websites and mobile ticketing applications users' perception of easiness were seem to be higher. This shows that learning the use of websites and mobile applications were perceived as easy and transaction processes clear and understandable. The perceived privacy in the use of e-ticketing web site was regarded as the least important variable by users. There are significant differences between the users' behavioral intentions of mobile ticketing applications regarding to the gender. E-ticket website users' easiness perception, social influence and innovativeness expectation levels have showed significant differences related to age. Moreover, easiness perception, social influence, hedonic motivation, habits, perceived privacy and behavioral intention levels differ depending on the level of the education. Mobile ticketing application users' easiness perception and social influence levels differ depending on both age and education. The results of the study also revealed that there is a strong relationship between trust perception and information quality for both web site and mobile ticketing application users. In line with these results of the study, it was recommended that airline companies should consider satisfying users' easiness perceptions, performance perceptions, price-saving orientations and information quality expectations. Keywords: Acceptance and Use of Technology Model, UTAUT, Air Transport, E-Ticketing, Mobile Ticketing