Strategic Management: Airline Industry

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3. Compare and contrast the business models of the network and budget arlines. What are the strengths and weaknesses of each model. A hub-and-spoke network connects passengers from many originating cities to many destination cities by means of a central "hub" airport. Hub-and-spoke networks enable carriers to supply transport services to many combinations of origins and destinations at high frequencies and low costs. The hub-and-spoke network has many operational advantages. First, it exhibits economies of scope. That is the number of city-pairs served through the hub increases disproportionately with the number of spoke cities served from the hub. This increases aircraft load factors because each aircraft now carries passengers flying between many. different cities. There are a number of advantages to having airport dominance on a particular route. The first is that airport dominance enables a carrier to attract more passengers and raise fares on routes out of that airport because it has a “competitive advantage on routes that include that airport”. These competitive advantages arise in two forms. First are those that occur naturally and second are those that result from programs instituted by particular airlines. For example, competitive advantage of airport dominance that occurs naturally is the ability to attract more passengers because it offers the most flights to and from a city. On the other hand, competitive advantage that occurs through programs includes frequent-flyer programs and reward systems for travel agents that pay bonuses when the agent books more flights in favor of one carrier versus another16. In addition, anairline that dominates a crowded airport may prevent competition by attaining gates and other physical resources that other airlines need to be competitive. If numerous factors put a potential entrant at a disadvantage, the carrier may

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