An Investigation of in Flight Service Quality of Chinese Carriers in Australia-China Market

Provision of high quality service in a competitive environment is a core competitive advantage for airline’s profitability and sustainable growth. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the in-flight service quality of major Chinese airlines including Air China, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, and Sichuan Airlines operating between Australia and China. Surveys were distributed to passengers at Melbourne airport. The results show that there are no significant differences between the in-flight service quality of these four carriers. Lower air fare remains the most significant factor influencing passengers’ airline preferences. The findings suggest that airlines should consider improving service quality to gain competitive advantages rather than providing cheaper air tickets