Running Head: IN-FLIGHT SERVICES 1 IN-FLIGHT SERVICES 2 In-flight Services: Course: Instructor: Institution: Date: Introduction The aviation airline industry is a constant changing industry thriving to gain competitive advantage through strategy and innovation. The main focus is for an airline industry to stand out and attract customers. The customers are the reason why companies such as Virgin, Jet Blue, AirTran, Delta and Hawaiian airlines are at the top of the food chain. Providing unique customer experience is one of the many ways that organizations exploit to gain competitive advantage. Customer experience while using organization products or services has been transformed into an art within the business environment (Saha & Theingi, 2009). The art of customer experience aims at establishing the best customer satisfaction. Airline industries are not spared by the new art of establishing the best customer satisfaction. In fact Airline industry is one of the many industries that embrace the art of customer satisfaction since it deals with actual handling of customers. Every unit of the airline organization must be well interlinked so as customer satisfaction remain a priority at all the time. Every airline organization should focus on ways that provide the safest, dependable and pleasurable air transport. Achieving the objective would ensure that the airline becomes a unique organization of choice for many either locally or internationally. Airline industries have divergent areas that must be considered in effort to achieve the desired level of customer satisfaction (Zeithaml, Bitner, & Gremler, 2009). The different areas can be categorised into three main phases. The three main phase include, pre-flit, in-flight and post-flit. This paper will explore on various ways that airlines can exploit to improve on in-flit customer satisfaction. In-flit situation Before exploring any form of customer satisfaction, airline management must first appreciate that the diversity of needs for their customers. The needs in this case involve the motivations that forces one into using air transport instead of other modes of transport. The diversity remains a major challenge for majority of airlines seeking to achieve best level customer experience and satisfaction. Different people have different reasons behind them using air transport. The various reasons may be categorised into three main groups (Atilgan, Akinci, & S. Aksoy, 2008). First category involves those travelling for pleasure and status. Travellers in this group always use air transport as way of achieving personal pleasures. The second group involves individuals who travel for business or work related activities. This group of travellers have unique preferences that airline organizations must meet so as to make them fully satisfied. The ...

1. Running Head: IN-FLIGHT SERVICES
1
IN-FLIGHT SERVICES
2
In-flight Services:
Course:
Instructor:
Institution:
Date:
Introduction
The aviation airline industry is a constant changing industry
thriving to gain competitive advantage through strategy and
innovation. The main focus is for an airline industry to stand
out and attract customers. The customers are the reason why
companies such as Virgin, Jet Blue, AirTran, Delta and
Hawaiian airlines are at the top of the food chain. Providing
unique customer experience is one of the many ways that
organizations exploit to gain competitive advantage. Customer
experience while using organization products or services has
been transformed into an art within the business environment
(Saha & Theingi, 2009). The art of customer experience aims at

2. establishing the best customer satisfaction. Airline industries
are not spared by the new art of establishing the best customer
satisfaction. In fact Airline industry is one of the many
industries that embrace the art of customer satisfaction since it
deals with actual handling of customers. Every unit of the
airline organization must be well interlinked so as customer
satisfaction remain a priority at all the time.
Every airline organization should focus on ways that provide
the safest, dependable and pleasurable air transport. Achieving
the objective would ensure that the airline becomes a unique
organization of choice for many either locally or
internationally. Airline industries have divergent areas that
must be considered in effort to achieve the desired level of
customer satisfaction (Zeithaml, Bitner, & Gremler, 2009). The
different areas can be categorised into three main phases. The
three main phase include, pre-flit, in-flight and post-flit. This
paper will explore on various ways that airlines can exploit to
improve on in-flit customer satisfaction.
In-flit situation
Before exploring any form of customer satisfaction, airline
management must first appreciate that the diversity of needs for
their customers. The needs in this case involve the motivations
that forces one into using air transport instead of other modes of
transport. The diversity remains a major challenge for majority
of airlines seeking to achieve best level customer experience
and satisfaction. Different people have different reasons behind
them using air transport. The various reasons may be
categorised into three main groups (Atilgan, Akinci, & S.
Aksoy, 2008). First category involves those travelling for
pleasure and status. Travellers in this group always use air
transport as way of achieving personal pleasures. The second
group involves individuals who travel for business or work
related activities. This group of travellers have unique
preferences that airline organizations must meet so as to make
them fully satisfied.
The last group of individuals are those seeking medical services

3. and emergency service. This group of people have unique needs
that must be met so as to make them have great experience that
would yield best satisfaction. The strategies embraced must
consider how the service is felt at individual level. Failure to
ensure that the majority of travellers if not all travel preferences
and needs are at most met, the organization risks losing
customer to other airline organizations with better customer
satisfaction strategies (Huang & Feng, 2009).
In-airline customer satisfaction strategies
Regardless of diversity or not every airline organizations must
ensure that their aeroplanes are offers the best comfort seats and
other inside facilities. Customer will always prefer airlines that
offer comfortable and relaxing journeys. The comfort should not
be comprised with whether the distance is long or short. The
form of satisfaction lies with the flight crew. The crew must be
well trained to handle those aboard in the best way possible
(Atilgan, Akinci, & S. Aksoy, 2008). Any move that may result
into agitated or infuriated passage may be a possible course to
losing customer. People often have bad days and the ugly side
of them come out. Flight crews should be ready to handle any
hostile situation in a professional manner. After all when a
hostile discussion occurs thousands of feet above sea level an
audience is always available. The decisions of the flight crew
will greatly impact the image of their desired airline. If the
flight crew handles a hostile discussion in a positive way then
passengers feel safe. If the flight crew members handle it the
wrong way. A negative image will be portrayed and customers
may be scared and no longer deem the necessity to fly with that
specific airline.
Flight crew should be trained on importance of embracing
patience and tolerance while serving customers (Atilgan,
Akinci, & S. Aksoy, 2008). By having the flight crew think
before they speak can help develop a coping mechanism and
help restrain emotions during a conflict with a passenger. Crew
personnel must always be willing to respond to customer
queries and questions in the best way possible. The flight crew

4. should always be honest and truthful to any questions asked by
any passenger. Cabin crew must offer timely response to
customer at all the time. The move shows that the airline fully
values their clients.
In addition to training the flight crew, airlines may further
explore other ways of improving their customers experience and
satisfaction to higher levels (Huang & Feng, 2009). By simply
providing free snacks and drinks the airline could create a
relaxed environment through amenities. The customers will
definitely feel gratitude toward the airline. Also airlines must
rethink their perception concerning shifting and positions
change. Although the move may pose huge risks in the event of
disorder, there should be a certain immunity that allows cabin
crew to facilitate positions change.
At times long distance journeys are tiresome and boring.
Airlines should embark on strategies that can help avoid the
situation. For instance the airline may offer every person with
range of entertainment options such as video games, music,
movies and documentaries. Other forms of entertainment may
involve installing the technology showing the geographical
location and path through which the aeroplane is traversing.
The first time air travel offer challenge to many people who
have never had such privileges in the past. Such customers must
be handled with care to avoid stimulating their emotions
negatively (Huang & Feng, 2009). The crew must be willing to
assist without humiliating or criticizing. Even the basic things
at times may seem strange due to the changed environment.
Questions concerning such issues should be answered too in
clarity. Repetitive questions such as what features will be
provided on the entertainment system and what amenities will
be offered in the restroom could be seen a nuisance. Flight crew
members should continuously smile and help the passenger no
matter how tedious the question may be. The end result is to
make the customer happy and feel at ease.
Technology can now connect everyone everywhere at anytime.
This includes whether being in the air, at sea or in the middle of

5. nowhere. Some technological advancement involves WIFI
connections that are making it possible for travellers to watch
TV programmes in real time (Saha & Theingi, 2009). Internet
access could be another investing opportunity airlines could
implement throughout their air fleet. Providing access to the
internet allows passengers to connect to the world and access
social media sites and entertainment sites. As result travellers
will always be kept busy throughout the journey. The new move
would help end the unwanted boredom that encourages reactions
that may trigger conflict with the airline crew.
The new development seems the popular way to go, adopting
and implementation of the plan remains a challenge for many of
the airlines. The cost associated with owning and implementing
is prohibitive in mature (Saha & Theingi, 2009). Installing the
new technology means that the airline would be forced to add
the airline fares as move to cater for the expenditure associated
with such systems. Added airline is at times feared by many and
may influence the airline negatively.
Installing such systems should be accompanied with advertising
to create the necessary awareness. The awareness would alert
the customer that the new development is aimed at scaling their
satisfaction to new heights. Being fully aware of the
development, customers will always be willing to part with
extra money to carter for the enhanced experience and
satisfaction (Zeithamal & Bitner, 2003). The new technology
further offers new avenues for the airlines to generate more
revenue. Airline companies may use the new technology as an
advertising platform. The airlines can offer the platform to
other organizations and companies to advertise for their
products within the flight at a fee. The revenue generated from
the new venture may be used to cater for the costs and other
maintenance.
Providing a medical kit within the airlines can also be another
important move that can boost customer relations and
satisfactions. The kit should be accompanied with a health
professional who at all the time offers medical attention to the

6. customer aboard. The services should be provided free of charge
courtesy of the airline. The doctor should provide timely advice
and interventions for the various health issues that may arise
due to pressure changes. Another way around this issue is to
provide a 24/7 medical access to an online provider who
specifically focus on aviation medicine. If a passenger should
fall ill during transient an online provider could possibly
answer questions pertaining to the patient via the airplane
communication system. The online provider could handle any
issues in regards to passengers fainting, allergic reactions and
overall respiratory issues. In the event of a serious medical
concern the online provider could suggest an immediate
grounding of the aircraft. The flight crew would play a
significant role in providing medical assistance to the ill patient
through suggestions from the medical online provider. This
should all be taken into consideration as part of any airline
industry main priorities.
Conclusion
Customer satisfaction is one of the many strategies that
organization must embrace so as to achieve their set goals and
objective. Gaining competitive advantage will always be the end
result. Airlines need to constantly change their tactics in order
to maintain the wants and needs of customers. Investing in
customer satisfaction may hinder the usual associated cost in
regards to maintaining a top tier airline. Using strategy and
implementing controls can create a measurement system that
can be used as a tool to better understand why customers are
happy and why they are not happy. All customers who choose to
fly with any airline should have a wonderful experience.

7. References
Atilgan, E., Akinci, S., & S. Aksoy, S. (2008). Expectations and
perceptions for airlines: The Sun Express case with the gaps
model. Journal of Global Strategic Management, 68-78.
Huang, Y. K., & Feng, C. M. (2009). Why Customers Stay: An
Analysis of Service Qualityand Switching Cost on Choice
Behavior by Catastrophe Model. International Journal of
Services Operations and Informatics, 107-122.
Saha, C. G., & Theingi. (2009). Service quality, satisfaction,
and behavioral intentions: A study of low-cost airline carriers in
Thailand. Managerial Service Quality, 350-372.
Zeithamal, V., & Bitner, M. J. (2003). Services Marketing.
Integrating Customer Focus across the Firm, 86-92, 320-321.
Zeithaml, V. A., Bitner, M. J., & Gremler, D. D. (2009).
Services Marketing: Integrating Customer Focus Across the
Firm Across the Firm. Madison: McGraw-Hill.