ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with highlights of some broad customer behavior trends and follows that with their implications to the airline industry. It discusses the economic stresses felt by the consumers and the ramifications of these stresses on the airline industry. In the early years of commercial aviation, the "golden age" of air travel, real pilots ran the airline industry, bringing the romance of flight to the select group of passengers who could afford to fly. Macroeconomic factors weigh heavily on passengers' experience with airlines. Passengers can buy in different ways and in different places reducing airline revenues. The key for airline managements is to focus on aligning customer and business trends with the skills and capabilities of their businesses. The pace and impact of technology change seems to have had an impact on the demand for air travel in both directions.
