Heterogeneity in passenger satisfaction with air-rail integration services: Results of a finite mixture partial least squares model

Yalong Yuan, Min Yang, Tao Feng, Soora Rasouli, Dawei Li and Xinpei Ruan

Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 2021, vol. 147, issue C, 133-158

Abstract: Air-rail integration services (ARIS) are a promising solution for intermodal travel, but they also offer challenges such as trip complexity and uncertainty that may negatively impact passenger satisfaction. This paper addresses the quality evaluation of ARIS with a twofold purpose, specifically, (1) to explore the causal relationships between the psychological and behavioral variables of passengers and (2) to identify different passenger groups for precise service improvements. The relationships among passenger expectations, perceived quality, perceived value, satisfaction, complaints and loyalty are hypothesized and analyzed by using a passenger satisfaction index (PSI) model based on a representative sample of 1,345 intermodal passengers at Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport (SJW). Next, a finite mixture partial least squares (FIMIX-PLS) technique is applied to explore the heterogeneity. The results suggest that perceived quality, perceived value and passenger expectations have a positive effect on passenger satisfaction, which, in turn, influences passenger loyalty and complaints. Moreover, three passenger segments are found, namely, “perceived value and expectation-oriented passengers”, “perceived quality-oriented passengers”, and “satisfied loyal-conscious passengers”. Interestingly, an overall similarity in the perceived quality among the three passenger segments is observed with the importance-performance map analysis (IPMA) method. Nevertheless, some noticeable differences in the psychological-behavioral relationships of the three passenger segments are identified. Finally, managerial implications are discussed.

Keywords: Air-rail integration services (ARIS); Intermodal passenger; Passenger satisfaction index (PSI); Finite mixture partial least squares (FIMIX-PLS); Importance-performance map analysis (IPMA) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965856421000586
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:transa:v:147:y:2021:i:c:p:133-158

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/supportfaq.cws_home/regional
https://shop.elsevie ... _01_ooc_1&version=01

DOI: 10.1016/j.tra.2021.03.003

Access Statistics for this article

Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice is currently edited by John (J.M.) Rose

More articles in Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().