A critical evaluation of the consumer buying behaviour of airline travelling University students and the affect airline service levels have on their decision making process: A case study of Cardiff, Wales

Abstract

The research project was created to gain a better understanding of the consumer behaviour of university students in the Welsh capital, Cardiff. The projects main aim was to analyse the consumer buying behaviour of University students when choosing an airline to travel with and whether the level of service provided by an airline affected the consumer behaviour of the university students. The methods of data collection included both secondary and primary resources. Secondary data in the literature review was sourced from previous texts written on the topic. Primary data was collected through qualitative and quantitative methods, including an online survey and face to face semi-structured interviews. The scope of the project covered a substantial number topics and issues within the area of consumer behaviour and touched on areas such as consumer motivations, expectations, loyalty and the consumer buying decision process. The importance of service levels was discussed thoroughly and the research question was answered. A simple consumer buying decision model was created through utilising information gathered from the most dominant trends throughout the online survey and interviews. Overall, the conclusion was that service levels are highly desired by the student population of Cardiff,, but that price was the most dominant factor to students when choosing an airline to purchase their flight from. Through examining the buying decision process it was also found that most students today book their flight independently online, without the use of any intermediaries.