Pet transportation by air: a study of customer experiences and expectations using AVIH services
Wala-Bruin, Kati (2023)
Wala-Bruin, Kati
2023
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2023052413920
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2023052413920
Tiivistelmä
This research thesis aims to explore the experiences, concerns and expectations of pet owners who use AVIH services to transport their animal(s) by air in order to identify areas of service improvement and provide specific recommendations to airlines that offer AVIH services. The subject of this thesis is inspired by the author’s own travel experiences as a dog owner, dog breeder and dog sport participant as well as her background in the airline industry. The author’s personal links within the dog sport community and membership in various dog sports associations further helped to guide and conduct the research.
The underlying approach to this thesis is based on the theoretical frameworks which position pets in the role of co-consumer when purchasing and consuming products and services. The effect of the co-consumer role of pets is to create a very strong correlation between the customer’s experience with the pet’s experience, as perceived or interpreted by the customer.
The literature review for this study included IATA, EU and Finnish regulations to understand all the relevant connections within the issue under study. Industry representatives were interviewed to become familiar with airline practices and procedures at Helsinki-Vantaa airport. Furthermore, customer experience and in particular the role of the pet owner as a customer were explored. The literature review also included the role of the pet as a co-customer in examining the customer journey.
The research for this study was conducted during the timeframe of January to May 2023 and used mixed research methods to gather primary data from pet owners who use Helsinki airport as their departure or arrival point when travelling by air with their pets. An online questionnaire was used to survey pet owners about their past experiences with AVIH as well as their plans and expectations for their next planned international journey with their pets. Based on the questionnaire results, the author selected a small number of respondents to conduct semi-structured interviews with them to elicit more detailed information.
The results of the research show that there is a deficiency in the information provided by airlines about the AVIH service. This deficiency matches a corresponding demand by AVIH customers for more information, along with a willingness to pay for a better level of service. Specifically, the research shows that there is a demand to know more about the animal’s experience once it is handed over to the airline, as well as a desire to be kept informed as the animal passes through different stages of its journey while separated from its owner. This thesis encourages airlines offering AVIH services to adopt a more human-centric service philosophy and presents a number of practical recommendations for improvements to the service.
The underlying approach to this thesis is based on the theoretical frameworks which position pets in the role of co-consumer when purchasing and consuming products and services. The effect of the co-consumer role of pets is to create a very strong correlation between the customer’s experience with the pet’s experience, as perceived or interpreted by the customer.
The literature review for this study included IATA, EU and Finnish regulations to understand all the relevant connections within the issue under study. Industry representatives were interviewed to become familiar with airline practices and procedures at Helsinki-Vantaa airport. Furthermore, customer experience and in particular the role of the pet owner as a customer were explored. The literature review also included the role of the pet as a co-customer in examining the customer journey.
The research for this study was conducted during the timeframe of January to May 2023 and used mixed research methods to gather primary data from pet owners who use Helsinki airport as their departure or arrival point when travelling by air with their pets. An online questionnaire was used to survey pet owners about their past experiences with AVIH as well as their plans and expectations for their next planned international journey with their pets. Based on the questionnaire results, the author selected a small number of respondents to conduct semi-structured interviews with them to elicit more detailed information.
The results of the research show that there is a deficiency in the information provided by airlines about the AVIH service. This deficiency matches a corresponding demand by AVIH customers for more information, along with a willingness to pay for a better level of service. Specifically, the research shows that there is a demand to know more about the animal’s experience once it is handed over to the airline, as well as a desire to be kept informed as the animal passes through different stages of its journey while separated from its owner. This thesis encourages airlines offering AVIH services to adopt a more human-centric service philosophy and presents a number of practical recommendations for improvements to the service.