Exploring the green image of airlines: Passenger perceptions and airline choice

• We show how the eco-friendliness of different airlines is perceived by passengers.
• The perceived eco-friendliness appears mostly related to perceived service quality.
• Eco-friendliness has a limited influence on airline choice when booking the flight.
• Willingness to pay more for a green image is lower than WTP for extra legroom.

During the last few years there has been an increasing trend for companies to market their products or services as green or environmentally friendly as part of their corporate social responsibility. Few studies have analyzed the effects of this recent focus on the environment and its impact on airline passengers. Therefore, we examine passengers' general attitudes towards the green image of different airlines, perceived differences in eco-friendliness among these airlines, and effects on airline choice during booking. We also investigate how passengers' recent experiences with an airline affect perceived eco-friendliness of that airline. In addition we compare passenger ratings of airline eco-friendliness to those published by independent 3rd parties. Our findings show that the green image of airlines does influence airline choice during booking. We observed a passenger willingness to pay extra for a green image, however, not as much as their willingness to pay extra for amenities, such as additional legroom.