'Pay-as-you-weigh' : a study exploring the attitudes of Maltese people towards an eventual implementation of a new flight tickets pricing system

Abstract

This research project investigates the attitudinal and purchasing behaviour changes amongst Maltese residents towards an eventual implementation of the innovative Payas- you-way pricing regime by the national airline 'Air Malta'. The new pricing model implies that flight ticket fares are to be formed solely by the sum total of a passanger's own weight plus their personal belongings' weight. As the nation is growing in size and the airline industry is fraught with financial difficulties, the author sought to find a possible solution for the country of Malta in order to cope with the two alarming trends - namely to encourage the nation to lose weight and improve their health and to help Air Malta regain financial stability. For the reason of reaching bigger amount of participants and opinions, the matter was explored through quantitative research analysis, where a specially designed questionnaire was used as an analysis tool. As the results of the study revealed, Maltese are rather unwilling to be charged according to their body weight when purchasing an airline ticket. However, the supporting Cost-Benefit analysis exposed that the adoption of the PAYW model would introduce certain benefits that should not be ignored. Finally, the dilemma of whether the pricing approach is worth considering for adoption is a matter of social responsibility and innovative way of thinking.