Examining a hybrid model for e-satisfaction and e-loyalty to e-ticketing on airline websites

In the air transportation industry, web-based marketing has already been widely applied to service frequent customers as well as to attract new ones. The importance of attracting new customers and keeping existing ones loyal to e-ticketing on airline websites is crucial. Accordingly, this study proposes an integrated model for evaluating the effectiveness of airlines' websites from a customer point of view. This model is based on the three perspectives of the marketing mix 4Ps, E-SERVQUAL and Expectancy Disconfirmation Theory. E-marketing and E-SERVQUAL features are divided into three dimensions, specifically information, system and service disconfirmations. The methodology was applied based on Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and was administered to online customers who carry out e-ticketing via an airline website. The results show that customer disconfirmations have a positive significant impact on overall customer e-satisfaction. The significance of this relationship was more considerable in the service dimension of e-marketing, as well as the system dimensions of E-SERVQUAL and e-marketing. Moreover, overall e-satisfaction was found to mediate the relationship between customer disconfirmations and consumer e-loyalty. (C) 2014 Published by Elsevier Ltd.