Investigating Air Passengers' Acceptance Level of Unruly In-Flight Behavior

Abstract

Service quality is an important issue for airlines. However, incidents of unruly passenger behavior (UPB) are increasing. Such incidents may have a negative impact on passengers' evaluation of the overall service quality of an airline, making the maintenance of airline standards difficult. This study investigates the relationship between acceptability of in-flight UPBs and traveler profile. Results show that aggression and violence are the most unacceptable forms of UPB. Educational and cultural background, purpose of travel, travel frequency, and flight duration are the main factors influencing participants' acceptance of UPB. This study provides information on the acceptability of different forms of UPB and the impact of different passenger characteristics. The study closes with the recommendations to airlines for dealing with UPB.