ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the consumerism movement and its implications for regulation and management. It deals with regulating to protect passengers, and examines the scope of passenger protection and its treatment in the US and the EU. The chapter discusses passenger complaints, including statistical evidence and published research into causes and consequences of passenger dissatisfaction. It examines how best to deal with dissatisfied passengers – how to manage complaints and how to turn a dissatisfied passenger into a customer who has a long-term commitment to the brand. The chapter explains the key features of their regulatory regimes and relates some of their experiences. It also examines the relationship between competition policy and consumer protection, and traces the rise of consumerism as a social movement and its consequences for public policy and management. Finally, the chapter concludes and makes suggestions for further research.
