Big Data Analytics on Aviation Social Media: The Case of China Southern Airlines on Sina Weibo

This study proposes a passenger value model based on a social media platform. Using the case of China Southern Airlines on Sina Weibo, this study illustrates how big social data analysis can help an airline company to understand better the passengers and improve customer relationship management. The objectives of this study are threefold: (1) developing a model of passengers' social media value, (2) discussing the possible application scenarios for the proposed model, (3) using sentiment analysis to study the case of China Southern Airlines on Sina Weibo, and illustrating Weibo users' attitudes toward China Southern Airlines. This study also discusses the practical implications for airlines to manage their social media platforms. With the combination of a passenger's social media value and passenger's other offline behavior information, we can establish a comprehensive profile for travelers.