Quality assessment of airline baggage handling systems using SERVQUAL and BWM

The baggage handling system is a crucial part of ground handling operations, which significantly contributes to the overall satisfaction of passengers. Although several studies have investigated airline service quality, little attention has been paid to this crucial part of the system. This study proposes the SERVQUAL model to assess the perceived quality of service for the baggage handling system. A literature review provides a list of criteria per dimension of the SERVQUAL model. The best worst method (BWM) is used to calculate the weights of the criteria. The data for the BWM are collected via a sample of passengers from different nationalities. It is found that 'reliability' is perceived as the most important dimension followed by 'responsiveness'. The 'assurance' criterion is third closely followed by 'tangibles' and lastly 'empathy'. A cluster analysis further sheds light on how passengers might have different service quality priorities. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.