Many governments actively encourage citizens to switch travel mode from private cars to public transport to alleviate urban traffic problems. Improving the service quality and travel satisfaction of public transport is widely recognized as a practical approach to reach this target. However, scholars have debated whether service quality and travel satisfaction are separate constructs. Some scholars consider them to be two different concepts, while others consider them to be the same concept. This literature needs to be reviewed and synthesized. Successfully differentiating between service quality and travel satisfaction will effectively inform marketing strategies. Therefore, this study employs a literature review approach to the review of current literature. The results indicate that (1) there is indeed measurement ambiguity between service quality and travel satisfaction in transport behavior research. (2) The measurement of travel satisfaction needs to be based on subjective well-being, which belongs to affective factors, while the assessment of service quality relies on cognitive dimensions. Finally, the results are discussed and summarized, and provide suggestions for future research. This paper can provide research references for travel mode choice behavior and provide research value for the application of service quality and travel satisfaction.
Acharya, S., Mekker, M., & Singleton, P. A. (2023). Validating the satisfaction with travel scale and measuring long-distance recreational travel satisfaction. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 95, 1-17.
Allen, J., Eboli, L., Forciniti, C., Mazzulla, G., & de Dios Ortúzar, J. (2019). The role of critical incidents and involvement in transit satisfaction and loyalty. Transport Policy, 75, 57-69.
Aydin, C. (2017). The idea of the Muslim world: A global intellectual history. Harvard University Press.
Bansal, H. S., & Taylor, S. (2014). Investigating the relationship between service quality, satisfaction and switching intentions. Proceedings of the 1997 Academy of Marketing Science (AMS) Annual Conference,
Bernardo, A. B., & Estrellado, A. F. (2017). Subjective well-being of Filipino women who experienced intimate partner violence: A person-centered analysis. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 39, 360-376.
Chatterjee, K., Chng, S., Clark, B., Davis, A., De Vos, J., Ettema, D., Handy, S., Martin, A., & Reardon, L. (2020). Commuting and wellbeing: a critical overview of the literature with implications for policy and future research. Transport Reviews, 40(1), 5-34.
Chen, Z., van Lierop, D., & Ettema, D. (2022). Travel satisfaction with dockless bike-sharing: Trip stages, attitudes and the built environment. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 106, 103280.
De Oña, J. (2020). The role of involvement with public transport in the relationship between service quality, satisfaction and behavioral intentions. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 142, 296-318.
De Oña, J. (2021). Understanding the mediator role of satisfaction in public transport: A cross-country analysis. Transport Policy, 100, 129-149.
De Oña, J., & De Oña, R. (2015). Quality of service in public transport based on customer satisfaction surveys: A review and assessment of methodological approaches. Transportation Science, 49(3), 605-622.
De Ona, J., de Oña, R., Eboli, L., Forciniti, C., & Mazzulla, G. (2016). Transit passengers’ behavioural intentions: the influence of service quality and customer satisfaction. Transportmetrica A: Transport Science, 12(5), 385-412.
De Oña, R., Estevez, E., Garach, L., Calvo, F., & De Oña, J. (2018). Transit quality evaluation: processes conducted by managers and operators. Transportation research procedia, 33, 28-34.
De Vos, J. (2019). Analysing the effect of trip satisfaction on satisfaction with the leisure activity at the destination of the trip, in relationship with life satisfaction. Transportation, 46, 623-645.
De Vos, J., Mokhtarian, P. L., Schwanen, T., Van Acker, V., & Witlox, F. (2016). Travel mode choice and travel satisfaction: bridging the gap between decision utility and experienced utility. Transportation, 43, 771-796.
De Vos, J., Schwanen, T., Van Acker, V., & Witlox, F. (2015). How satisfying is the Scale for Travel Satisfaction? Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 29, 121-130.
De Vos, J., & Witlox, F. (2017). Travel satisfaction revisited. On the pivotal role of travel satisfaction in conceptualising a travel behaviour process. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 106, 364-373.
Di, X., & Liu, H. X. (2016). Boundedly rational route choice behavior: A review of models and methodologies. Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, 85, 142-179.
Diener, E., Suh, E. M., Lucas, R. E., & Smith, H. L. (1999). Subjective well-being: Three decades of progress. Psychological bulletin, 125(2), 276.
Elkhani, N., Soltani, S., & Jamshidi, M. H. M. (2014). Examining a hybrid model for e-satisfaction and e-loyalty to e-ticketing on airline websites. Journal of Air Transport Management, 37, 36-44.
Ettema, D., Gärling, T., Eriksson, L., Friman, M., Olsson, L. E., & Fujii, S. (2011). Satisfaction with travel and subjective well-being: Development and test of a measurement tool. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 14(3), 167-175.
Friman, M., Fujii, S., Ettema, D., Gärling, T., & Olsson, L. E. (2013). Psychometric analysis of the satisfaction with travel scale. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 48, 132-145.
Fu, X., & Juan, Z. (2017). Understanding public transit use behavior: integration of the theory of planned behavior and the customer satisfaction theory. Transportation, 44(5), 1021-1042.
Glasgow, T. E., Geller, E. S., Le, H. T., & Hankey, S. (2018). Travel mood scale: Development and validation of a survey to measure mood during transportation. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 59, 318-329.
Irtema, H. I. M., Ismail, A., Borhan, M. N., Das, A. M., & Alshetwi, A. B. (2018). Case study of the behavioural intentions of public transportation passengers in Kuala Lumpur. Case studies on transport policy, 6(4), 462-474.
Kim, M. J., Lee, C.-K., & Preis, M. W. (2020). The impact of innovation and gratification on authentic experience, subjective well-being, and behavioral intention in tourism virtual reality: The moderating role of technology readiness. Telematics and Informatics, 49, 101349.
Li, Q., Li, Y., Li, K., Chen, L., Zheng, Q., & Chen, K. (2020). Study on the influence of subjective well-being on travel mode selection. Physics Letters A, 384(34), 126867.
Machado-León, J. L., de Oña, R., & de Oña, J. (2016). The role of involvement in regards to public transit riders' perceptions of the service. Transport Policy, 48, 34-44.
Mahmood, A., Rana, M. L. T., & Kanwal, S. (2018). Relationship between Service Quality, Customer Loyalty and Customer Satisfaction. Lahore Journal of Business, 6(2).
Miller, J. A. (1776). Exploring some alternative measures of consumer satisfaction. Marketing, 1976, 661-664.
Mogilner, C., Whillans, A., & Norton, M. I. (2018). Time, money, and subjective well-being. Handbook of well-being.
Moody, J., & Zhao, J. (2019). Car pride and its bidirectional relations with car ownership: Case studies in New York City and Houston. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 124, 334-353.
Morfoulaki, M., Tyrinopoulos, Y., & Aifadopoulou, G. (2007). Estimation of satisfied customers in public transport systems: a new methodological approach. Journal of the Transportation Research Forum,
Morris, E. A., Mondschein, A., & Blumenberg, E. (2018). Is bigger better? Metropolitan area population, access, activity participation, and subjective well-being [Article]. Journal of Transport and Land Use, 11(1), 153-179. https://doi.org/10.5198/jtlu.2018.934
Nautwima, J. P., & Asa, A. R. (2022). The impact of quality service on customer satisfaction in the banking sector amidst Covid-19 pandemic: A literature review for the state of current knowledge. International Journal of Management Science and Business Administration, 8(3), 31-38.
Oliver, R. (2010). Satisfaction: A Behavioral Perspective on the Consumer . Armonk, New York: ME Sharpe. In: Inc.
Oliver, R. L. (1981). Measurement and evaluation of satisfaction processes in retail settings. Journal of Retailing.
Oliver, R. L. (2014). Satisfaction: A behavioral perspective on the consumer: A behavioral perspective on the consumer. Routledge.
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. (1988). SERVQUAL: A multiple-item scale for measuring consumer perceptions of service quality. 1988, 64(1), 12-40.
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1985). A conceptual model of service quality and its implications for future research. Journal of marketing, 49(4), 41-50.
Rahman, S. A., Didarul Alam, M. M., & Taghizadeh, S. K. (2020). Do mobile financial services ensure the subjective well-being of micro-entrepreneurs? An investigation applying UTAUT2 model. Information Technology for Development, 26(2), 421-444.
Sajjad, A., Asmi, F., Chu, J., & Anwar, M. A. (2020). Environmental concerns and switching toward electric vehicles: geographic and institutional perspectives. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 27, 39774-39785.
Schwanen, T., & Wang, D. (2014). Well-being, context, and everyday activities in space and time. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 104(4), 833-851.
Sebhatu, S. P. (2010). Corporate social responsibility for sustainable service dominant logic Karlstads universitet].
Singleton, P. A. (2013). A theory of travel decision-making with applications for modeling active travel demand Portland State University].
Singleton, P. A. (2019a). Validating the Satisfaction with Travel Scale as a measure of hedonic subjective well-being for commuting in a US city. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 60, 399-414.
Singleton, P. A. (2019b). Walking (and cycling) to well-being: Modal and other determinants of subjective well-being during the commute. Travel Behaviour and Society, 16, 249-261.
Smith, O. (2017). Commute well-being differences by mode: Evidence from Portland, Oregon, USA. Journal of Transport & Health, 4, 246-254.
Su, L., Swanson, S. R., & Chen, X. (2016). The effects of perceived service quality on repurchase intentions and subjective well-being of Chinese tourists: The mediating role of relationship quality. Tourism Management, 52, 82-95.
Sukhov, A., Lättman, K., Olsson, L. E., Friman, M., & Fujii, S. (2021). Assessing travel satisfaction in public transport: A configurational approach. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 93, 102732.
Van Lierop, D., & El-Geneidy, A. (2016). Enjoying loyalty: The relationship between service quality, customer satisfaction, and behavioral intentions in public transit. Research in Transportation Economics, 59, 50-59.
Wang, Y., & Gao, Y. (2022). Travel satisfaction and travel well-being: Which is more related to travel choice behaviour in the post COVID-19 pandemic? Evidence from public transport travellers in Xi’an, China. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 166, 218-233.
Ye, R., & Titheridge, H. (2017). Satisfaction with the commute: The role of travel mode choice, built environment and attitudes. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 52, 535-547.
