EFFECTS OF PASSENGER COMFORT ON CUSTOMER PATRONAGE OF DOMESTIC AIRLINES IN NIGERIA

Authors

  • Obabuike Ikeni NKPURUKWE
  • Emmanuel NWOKAH
  • Paul James ABU

Keywords:

Passenger Comfort, In-flight Services, Baggage Handling, Customer Patronage, Customer Satisfaction, Referrals

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between passenger comfort (PC) and customer patronage (CP) of domestic airlines in Nigeria, focusing on the impact of in-flight services (IFS) and baggage handling (BH) on customer satisfaction (CS) and referrals (R). Utilizing a quantitative research design, data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). The population of 2000 customers of domestic airline users where a sample of 200 respondents from ten (10) domestic airlines in Nigeria representing 10% were drawn based on a stratified random sampling technique. The findings reveal a strong positive correlation (r = 0.721) between in-flight services and customer satisfaction. Similarly, baggage handling demonstrates a moderate positive relationship (r = 0.652) with customer satisfaction, while in-flight services have a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.593) with referrals, contributing to a 35% variability in referral likelihood. More so, baggage handling shows a weaker, though significant, correlation (r = 0.484) with referrals, explaining 23% of the variability. The study concluded that all the four hypotheses tested demonstrated a significant positive relationship with all the variables under investigation. This study recommended that airlines should enhance in-flight services to significantly boost both customer satisfaction and referrals by focusing on comfort, meal quality, entertainment, and personalized experiences, given the strong correlations observed.

Downloads

Published

2024-12-31

How to Cite

NKPURUKWE, O. I., NWOKAH, E., & ABU, P. J. (2024). EFFECTS OF PASSENGER COMFORT ON CUSTOMER PATRONAGE OF DOMESTIC AIRLINES IN NIGERIA. FULafia International Journal of Business and Allied Studies, 2(4), 188–204. Retrieved from http://fijbas.org/index.php/FIJBAS/article/view/140

Issue

Section

Articles