Reconfiguring Aviation for a Climate-Safe Future : Are Airlines Sending the Wrong Message?
(2022) In Journal of Travel Research 61(6). p.1458-1473- Abstract
Aviation remains a problematic sector of the global economy in times of climate emergency. Grounded in the ideology of reconfiguration, we adopt a system transitions perspective to address high emissions leisure travel. Our focus falls on the marketing communications of airlines as a critical component in the prevailing sociotechnical regime. Thematic analysis of the e-mail marketing communications of selected airlines revealed three prominent tropes: adventure and discovery; privilege; and urgency. These communications bring air travel into the everyday lives of consumers and accelerate the turnover time of tourist consumption. Time is mobilized to create a sense of resource scarcity and urgency to consume, paradoxically in a situation... (More)
Aviation remains a problematic sector of the global economy in times of climate emergency. Grounded in the ideology of reconfiguration, we adopt a system transitions perspective to address high emissions leisure travel. Our focus falls on the marketing communications of airlines as a critical component in the prevailing sociotechnical regime. Thematic analysis of the e-mail marketing communications of selected airlines revealed three prominent tropes: adventure and discovery; privilege; and urgency. These communications bring air travel into the everyday lives of consumers and accelerate the turnover time of tourist consumption. Time is mobilized to create a sense of resource scarcity and urgency to consume, paradoxically in a situation characterized by oversupply. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a unique opportunity for structural reform of the airline industry. Component substitution to address airline marketing is required as an important step toward overcoming consumer moral disengagement and reconfiguring the airline industry.
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- author
- Higham, James ; Hanna, Paul ; Hopkins, Debbie ; Cohen, Scott ; Gössling, Stefan LU and Cocolas, Nicole
- organization
- publishing date
- 2022-07
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- aviation emissions, component substitution, marketing communications, moral disengagement, structural reform, sustainable consumption and production
- in
- Journal of Travel Research
- volume
- 61
- issue
- 6
- pages
- 16 pages
- publisher
- SAGE Publications
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85114486131
- ISSN
- 0047-2875
- DOI
- 10.1177/00472875211033648
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- e3786503-199e-45bd-a83b-ff736a0c8030
- date added to LUP
- 2022-12-29 14:41:26
- date last changed
- 2022-12-29 17:00:53
@article{e3786503-199e-45bd-a83b-ff736a0c8030,
abstract = {{<p>Aviation remains a problematic sector of the global economy in times of climate emergency. Grounded in the ideology of reconfiguration, we adopt a system transitions perspective to address high emissions leisure travel. Our focus falls on the marketing communications of airlines as a critical component in the prevailing sociotechnical regime. Thematic analysis of the e-mail marketing communications of selected airlines revealed three prominent tropes: adventure and discovery; privilege; and urgency. These communications bring air travel into the everyday lives of consumers and accelerate the turnover time of tourist consumption. Time is mobilized to create a sense of resource scarcity and urgency to consume, paradoxically in a situation characterized by oversupply. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a unique opportunity for structural reform of the airline industry. Component substitution to address airline marketing is required as an important step toward overcoming consumer moral disengagement and reconfiguring the airline industry.</p>}},
author = {{Higham, James and Hanna, Paul and Hopkins, Debbie and Cohen, Scott and Gössling, Stefan and Cocolas, Nicole}},
issn = {{0047-2875}},
keywords = {{aviation emissions; component substitution; marketing communications; moral disengagement; structural reform; sustainable consumption and production}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{6}},
pages = {{1458--1473}},
publisher = {{SAGE Publications}},
series = {{Journal of Travel Research}},
title = {{Reconfiguring Aviation for a Climate-Safe Future : Are Airlines Sending the Wrong Message?}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/00472875211033648}},
doi = {{10.1177/00472875211033648}},
volume = {{61}},
year = {{2022}},
}