Low-Cost Airline Survey/Questionnaire
Jun 14, 2017, 8:25 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 5
Low-Cost Airline Survey/Questionnaire
Hi everyone,
I am conducting research for my masters dissertation concerning low-cost airline selection from a passenger viewpoint within the United States.
If you have ever flown on the below airlines, can you please fill it out?
Allegiant Air
Frontier Airlines
jetBlue Airways
Southwest Airlines
Spirit Airlines
Virgin America
Link: https://coventry.onlinesurveys.ac.uk...-airline-selec
It only takes a few minutes!
Thank you
I am conducting research for my masters dissertation concerning low-cost airline selection from a passenger viewpoint within the United States.
If you have ever flown on the below airlines, can you please fill it out?
Allegiant Air
Frontier Airlines
jetBlue Airways
Southwest Airlines
Spirit Airlines
Virgin America
Link: https://coventry.onlinesurveys.ac.uk...-airline-selec
It only takes a few minutes!
Thank you
Jun 15, 2017, 11:04 am
#4
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So I bet a lot of people will be confused about why you're asking about these "low-cost" airlines, since a lot of people won't understand their relationship (or will mis-understand that you're asking about "cheap" airlines, while Southwest for example is often these days more expensive in fares than one or more of th 3 legacy airlines in some markets).
You also mixed up the "traditional" LCCs with the ULCCs. As a group, I would never willingly fly the ULCCs, even though I might fly the "traditional" LCCs. You may get misleading answers to your survey because of this lack of distinction.
Furthermore, Frontier used to be a "traditional" LCC, but has morhped in the last couple years into a ULCC. If your questions about Frontier aren't qualified by how recently people flew it, they could be invalid IMHO!
Meanwhile, Virgin America is in the process of merging with Alaska Airlines, which is not at all an LCC. So Virgin is slowly "losing its LCCness" in the merger process.
Last edited by sdsearch; Jun 15, 2017 at 11:12 am
Jun 15, 2017, 1:01 pm
#5
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,286
The first thing to keep mind is that most people don't know what "LCC" means or what an "LCC" is. It's an industry term related to the low cost of operation, not to the price of fares.
So I bet a lot of people will be confused about why you're asking about these "low-cost" airlines, since a lot of people won't understand their relationship (or will mis-understand that you're asking about "cheap" airlines, while Southwest for example is often these days more expensive in fares than one or more of th 3 legacy airlines in some markets).
You also mixed up the "traditional" LCCs with the ULCCs. As a group, I would never willingly fly the ULCCs, even though I might fly the "traditional" LCCs. You may get misleading answers to your survey because of this lack of distinction.
Furthermore, Frontier used to be a "traditional" LCC, but has morhped in the last couple years into a ULCC. If your questions about Frontier aren't qualified by how recently people flew it, they could be invalid IMHO!
Meanwhile, Virgin America is in the process of merging with Alaska Airlines, which is not at all an LCC. So Virgin is slowly "losing its LCCness" in the merger process.
So I bet a lot of people will be confused about why you're asking about these "low-cost" airlines, since a lot of people won't understand their relationship (or will mis-understand that you're asking about "cheap" airlines, while Southwest for example is often these days more expensive in fares than one or more of th 3 legacy airlines in some markets).
You also mixed up the "traditional" LCCs with the ULCCs. As a group, I would never willingly fly the ULCCs, even though I might fly the "traditional" LCCs. You may get misleading answers to your survey because of this lack of distinction.
Furthermore, Frontier used to be a "traditional" LCC, but has morhped in the last couple years into a ULCC. If your questions about Frontier aren't qualified by how recently people flew it, they could be invalid IMHO!
Meanwhile, Virgin America is in the process of merging with Alaska Airlines, which is not at all an LCC. So Virgin is slowly "losing its LCCness" in the merger process.
Jun 15, 2017, 1:32 pm
#6
Join Date: Oct 2001
Programs: LTP, PP
Posts: 8,708
Just took it. IME the responses may be skewed on a few non asked items:
1 Whether there is competition at your home airport (none at mine)
2 Whether flying for business or leisure (survey asks you to choose just 1)
3. Whether you are using points or have a huge cache of points to use up (as I do)
1 Whether there is competition at your home airport (none at mine)
2 Whether flying for business or leisure (survey asks you to choose just 1)
3. Whether you are using points or have a huge cache of points to use up (as I do)
Jun 15, 2017, 2:10 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 5
Thank you for the responses everyone.
Unfortunately, it would be impossible for me to cover every aspect of the low-cost market within the US, so these are the areas I have chosen to focus on.
Your points have given me good insight of further limitations within my study which is much appreciated.
Unfortunately, it would be impossible for me to cover every aspect of the low-cost market within the US, so these are the areas I have chosen to focus on.
Your points have given me good insight of further limitations within my study which is much appreciated.
Jun 15, 2017, 6:35 pm
#8
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Jun 15, 2017, 6:46 pm
#9
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Ok, now I got through it, and I'm baffled by some missing questions.
At the front, it asked which airlines I've flown. I ticked off Frontier, which I flew years ago when it was conventional LCC and would never fly again now that it's a ULCC, and the survey never asked would I fly those specific airlines again.
The survey also never asked anything much about LCCs vs non-LCCs. The only clue was two questions near the end, one which asked whether I tend to fly my preferred airline (without mentioning "low-cost") and I said "agree", then the next question asked whether I usually fly my preferred low-cost airline, and I said "disagree". Hopefully the completely different answer between these two questions can viewed as "I prefer to fly non-low-cost airlines", but I don't know if it will be read that way, but if the first question meant to include "low cost" and the wording was accidentally left out (rather than intentionally left out), then the conclusion reached will be totally wrong.
Also, this FlyerTalk, but the survey didn't mention anything about frequent flyer programs. The only reason I fly any low cost airline is because with one of them I have lots of points with Southwest, and I always fly Southwest on points, I haven't flown a paid flight on a low-costs carrier in close to a decade, though an average of one flight a year or so on points. (I used to fly Southwest much more during Rapid Rewards 1.0, when their frequent flyer program was better. My decrease use of Southwest is in part due to the change to Rapid Rewards 2.0, with the annoying revenue-based redemptions.)
I've never flown Jet Blue because I couldn't earn or redeem any points/miles I wanted on Jet Blue. Same with Virgin America. I flew Frontier until I used up my last miles there, and then stopped.
At the front, it asked which airlines I've flown. I ticked off Frontier, which I flew years ago when it was conventional LCC and would never fly again now that it's a ULCC, and the survey never asked would I fly those specific airlines again.
The survey also never asked anything much about LCCs vs non-LCCs. The only clue was two questions near the end, one which asked whether I tend to fly my preferred airline (without mentioning "low-cost") and I said "agree", then the next question asked whether I usually fly my preferred low-cost airline, and I said "disagree". Hopefully the completely different answer between these two questions can viewed as "I prefer to fly non-low-cost airlines", but I don't know if it will be read that way, but if the first question meant to include "low cost" and the wording was accidentally left out (rather than intentionally left out), then the conclusion reached will be totally wrong.
Also, this FlyerTalk, but the survey didn't mention anything about frequent flyer programs. The only reason I fly any low cost airline is because with one of them I have lots of points with Southwest, and I always fly Southwest on points, I haven't flown a paid flight on a low-costs carrier in close to a decade, though an average of one flight a year or so on points. (I used to fly Southwest much more during Rapid Rewards 1.0, when their frequent flyer program was better. My decrease use of Southwest is in part due to the change to Rapid Rewards 2.0, with the annoying revenue-based redemptions.)
I've never flown Jet Blue because I couldn't earn or redeem any points/miles I wanted on Jet Blue. Same with Virgin America. I flew Frontier until I used up my last miles there, and then stopped.
Last edited by sdsearch; Jun 15, 2017 at 6:52 pm
Jun 15, 2017, 7:45 pm
#10
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I don't mind doing surveys but that first page makes it look like I'm at the doctor's office for the first time.
Informed consent? Five "I agree that..." statements and a confirmation of such before I can proceed? Sorry but you will need to pay me for my time. You are WAY overthinking this.
Simply replace that with just one statement "All information provided by you is anonymous and will not be shared with any outside parties other than the researcher themselves. After the results have been analysed, the information collected will be destroyed." followed by a button "begin survey".
Then, please post your survey in TravelBuzz, not here. Here, all you will get is a bunch of responses from people who fly (and a handful of people who hate) Southwest Airlines. Your results will be very skewed.
Informed consent? Five "I agree that..." statements and a confirmation of such before I can proceed? Sorry but you will need to pay me for my time. You are WAY overthinking this.
Simply replace that with just one statement "All information provided by you is anonymous and will not be shared with any outside parties other than the researcher themselves. After the results have been analysed, the information collected will be destroyed." followed by a button "begin survey".
Then, please post your survey in TravelBuzz, not here. Here, all you will get is a bunch of responses from people who fly (and a handful of people who hate) Southwest Airlines. Your results will be very skewed.
Jun 16, 2017, 1:17 am
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 5
Hello again,
The informed consent page is required by my University. I know it is long and tedious looking, but we have to give all the required information upfront about the study.
Once again, I appreciate the responses..I did not realise I would be getting so much criticism for a University research project. I apologise it is not perfect.
In terms of the LCC's vs non-LCC's...I did this on purpose as it is not in line with my research question (which I have not stated on purpose as I don't want it to influence responses).
The informed consent page is required by my University. I know it is long and tedious looking, but we have to give all the required information upfront about the study.
Once again, I appreciate the responses..I did not realise I would be getting so much criticism for a University research project. I apologise it is not perfect.
In terms of the LCC's vs non-LCC's...I did this on purpose as it is not in line with my research question (which I have not stated on purpose as I don't want it to influence responses).
Jun 17, 2017, 5:13 pm
#14
Moderator: Manufactured Spending
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,583
I just took the survey. It was well-designed and easy. However, I think you need to define what you mean by low-cost airline. In the US, this term has a very specific legal meaning (a low-cost airline is an airline that either was created after, or did not provide interstate services until, the passage of the Deregulation Act). Up until the 90s there was a cost difference between legacy and low-cost airlines, but the legacies have gone through a few rounds of bankruptcy and shedded their higher costs, so at this point, the difference is little more than marketing.
Some of the airlines you have listed are considered ultra-low-cost airlines (Allegiant and Spirit) and are an entirely different category from JetBlue and Virgin, which are technically low-cost but in terms of price and service similar to the legacy carriers.
Some of the airlines you have listed are considered ultra-low-cost airlines (Allegiant and Spirit) and are an entirely different category from JetBlue and Virgin, which are technically low-cost but in terms of price and service similar to the legacy carriers.
Jun 19, 2017, 1:00 pm
#15
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Just curious: for a study from Coventry University, why just the U.S. carriers? What about easyJet, Ryanair, the short-haul Aer Lingus flights, Norwegian, etc.
This thread now has two very different definitions of "LCC". And most fliers likely perceive it to be yet a third definition: a carrier that has limited frills, competes primarily on price, and isn't partnered up with a global alliance.
This thread now has two very different definitions of "LCC". And most fliers likely perceive it to be yet a third definition: a carrier that has limited frills, competes primarily on price, and isn't partnered up with a global alliance.