A latent class approach to estimate air travelers’ propensity toward connecting itineraries

Travelers’ choices have been widely studied, and insights have been established on the values associated with different itinerary attributes. This paper extends the current literature by including a novel determinant of air travelers’ behavior—that is, the extent to which a connecting itinerary is marketed and handled by an operating carrier. By relying on a stated preference survey, we collect passengers’ preferences and analyze them by means of a latent class choice model accounting for both service-related and individual characteristics. Individual characteristics comprise attitudes derived from a factor analysis performed on attitudinal responses toward travel, namely anxiety and timeliness and quality. The results reveal that individuals who care more about timeliness and quality are less sensitive to price, more sensitive to time, and more likely to opt for a nonstop alternative. Additionally, the value assigned to handled connections is considerable (higher for anxious travelers).