Drivers of airline loyalty: Evidence from the business travelers in China

•Business traveler loyalty is affected by Airline reputation and In-flight service.•Frequent flyer program, and modern aircraft fleet also affect Business traveler loyalty.•Price does not contribute to business traveler loyalty.•Attractive factors didn’t influence Repurchase Intension.•Business travelers repurchase is based on reputation and frequent flyer programme.

This paper examines the key factors that determine business traveler loyalty toward full-service airlines in China. Based on literature review and panel interview, ten airline attributes under three categories were derived: (a) operational factors: safety, punctuality, and aircraft; (b) competitive factors: frequency of flights, schedule, frequent flyer program, ticket price, and reputation; and (c) attractive factors: in flight food & drinks and in flight staff service. We surveyed 2000 Chinese business travelers on domestic flights, obtaining 462 usable questionnaires. Hierarchical regression analysis reveals that reputation, in-flight service, frequent flyer program, and aircraft have the greatest influence in driving airline loyalty.