“Connection Service” Launched by Airline Industry: Amazing Networks
Title of the article: Star Alliance airline network working with United Airlines to launch ‘Connection Service’
My title: “Connection Service” Launched by Airline Industry: Amazing Networks
Summary: The article introduced a new service called “connection service” that assists passengers who takes Star Alliances flights and arrives at Chicago O’Hare Airport with a connection to the next Star Alliances flights. The service is already launched at O’Hare Airport. The function will be especially useful for passengers who have a tight connection at the airport, and thus this service enables them to obtain a first-hand personal assistance they need in order to make it to the next flight on time. Not only do passengers themselves get assistance, but their checked baggage, which are usually more than one for whom they are having connections at O’Hare Airport, are able to get a quick delivery to the next connecting flight. In the next paragraphs, I will elaborate how to explain this latest airline service in regard to the content of the course INFO2040: Networks.
First, the fundamental principle “Triadic Closure” which indicates that the tendency of B and C will form when A connects to both B and C. Here, A is Star Alliance, including the major carrier United Airlines as well as any other member airlines which have flights to O’Hare Airport. B is the group of passengers who take Star Alliances flights and have a connection at O’Hare. C is the ground staff (or general, the airport as a whole) at O’Hare Airport. B receives the personal assistance from A, while A communicates with B, which includes staff at passport control and security check to provide the fastest service to B. Indeed, according to the news article, A is in fact has a strong tie with B because it should offer the most convenient, efficient and personalized service (connection service) to their royal passengers. Speaking in another way, based on another principle “Strong Triadic Closure Property”, if A has strong ties to B and C, then B and C are mostly like to have an edge. A is partnered with B since B controls the orders in O’Hare. That’s why B will have a fast service provided for A’s royal passengers when they have connection at the airport.
Besides, the Structural Balanced Theory states that if all A, B, C are friends, the triangle is balanced. So since A,B,C are partnerships, their network triangle is balanced.