PASSENGERS’ CONFIDENCE IN AIRLINE SERVICE PRACTICES UNDER THE CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19) OUTBREAK SITUATION THAT AFFECTED BEHAVIORAL OPINIONS ON AIR TRAVELING

Abstract

              The objectives of this research were: 1) to study passengers’ confidence in the service practices of airlines under the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak situations, 2) to compare passengers' confidence in airlines' service practices under the circumstances of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak classified by demographic factors, and 3) to study the influence of passengers’ confidence in airline service practices on passengers’ opinions toward travel behavior under the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic situation. The population used in the research included Thai passengers traveling domestically by low cost airlines during the epidemic situation of coronavirus 2019. A sample of 385 participants was obtained using the convenience method sampling. This survey research used questionnaires as a tool. The statistics used in this research were descriptive statistics consisting of mean, frequency, percentage, and standard deviation; and inferential statistics consisting of comparison of mean, one-way ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis. The results of the research found that passengers had a high level of confidence in the airline service practices under the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak situation, with the highest level of in-flight service and the ground service at a high level, respectively. Different gender passengers had no statistically significant difference in the airline service practices under the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation at .05 level, while passengers with old age, education level, employment, monthly earning, traveling frequency, and different travel objectives had confidence in the service practices of airlines under the circumstances of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak with statistically significant different at .05 level. In addition, it was found that passengers’ confidence in the service practices of airlines which influenced passengers’ travel behavioral opinions under the situation of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak had a statistically significant level of .05.