Aviation College Student Airline Customer Elasticity

Abstract

As populations continue to rise and potential markets begin to swell, it is up to the airline marketer to create an ample plan to sell more tickets to various target markets. There is a lack of research aimed directly at the college-aged market for airline ticket sales, and this study aims to fill this gap. Students at Middle Tennessee State University’s Department of Aerospace were surveyed regarding their reasons for choosing a particular airline on which to purchase a ticket. The results indicated that price is the overall determining factor, but they also demonstrated that time schedules and the customers’ previous experience on a particular airline also play a large part in selling airline tickets to college-aged students. The demographical data gathered indicated that college students over the age of 35 are very likely to be loyal to a particular airline and to be participating in at least one airline loyalty program.