Publications

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July 2006
Case

Boeing's e-Enabled Advantage

By: Lynda M. Applegate, Joseph S. Valacich, Mara Vatz and Christoph Schneider

Examines Boeing's new strategy of offering services to regain market dominance and help its struggling airline customers improve efficiency and profitability. View Details

Keywords: Air Transportation; Business Strategy; Marketing Strategy; Service Operations; Air Transportation Industry

2000
Other Unpublished Work

Fettered Flight: Globalization and the Airline Industry

By: Richard H. K. Vietor, Daniel Yergin and Peter C. Evans

Keywords: Air Transportation; Globalized Markets and Industries; Air Transportation Industry

December 1974 (Revised February 1985)
Case

Southwest Airlines, a small intrastate carrier serving Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, begins service in 1971 in the face of competition by two larger, entrenched airlines. Improved quality service, lower prices, and innovative advertising and promotional strategy... View Details

Keywords: Competition; Marketing Strategy; Air Transportation; Air Transportation Industry; Texas

25 Aug 2022
News

Ready for Departure

As millions of passengers return to the skies for long-delayed plans, they’ll be returning to an airport that’s likely a little different. The lockdowns of 2020 hit aviation harder than almost any other industry. Airports, as a subsector, lost 98 percent of their... View Details

Keywords: Jen McFarland Flint; illustrations by Chris Gash; Air Transportation; Air Transportation

01 Jun 2014
News

Ready for Takeoff

previous World Cup and Olympic hosts. But the country's lack of transportation alternatives—particularly a useful rail system—has also put an extraordinarily heavy burden on the airlines to move fans to disparate match sites. "I don't... View Details

Keywords: Dan Morrell; Air Transportation; Air Transportation

July 1984 (Revised April 1997)
Case

British Airways

By: John A. Quelch

British Airways (BA) has recently introduced a global advertising campaign. The development of the campaign and its implementation are discussed. BA and advertising agency executives must renew the campaign and resolve issues pertaining to its future direction. View Details

Keywords: Air Transportation; Globalization; Advertising Campaigns; Air Transportation Industry; England

June 1975
Case

Marsh & McLennan (B)

Presents the results of a computer simulation of aircraft hull insurance. Discussion will focus on the interpretation of the results described. Designed to be handed out in class. Rewrite of an earlier supplement by P. Vatter. View Details

Keywords: Air Transportation; Insurance; Air Transportation Industry; Air Transportation Industry

Praised by his employees at American, Smith led the passenger transport revolution in the airline industry. Under Smith’s guidance, American became the first airline to use the popular DC-3 planes in 1936, allowing the carrier to turn its... View Details

Keywords: Transportation

March 2024 (Revised February 2025)
Case

Doing Business in Buenos Aires, Argentina

By: Joseph B. Fuller, Alan D. MacCormack, Nori Gerardo Lietz, Leonard A. Schlesinger, Karina Souza and Zeke Gillman

This case examines the challenges and opportunities of doing business in Argentina. It highlights Argentina's economic and political transformation in the decades leading up to 2024. The case gives an overview of some of the main obstacles faced by businesses operating... View Details

Keywords: Business History; Business and Government Relations; Corporate Strategy; Transformation; Economy; Air Transportation; Air Transportation Industry; Transportation Industry; Argentina; Latin America; Buenos Aires

02 May 2016
News

Can Brian Shortsleeve Fix the MBTA’s Budget Woes?

The Boston Globe has a long feature on Brian Shortsleeve (MBA 2001), the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) new chief administrator. The piece notes Shortsleeve’s challenge: $5.5 billion in debt and a $7 billion... View Details

1983
Other Unpublished Work

Orbiting Space Observatory - HBS Analysis and Decision Case

By: J. Ronald Fox

Keywords: Decision Making; Air Transportation; Science; Air Transportation Industry; Air Transportation Industry

April 2000 (Revised December 2001)
Case

AirTex Aviation

By: Brian J. Hall and Carleen Madigan

Two young and inexperienced MBAs buy a virtually bankrupt company. They design a decentralized control system organized around profit centers. As a case in control systems, there is ample detail for a discussion of design issues, control of independent profit centers,... View Details

Keywords: Air Transportation; Management Systems; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Air Transportation Industry

October 1982
Supplement

Southwest Airlines: Interview with Lamar Muse, January 1978, Video

Presents an interview, made shortly before Mr. Muse left the airline, concerning how he responded to the Braniff fare cut during the great Texas Air War in spring 1973. His pithy and direct comments are invariably very well received by class participants. Instructors... View Details

Keywords: Air Transportation; Marketing Communications; Crisis Management; Air Transportation Industry

September 2016 (Revised August 2018)
Supplement

United Airlines: More Out-and-Back Flying?: Case Supplement #1

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

This spreadsheet supplement accompanies 617-010 United Airlines: More Out-and-Back Flying? and is intended to provide students with an opportunity to apply analysis concepts with real operational data. View Details

Keywords: Service; Service Excellence; Service Management; Operating Systems; Operational Complexity; Operational Disruptions; Operational Efficiency; Operational Focus; Air Transportation; Operations; Service Operations; Service Delivery; Air Transportation Industry; United States

June 2002
Case

Tale of Two Airlines in the Network Age: Or Why the Spirit of King George III Is Alive and Well!

By: F. Warren McFarlan

Describes an airline service incident that ought not to have happened in the network age. Inadequate use of available technology creates service problems. A rewritten version of an earlier case. View Details

Keywords: Air Transportation; Information Management; Information Technology; Service Delivery; Problems and Challenges; Air Transportation Industry

April 1995
Case

USAir "Letters to Travelers" Campaign

By: Stephen A. Greyser and Norman Klein

Keywords: Advertising Campaigns; Air Transportation; Air Transportation Industry; Air Transportation Industry

Find at Harvard

May 2011
Supplement

TSA: An Overview

By: Michel Anteby

Video of Federal Security Director at Logan Airport and Deputy Assistant Federal Security Director discussing TSA operations. View Details

Keywords: Air Transportation; Operations; Safety; Business and Government Relations; Air Transportation Industry; Boston

June 2002
Case

Southwest Airlines in Baltimore

By: Rogelio Oliva, Jody Hoffer Gittell and David Lane

The number of connecting passengers through Southwest Airlines' Baltimore station has grown 100% CAGR since 1997. Originally designed as a point-to-point network, this load of connecting passengers has been stressing Baltimore ground operations, resulting in an erosion... View Details

Keywords: Strategy; Growth Management; Air Transportation; Service Operations; Air Transportation Industry; Maryland