Publications

Ever felt the "taxes" on air travel are unduly high? In other travel contexts (most notably, rental cars), genuine government-imposed taxes often approach or even exceed the amount payable to service providers. But when airlines quote fares, they sometimes include... View Details

June 1991 (Revised September 1996)
Case

Human Resource Management at American Airlines

American Airlines' strategy calls for continued growth, improvements in customer service, and cost reduction. This case examines the Human Resource Management system at American Airlines and its role in the airline's past and continued success. May be used with... View Details

Keywords: Air Transportation; Management Systems; Human Resources; Business Strategy; Air Transportation Industry; United States

September 2010 (Revised December 2011)
Case

Southwest Airlines One ReportTM

By: Robert G. Eccles, Beiting Cheng and Susan Thyne

In 2009, Southwest Airlines produced its first integrated annual report, the Southwest Airlines One Report, combing financial and nonfinancial performance information. This case examines Southwest's environmental and corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports... View Details

Keywords: Environmental Accounting; Financial Reporting; Integrated Corporate Reporting; Innovation and Invention; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Environmental Sustainability; Air Transportation Industry; United States

March 2008 (Revised August 2023)
Case

Vueling Airlines

By: Paul A. Gompers and Kristin A. Perry

Keywords: Air Transportation Industry

September 2001 (Revised August 2004)
Case

Rapid Rewards at Southwest Airlines

By: Frances X. Frei and Corey B. Hajim

Southwest Airlines is well known as the low-fare airline that has achieved ongoing financial success in one of the most financially troubled industries in the United States. Told from the perspectives of two Southwest customers--a frequent flier and a more typical... View Details

Keywords: Customer Relationship Management; Air Transportation; Service Operations; Service Delivery; Air Transportation Industry

March 2010
Background Note

Airline Travel in the U.S.

By: Sunil Gupta and Kavita Shukla

How should airlines respond to the rising share of Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) as consumers increasingly search the web to buy tickets? View Details

Keywords: Management; Marketing Channels; Consumer Behavior; Market Participation; Agency Theory; Online Technology; Aerospace Industry; United States

November 2016
Supplement

United Airlines Operations

By: Ryan W. Buell, Willy C. Shih and Michael W. Toffel

This video is a collection of clips that highlight aspects of United Airlines' operations View Details

Keywords: Service; Service Delivery; Service Management; Service Operations; Service Quality; Operating Systems; Operational Complexity; Operational Disruptions; Operational Effectiveness; Operational Efficiency; Air Transportation; Operations; Air Transportation Industry

October 1986 (Revised March 1989)
Case

Singapore Airlines (A)

New competition has led to doubts about Singapore Airlines' excellent reputation for in-flight services. The key to maintaining or improving service is the attitude and proficiency of the cabin crews. The company now discovers that there may be problems in this group.... View Details

Keywords: Quality; Service Operations; Employees; Air Transportation Industry; Singapore

March 1984
Case

United Airlines (Condensed)

November 1984
Supplement

American Airlines (C)

By: Richard H.K. Vietor

Keywords: Air Transportation Industry

October 1984 (Revised June 1986)
Case

Continental Airlines (A)

Research Summary

Airline Schedule Disruptions

Increasing congestion and frequent schedule disruptions throughout the National Air Transportation System, both at airports and en route, have led to significant flight and passenger delays. Professor Fearing's primary research focus is on measuring and reducing... View Details

Keywords: Performance Measurement; Air Transportation; Traffic Flow Management; Air Transportation Industry

April 2003 (Revised May 2003)
Case

Valuation Ratios in the Airline Industry

By: Paul M. Healy, Krishna G. Palepu and Jonathan Barnett

Four firms in the airline industry illustrate the underlying differences in valuation multiples (price-earnings and price-to-book). View Details

Keywords: Valuation; Activity Based Costing and Management; Accounting Audits; Air Transportation Industry

July 1989
Case

NWA, Inc. - Northwest Airlines Revenue Management

Northwest Airlines is evaluating improvements to its revenue management system. This system executes a program of economic price discrimination under which the airline attempts to control the conditions on its discount fare offerings. Students must evaluate the effect... View Details

Keywords: Asset Management; Air Transportation; Management Systems; Corporate Finance; Air Transportation Industry; United States

October 1986
Supplement

Singapore Airlines (B)

Supplement the (A) case. This is a rewritten version of an earlier supplement by D.D. Wyckoff. View Details

November 1984
Supplement

American Airlines (B)

By: Richard H.K. Vietor

Keywords: Air Transportation Industry

January 2006 (Revised July 2016)
Case

Gordon Bethune at Continental Airlines

By: Nitin Nohria, Anthony Mayo and Mark Benson

A $385 million loss for the final months of fiscal year 1994 signaled Continental might go bankrupt. Could new CEO Gordon Bethune turn Continental around? Continental was in dire straits because the deregulation of the commercial airline industry in 1978 ushered in a... View Details

Keywords: Transformation; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Profit; Leading Change; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Performance Improvement; Labor and Management Relations; Air Transportation Industry