A Usability Evaluation of Airline Websites in Northern Europe : a Comparative Study of Finnair, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, Norwegian Air Shuttle, and Icelandair Group
Niemi, Linda-Julia (2024)
Niemi, Linda-Julia
2024
All rights reserved. This publication is copyrighted. You may download, display and print it for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024070123935
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024070123935
Tiivistelmä
This comparative study evaluates the usability of four Northern European airline websites; Finnair, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, Norwegian Air Shuttle, and Icelandair Group, using Jakob Nielsen’s heuristic evaluation and usability heuristics. The aim is to detect issues in websites and compare findings using descriptive, comparative, and qualitative content analyses, supported by an expert evaluation. The study underscores the significance of usability, UX and CX in the airline industry where online ticket purchases rank as the third most common online transaction. Significant usability issues are identified across websites, with Finnair exhibiting the highest number of issues. Problematic areas include 'help and documentation' and 'user control and freedom'. Despite variations among websites, 'consistency and standards' and 'recognition rather than recall' show challenges across websites, suggesting the applicability of general usability guidelines. The study recommends usability evaluations integrated into the web development process and addressing major usability issues promptly to avoid negative impacts on sales revenue. It suggests that digital-first airline websites have fewer usability issues compared to older counterparts. Limitations such as the lack of experienced evaluators and the small number of evaluated websites, are acknowledged. Overall, this study contributes to the usability evaluation in e-commerce in the context of airline websites, and emphasizes the importance of prioritizing user experience to remain competitive in the digital landscape.