Beyond Brand Ranking: A Sentiment Analysis and Topic Modeling Approach to Measuring Customer Experience in the Airline Industry

Abstract

The present study aims to evaluate how brand performance is reflected in customer perceptions by analyzing airline passenger reviews. In order to measure customer satisfaction and service quality, sentiment analysis and topic modelling techniques were employed. A comprehensive analysis of online reviews from five major airline companies was conducted to identify sentiment distributions, with a focus on the most frequently complained about and praised service aspects. The findings indicate that American Airlines and United Airlines received substantial negative feedback, particularly regarding ticketing, reservations and flight experiences. In contrast, Lufthansa and Emirates demonstrated a more balanced sentiment distribution, especially in terms of seat and cabin comfort. It is worthy of note that Delta Airlines received a comparatively higher proportion of positive feedback with regard to flight experience and service quality. The present study makes a contribution to the improvement of service quality by means of analyzing customer feedback and thereby supports strategic decision-making by ensuring that airline services are aligned with passenger expectations. Moreover, it emphasizes the significance of incorporating natural language processing and machine learning-based analyses into marketing and brand management processes.