Service Quality Perceptions of Domestic Airline Consumers in India: An Empirical Study*

Bhagyalakshmi Venkatesh 1 & R. Nargundkar2

Abstract Pricing and service quality are the key variables that decide the brand equity of each player in the airline industry. Existing literature suggests that measurement and management of service quality is the key for survival of airline companies. This research paper examines the service quality delivered by four major airlines in India on the backdrop of stiff competition in the airline service sector. The process of traveling on a domestic airline was divided into pre-flight, in- flight and post-flight experiences. A survey was conducted to find out the perceived service quality of frequent fliers on each of the four airlines across a series of service performance variables. The airline brands were positioned in a perceptual space, where the perceived service attributes were also mapped. Clear differences emerged among the airlines, with two of them perceived as being similar to each other, and the other two differing in many respects.

1.

INTRODUCTION

India at present has twelve competing airlines in the domestic market as against a single government owned airline in 1991. According to McKinsey Quarterly (2005), the Indian aircraft market is the worlds second largest commercial aircraft market. On-time performance and service levels have risen dramatically and fares have dropped. Passenger traffic is
* 1. 2.

expected to grow by 20 percent annually over the next five years. Only a small percentage of Indias population travels by air partly due to the high costs of domestic flying. According to the Center for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) consultancy, new players will help domestic passenger numbers. The players in the current airline market include airlines like Air

Received April 12, 2006 Research Associate, Dept. of Management Studies, PESIT, 100 Ft Ring Road, Bangalore, e-mail: bhagi3@gmail.com Director-MBA Program, Dept. of Management Studies, PESIT, 100 Ft Ring Road,Bangalore, e-mail: rnargundkar@yahoo.com

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Deccan with low-cost, low-fare and no frills along with airlines like Kingfisher, which offers some frills, and premium airline like Jet Airways. Competition has brought in some price advantages to travelers and has converted many railway passengers to airline travelers. This article examines customer satisfaction among travelers of four major domestic airlines in India. Because of proliferated number of players in the airline industry, airlines may enjoy new business opportunities along with high competitive threats. The objective of this study is to understand the customer satisfaction levels of the four major airlines viz. Jet Airways, Indian Airlines, Air Deccan and Kingfisher. A comparison of customer satisfaction based on service quality was done among the four major airlines based on responses from frequent fliers across fourteen variables on a five point Likert scale. A flying experience was divided into three stages- namely, pre-flight, in-flight and post-flight experience. A questionnaire was designed in such a way that the same sets of variables were measured among the customers of the four airlines under study. Fliers who had flown any of the four airlines could answer the questions pertaining to those airlines. The objective of this study was to understand the satisfaction levels of the airline customers. The study measured the expected level of service quality using a Likert type scale.
2. LITERATURE REVIEW

measurement in the airline industry in the U.S.A. These studies were based on economic variables, and pre-deregulation, developed as service quality assessments from the perspective of the airline consumer. Kearney (1986) was the first one to conduct service quality assessments from the perspective of the airline consumer in his doctoral dissertation work, which examined service quality from the perspective of industry-based economic and marketing measures. Many researchers and marketers have focused their attention on customer evaluations of services in an effort to find ways to improve service quality (Fisk, Brown, & Bitner, 1993). Extensive research has been conducted in the field of service quality. Parasuraman et al. (Parasuraman, Berry, & Zeithaml, 1991; Parasuraman, Zeithaml, & Berry, 1985, 1988) developed a service quality measure, called SERVQUAL, which states that the customers assessment of overall service quality is determined by the degree and direction of the gap between their expectations and perceptions of actual performance levels. They also identified five essentials for service quality: tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. They proposed that perceived service quality could be estimated by calculating the difference between expectations and perceptions of actual service performance. The SERVQUAL scale has been criticized for its validity and reliability. Buttle (1996) pointed out that including all 44 items (22 items of service expectations and a duplicate of 22 items of service performance) in one study often

In the 1970s the Civil Aeronautics Board (Douglas & Miller, 1974; Jordan, 1970) developed the initial tools of service quality

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makes the survey task too difficult for respondents. Cronin and Taylor (1992,1994) have empirically proved that the measures of service performance or SERVPERF, is more effective than SERVQUAL, which includes expectations as well as performance. SERVPERF is now widely used in measuring customer evaluations of service quality (Cunningham and Young, 2004). Cunningham and Young (2004) used SERVPERF in measuring the airline service quality. Their literature review suggests that initial publications on airline service quality appeared in 1988 (Gourdin, 1988). Fick & Ritchie and Gourdin & Kloppenborg were the first to apply the service quality gap model to the airline industry in 1991. Fick and Ritchie (1991) used the SERVQUAL scale to measure perceived service quality within several service industries including the airline industry. They found the mean scores of consumer expectation and perception of service performance measures and failed to determine the relative impact of various SERVQUAL items on overall service quality and satisfaction (Cunningham etal 2004). Measurement and management of service quality is the fundamental issue for the survival and growth of airline companies (Cunningham, Young, and Lee 2002). Cunningham, Young, and Lee (2002) conducted studies on perceptions of airline service quality of U.S. and Korean customers based on SERVPERF and industry-based measures, as well as their perceptions of risks involved in the airline choice. The results suggested that U.S.

customers consider service reliability, inflight comfort, and connections as the key factors determining satisfaction with airline service, whereas Korean passengers generally regard reliability, assurance, and risk factors as predictors of satisfaction. This study conducted by Cunningham, Young, and Lee (2002) is interesting as it has measured service quality based on SERVPERF which is a set of multi-dimensional measures of customer evaluations of service quality (Cunningham, Young, and Lee 2002). Wen Li and Chen (1998) studied the quality evaluation of domestic airline industry using modified Taguchi loss function with different weights and target values. By using Taguchi loss function one can quantify quality and thus compare service quality objectively. According to Wen Li and Chen (1998), the process of traveling a domestic airline can be described as follows: Ticket Check inboarding departureflyingarrivalbaggage claim Three quality categories with ten identified variables are proposed by Wen Li and Chen (1998) and service quality of domestic airline is quantified accordingly. Taguchi loss function requires industry measures to measure airline service quality. As stated earlier, airline traffic in India has picked up only recently. However, competition has brought to surface, industry issues such as insufficient number of pilots, airport facilities and trained personnel. When the objective of

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low-cost carriers is to convert railway passengers to airline travelers at a very low-fare, the focus of the service provider may not be on the service quality but in providing the basic service product. In comparison, Americas budget airlines have started to increase service quality in spite of the low fare offers. Southwest and Jet Blue have strong brand presence and offer well defined service rather than just low prices (Economist, 2004). On the other hand, airline service quality across the world have reached new heights where in international airlines such as Virgin Atlantic Airways have introduced double suites, in-flight beauty therapy treatments and massages, free limousines to and from the airport and many more. As a result of low fares, there is an expected increase in the volume of domestic airline travelers in India which has accelerated competition in the air travel market. While certain segments in choosing an airline, consider price advantages, service quality cannot be absent. According to Zeithaml and Bitner (1996b), the concept of satisfaction is influenced by five variables viz. 1) service quality 2) product quality 3) price 4) situation and 5) personality. Natalisa and Subroto ( 2003) combine the variables of product quality and service quality into variable of service quality and studied the customers perception of service quality in the domestic airline services of Indonesia. In short, service quality of airlines have been studied based on industry measures, SERVQUAL, SERVPERF, Taguchi loss function and Zeithaml and Bitner Model.

Our study attempts to examine the satisfaction level of service quality of domestic airline travelers in India across fourteen airline travel process variables suggested by Wen Li and Chen (1998) which are modified to suit the Indian standards. Some of these variables can also be included as the reliability and responsiveness variables of SERVPERF. The flying experience has been divided into preflight, on flight and post flight experiences.
3. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

1.

To study the customer perceptions of service quality of each of the four airlines under study To compare the service quality of the airlines under study
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

2.
4.

4.1 Questionnaire Design

The respondents were asked to evaluate the service quality of the service provided by the airline, which they have traveled. Perceived service quality of each variable was measured through questions designed on a 5-point Likert-type scale ranging from always to never. For example, the on-time services of the airline was measured through the question, The flights are on time with always as a the best positive response and never as the worst negative response, any other response can be recorded between always and never on the scale. Similarly, other good ground service inflight service and post-flight service were measured through the same scale. The questionnaire also had a question to check

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the response to the loyalty programs provided by the airlines to frequent fliers which was measured through, the airline offers real benefits to frequent fliers on the five point Likert type scale. The authors discussed the air travel process with at least five frequent fliers of domestic airlines in India to understand the process in the Indian condition apart from the fact that both the authors are themselves frequent fliers of domestic airlines. For further reference, questionnaire is attached as Appendix 1.
4.2 Sample Characteristics

full fare to low priced airlines. Convenience sampling was done. Targeted sample size was 30 per airline, and achieved sizes were as follows.
5. DATA ANALYSIS & RESULTS

The statistical analyses used were one way ANOVA, Discriminant Analysis, Cluster analysis and Cross Tabulation. Analysis of research data used the level of significance, a = 0.05
5.1 Mean Difference Results

Some of the SERVPERF variables developed by Cronin and Taylor (1992) were adapted along with the process variables (Wen Li and Chen 1998) to the Indian market conditions based on the fact that air traffic in India has gone up only in the last three years and still a very small percentage of the population travel by air. Population consisted of the customers of four domestic airline companies in India viz. Jet Airways, Indian Airlines, Air Deccan and Kingfisher. These airlines were selected, as they are representative of the major segments in the airline industry from
Table 1 Airline wise Composition of Sample
No 1 2. 3. 4. Company Jet Airways Indian Airlines Air Deccan Kingfisher Obtained number of samples 39 40 29 26

Table 2 provides a summary of the mean scores for the variables in the study. The objective of this study was to examine customer perception of service quality. One way-ANOVA was performed and the result showed a significant difference among the four airlines, except in two variables viz. baggage loss and online booking. Travelers agreed that all the airlines manage baggage well and all of them provided online booking.
5.2 Pre-Flight Service Quality

Pre-flight service was examined by rating the variables listed below. 1. 2. 3. Flights are on time Good ground service, The airline keeps its travelers informed in the case of a delay through SMS or a call The airlines makes regular announcement in case of a delay to keep the travelers informed of the status quo The airline provides refreshments whenever there is a delay,

4.

Always (as a response) was a given a score of (=1) and Never (as a response) was a given a score of (=5) and any other response was between these.

5.

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Table 2 Service Quality Scores for Various Airlines

Variables Jet Air Mean On-time Delay information Announce delay Good in-flight service Good in-flight food Waiting time for baggage Baggage loss Compensate baggageLoss Good ground service Refreshments on delay Accommodation onDelay Discounted fare Real benefits forFrequent fliers 1.9231 1.7895 1.4595 1.5641 1.7632 2.2895 4.1212 2.6957 1.7059 1.9189 2.2258 1.2571 1.4000 1.4211 Indian Airlines Mean 3.0750 3.1282 2.0278 2.8158 2.7895 2.6053 3.6857 3.2083 2.6000 3.0000 2.7931 1.7241 2.0294 2.5455 Air Deccan Mean 3.96 2.8929 2.9231 3.7692 3.8261 3.2800 3.8696 3.8667 3.0833 4.1818 4.1053 1.3333 1.3462 2.5455 Kingfisher Mean 2.4583 2.3158 1.8571 1.5833 2.0435 2.4167 4.4000 2.5000 1.5417 1.8095 2.7647 1.2381 1.5000 2.1111 df 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 One-Way ANOV F Signi Value ficance 21.941 7.372 9.593 37.506 20.961 4.760 1.347 3.028 12.147 19.609 7.231 1.805 3.184 5.489 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .004 .263 .035 .000 .000 . 000 .151 . 023 .002

6.

Provide accommodation if there is a long delay.

All the six pre-flight SERVPERF variables were found to be significant as shown by the one way ANOVA that is displayed as Table 2. The four airlines provided significantly different service quality in the pre flight service. Jet Airways travelers found its flights to be on time usually against Air Deccan travelers who rated its flights to be almost never on time. Jet Airways, Kingfisher, and Air Deccan usually informed the customers about delay in advance through SMS or telephone call. Indian Airlines was rated average on this service quality variable. All the four airlines were found to be above average in announcing

delay. Except for Air Deccan, the other three airlines were rated as providing good ground service. In the case of a delay Jet Airways and Kingfisher usually provided the travelers with refreshments whereas Air Deccan never provided such services. Except Air Deccan, all the other airlines usually provided accommodation in case of delay. The study conducted by Gourdin and Kloppenborg (1991) identified on-board comfort, being kept informed regarding delays and being cared for when travel was disrupted as being important to passengers.
5.3 In-flight Services

Jet Airways, Indian Airlines and Kingfisher were rated as providing very good in-flight service whereas Air Deccan was rated to

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be providing almost no service quality on in-flight services. Jet Airways was found to be providing good in-flight food along with Kingfisher. Indian airlines was rated as average in providing good in-flight food. Air Deccan did not offer in-flight food at all. The study conducted by Gourdin and Kloppenborg (1991) did not find courteous cabin attendants and beverage service on short flights as important to passengers.
5.4 Post Flight Services

Table 3: Wilks Lambda

Test of Function(s) 1 through 3 2 through 3 3 Wilks Lambda .238 .625 .933 Chisquare 60.340 19.774 2.897 df Sig.

42 26 12

.033 .802 .996

Table 4: Standardized Canonical Discriminant Function Coefficients

Function 1 on time delay information good inflight service good inflight food waiting time for baggage baggage loss compensate baggage loss good ground service refreshments on delay accomodation on delay online booking discounted fare real benefits for frequent fliers .354 2 .242 3 .733

Air Deccan travelers rated longest waiting time for baggage arrival against other airlines. Baggage loss was found to be almost never a problem with Jet Airways and Kingfisher where as Indian Airlines and Air Deccan travelers had to face baggage loss, sometimes. On the occurrence of baggage loss Air Deccan sometimes never compensated for the baggage loss. There was no significant difference among the airlines on services such as online booking which just meant such a service was provided by all the airlines. All the airlines were found to be providing discounted fares and real benefits for frequent fliers.
5.5 Discriminant Analysis

-.283 .979 -.150 .742 .211 -.407 -.326 .072 -.086 .582 -.199 -.253 .073 -.091 .416 -.617 .233 -.535 .024 -.135 -.643 .521 -.273 .072 .529 -.466 .304 -.118 -.069 -.352 -.526 .130 .502 -.060 .440 .102

Discriminant analysis revealed significant differences among the airlines. Three functions were produced, of which the first was statistically significant. (Refer Table 3). The second and third functions were not significant. From the standardized discriminant function coefficients (Table 4) , it appears

that function 1 consists of good in-flight service, waiting time for baggage, compensation for baggage loss, refreshments on delay, accommodation on delay and discounted fare. Hence, we could conclude that the difference between airlines is a multi-dimensional construct consisting of in-flight service, delay handling, baggage handling and

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pricing. Together, these may be named as basic service elements, on which airlines seem to differ significantly. The only exception seems to be delay information, loading highly on function two, and delay announcement and good ground service, which are loading highly on function three. But these are not significant statistically and therefore should be treated with caution. Positioning of the four airline brands through Discriminant Analysis: A
Table 5: Functions at Group Centroids
airline name 1 Jet Airways Indian Airlines Air Deccan Kingfisher -1.022 -.361 2.300 -.350 Function 2 -.733 .886 -.264 -.189 3 -.158 -.074 -.059 .643

perceptual map is drawn using functions 1 and 2, the relative positions of the four brands of airlines which is derived from Table 5. The perceptual map shows that Jet Airways and Kingfisher are positioned together. Air Deccan and Indian Airlines are positioned far away from each other. A, B, C and D in the perceptual map represents the airlines as per Table 6 given below. The horizontal axis represents Function 1 and the vertical axis, Function 2. The fourteen attribute vectors are mapped across the perceptual space. Vectors 1 to
Table 6: Brands of Airlines from the Group Centroids
Sl No A B C D Airline Name Jet airways Indian airlines Air Deccan Kingfisher

Unstandardized canonical discriminant functions evaluated at group means

Graph 1 : Perceptual Map of four domestic airlines in India based on Perceived Service Quality: Discriminant Function 1 (horizontal axis) vs Function 2(vertical axis)
6
2

5 4 3
14

2
8 B 1 3 5 1 2 1

1 0
D C

-4

-3

-2

-1
A

-1 -2

0
9

2
10

3
6

11

-3

Series 1

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14 can be identified from Table 7 given below.

Table 7: Attribute Vectors based on Standardized Canonical Discriminant Function Coefficients
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 On time Delay information Announce delay Good in-flight service Good in-flight food Waiting time for baggage Baggage loss Compensate baggage loss Good ground service Refreshments on delay Accommodation on delay Online booking Discounted fare Real benefits for frequent fliers

5.6 Cluster Analysis

Cluster analysis was performed to find out the similarity between brands and to reiterate the positioning exercise done by Discriminant analysis. An ANOVA conducted for cluster analysis showed that all the service attributes to be significantly different across the different clusters (Refer Table 8). Four major clusters were identified. Cross tabulation was conducted to find the relationship between the brands and the four different clusters. Table 9 shows that most of the Jet Airways and Kingfisher customers belong to cluster 2. Indian Airlines and Air Deccan customers dominate cluster 3. Cluster 4 has a large representation of customers of Indian Airlines where as cluster 1 does not seem to be very significant.
Error Mean df Square .940 1.209 .687 .715 .695 .853 .861 1.214 .846 1.278 1.291 .677 .900 1.430 126 120 116 123 118 121 107 68 113 109 92 102 113 107

Table 8: ANOVA
Cluster Mean df Square on time delay information announce delay good inflight service good inflight food waiting time for baggage baggage loss compensate baggage loss good ground service refreshments on delay accomodation on delay online booking discounted fare real benefits for frequent fliers 30.783 35.893 29.422 39.452 38.787 16.200 37.954 18.986 26.857 39.417 34.155 6.105 5.528 20.021 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 F 32.745 29.680 42.822 55.167 55.770 18.995 44.093 15.641 31.728 30.845 26.456 9.020 6.140 13.999 Signi .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .001 .000

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Table 9: Airline Name and Cluster Number of Case Cross tabulation

Cluster Number of Case airline name Jet Airways Indian Airlines Air Deccan Kingfisher Total 1 0 1 6 2 9 2 27 7 0 15 49 3 5 17 18 4 44 4 7 15 5 5 32 Total 39 40 29 26 134

Based on the above findings, Jet Airways and Kingfisher can be considered as brands which have similar attributes, as most of their customers are found to be members of cluster two.
6. CONCLUSION

This study has several managerial implications, as it demonstrates that the adapted version of SERVPERF scale is applicable in the Indian conditions. When considered in totality the results of this study suggest that implementation of basic service quality is essential to combat the growing competition. Differentiation can occur only by adding new service elements along with providing better quality in delivering the current service. Safety has been considered as a major element in choosing an airline brand in the west, post 9/11. Crisis management has also taken different dimensions in the U.S in the airline industry post 9/11. This trend suggests that many different social events and variables also have an impact on how customers look at each brand. This study shows that customers of Jet Airways rate it as an airline that provides very good service quality across the fourteen service variables. Kingfisher ranks second and its customers have reported that usually the

airline provides good service quality. Indian Airlines was rated as providing good in-flight food, waiting time for baggage, good ground service, accommodation on delay and a few other elements such as price, online booking and benefits for frequent fliers. Indian Airlines was rated as average or below average on the rest of the service variables. Baggage loss has been reported as a problem faced by some of the Indian Airlines customers. Air Deccan has been rated by its customers as providing good service quality in informing customer about delay. Air Deccan customers are happy with its provision for online booking, discounted fare and real benefits for frequent fliers. The study revealed that customers were not happy with all the other service variables which suggest that the overall service quality of Air Deccan is not considered good. Some of the Air Deccan customers report baggage loss as a problem. Air Deccan calls itself a no-frill service provider as it is a low cost airline. The travelers of Air Deccan seem to rate it to be a bad service provider even though they were flying on low fares. When Air Deccan has large volume loads and generates revenue, it should rethink its value proposition in terms of providing

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basic service quality to stay in the market. In the U.S.A, Southwest and Jet Blue have a strong brand presence and offer well defined service rather than just low prices (Economist, 2004). Most of the low cost airlines in Europe had to shut shop as they were not providing even the basic service quality. A study conducted by Natalisa & Subroto (2003) on the customer satisfaction of domestic airlines in Indonesia proved that customers perceptions of service quality influence the level of customer satisfaction by using regression analysis. It can also be a case of concern to Indian Airlines and Air Deccan as our study has found that the overall service quality provided by these airlines are considered below satisfactory by its customers.
7. LIMITATIONS

Cronin, J. J., Jr., and Taylor, S. A. (1992), Measuring Service Quality: A Reexamination and Extension, Journal of Marketing, 56 (July), 5568. Cronin, J.J.,Jr. and Taylor, S.A. (1994), SERVPERF versus SERVQUAL: Reconciling Performance-Based and Perceptions-MinusExpectations Measurement of Service Quality, Journal of Marketing, 58(January), 125-131 Douglas, G.W.,& Miller, J. C., III. (1974). Economic regulation of domestic air transport: Theory and policy . Washington, DC: Brookings Institution. Economist (2004). Turbulent Skies, Vol. 372, Issue 8383 Fick, G. R., & Ritchie, J. R. B. (1991). Measuring service quality in the travel and tourism industry, Journal of Travel Research, 30 (Fall), 2-9. Fisk, R. P., Brown, S. W., and Bitner, M. J. (1993), Tracking the Evolution of the Services Marketing Literature, Journal of Retailing, 69, 1 (Spring), 61103 Gourdin, K. N., & Kloppenborg, T. J. (1991). Identifying service gaps in commercial air travel: The first step toward quality improvement. Transportation Journal, 31(1), 22-30. Jordan,W. A. (1970). Airline regulation in America: Effects and imperfections. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Kearney, T. J. (1986). Quality of service under airline deregulation. Doctoral dissertation, Indiana University at Bloomington. Nargundkar, R (2003), Marketing Research, 2nd Edition, Tata McGraw Hill, New Delhi

The findings of this study are limited to the airline industry in India. This study has not considered industry measures to measure service quality. We have measured only the customer perception of service quality.
REFERENCES
Buttle, F(1996). SERVQUAL: Review, Critique, Research Agenda , European Journal of Marketing, 30,1, 8-32 Cunningham, L. F., Young C. E., & Lee, M (2004). Perceptions of airline service quality Pre and Post 9/11. Public works Management & Policy, 9(1), 10-25 Cunningham, L. F., Young C. E., & Lee, M. (2002). Cross-cultural perspectives of service quality and risk in air transportation. Journal of Air Transportation, 7(1), 3-26.

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Natalisa Diah and Subroto Budiarto(2003), Effects of Management Commitment on Service Quality to Increase Customer Satisfaction of Domestic Airlines in Indonesia , Singapore Management Review, Volume 25 (1) Pandit, Ranjit V (2005). Why Believe in India. McKinsey Quarterly, Special Edition, 133-170 Parasuraman, A., Berry, L. L., & Zeithaml, V. A. (1991). Refinement and reassessment of the SERVPERF Scale. Journal of Retailing, 67, 420150. Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A.,& Berry, L. L. (1985).A conceptual model of service quality

and its implications for future research. Journal of Marketing, 49, 41-50. Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1988). SERVPERF: A multiple-item scale for measuring consumer perceptions of service quality. Journal of Retailing, 64, 28-31. Wen Li, Ching and Chen K. Alice(1998). Quality Evaluation of Domestic Airline Industry Using Modified Taguchi Loss Function with Different Weights and Target Values. Total Quality Management, 9(7), 645-653 Zeithaml and Bitner (1996), Services Marketing, Tata McGraw Hill, New Delhi

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APPENDIX 1 Service Quality of Domestic Airlines in India: An Empirical Study Dr. Rajendra Nargundkar and Ms. Bhagyalakshmi Venkatesh of Dept. Of Management Studies, PESIT Bangalore are conducting a study on the service quality of four Indian domestic airline services. We request you to spare a few minutes to fill up the questions below. Thank You. Please circle the relevant response on the following questions for all airlines you have traveled. (1=Always, 5=Never, and other responses are between these.)
1. The flights are on-time a. Jet Airways Always 1 2 3 4 b. Indian Airlines Always 1 2 3 4 c. Air Deccan Always 1 2 3 4 d. King Fisher Always 1 2 3 4 2. The airline informs you in advance if there is delay (through sms or call) a. Jet Airways Always 1 2 3 4 b. Indian Airlines Always 1 2 3 4 c. Air Deccan Always 1 2 3 4 d. King Fisher Always 1 2 3 4 3. If the flight is delayed, regular announcements are made a. Jet Airways Always 1 2 3 4 b. Indian Airlines Always 1 2 3 4 c. Air Deccan Always 1 2 3 4 d. King Fisher Always 1 2 3 4 4. In-flight service is good a. Jet Airways Always 1 2 3 4 b. Indian Airlines Always 1 2 3 4 c. Air Deccan Always 1 2 3 4 d. King Fisher Always 1 2 3 4 5. The in-flight food is good a. Jet Airways Always 1 2 3 4 b. Indian Airlines Always 1 2 3 4 c. Air Deccan Always 1 2 3 4 d. King Fisher Always 1 2 3 4 6. The waiting time for baggage arrival is reasonable a. Jet Airways Always 1 2 3 4 b. Indian Airlines Always 1 2 3 4 c. Air Deccan Always 1 2 3 4 d. King Fisher Always 1 2 3 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never

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7. Baggage loss is a problem with a. Jet Airways Always 1 2 3 b. Indian Airlines Always 1 2 3 c. Air Deccan Always 1 2 3 d. King Fisher Always 1 2 3 8. The airline compensates for lost baggage if such a situation arises, a. Jet Airways Always 1 2 3 b. Indian Airlines Always 1 2 3 c. Air Deccan Always 1 2 3 d. King Fisher Always 1 2 3 9. The airline provides good check-in services a. Jet Airways Always 1 2 3 b. Indian Airlines Always 1 2 3 c. Air Deccan Always 1 2 3 d. King Fisher Always 1 2 3 10. The airline provides refreshments whenever there is a delay a. Jet Airways Always 1 2 3 b. Indian Airlines Always 1 2 3 c. Air Deccan Always 1 2 3 d. King Fisher Always 1 2 3 11. The airline provides accommodation if there is a very long delay a. Jet Airways Always 1 2 3 b. Indian Airlines Always 1 2 3 c. Air Deccan Always 1 2 3 d. King Fisher Always 1 2 3 12. The airline provides online booking services a. Jet Airways Always 1 2 3 b. Indian Airlines Always 1 2 3 c. Air Deccan Always 1 2 3 d. King Fisher Always 1 2 3 13. The airline offers discounted fare schemes a. Jet Airways Always 1 2 3 b. Indian Airlines Always 1 2 3 c. Air Deccan Always 1 2 3 d. King Fisher Always 1 2 3 14. The airline offers real benefits to frequent fliers a. Jet Airways Always 1 2 3 b. Indian Airlines Always 1 2 3 c. Air Deccan Always 1 2 3 d. King Fisher Always 1 2 3

4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5

Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never