Competitive Differentiation in Airlines’ Mobile Applications with the Assistance of Eye-Tracking Research

In a highly competitive environment, airline companies need to differentiate their marketing strategy and delivery of their services in order to acquire a bigger market share. The current study attempts to provide a user engagement optimization scenario based on big data gathered from four world-leading airlines. Those data were analyzed statistically and used for the creation of a Fuzzy Cognitive Map. The results were backed up by an eye-tracking study based on the mobile apps of those airline companies. To achieve competitive differentiation, the research suggests that airlines build mobile applications with clear guidance on how to purchase a ticket, as well as invest in social media marketing.