We partnered with a leading U.S. airline to redefine the airport experience for the 2027 launch. I led market research, rapid ideation, and prototyping to create solutions that merge human empathy with digital efficiency, providing passengers with reassurance and control when they need it most.


All proposals follow a de-branded design system per agreement.

Duration

10 Weeks

Collaborators

Eva Ford

Ramya Ramaswamy

Lauren Harrington

01

The Problem

Flight delays and cancellations are a nightmare for travelers, leaving travelers stranded with no choice but to wait in long lines for rebooking and accommodations.

This happened to Michelle—her family was ready to head home, but their flight was suddenly canceled.

With no clear alternatives, Michelle did what everyone else did—stood in line for hours to speak with a Customer Service Agent (CSA).

We saw this happen repeatedly in our research. Passengers like Michelle:

  • Feel powerless and stranded when cancellations happen

  • Don’t know what to expect next, leading to frustration

  • Can only rely on airline staff, further straining an inefficient system

01

The Problem

Flight delays and cancellations are a nightmare for travelers, leaving travelers stranded with no choice but to wait in long lines for rebooking and accommodations.

This happened to Michelle—her family was ready to head home, but their flight was suddenly canceled.

With no clear alternatives, Michelle did what everyone else did—stood in line for hours to speak with a Customer Service Agent (CSA).

We saw this happen repeatedly in our research. Passengers like Michelle:

  • Feel powerless and stranded when cancellations happen

  • Don’t know what to expect next, leading to frustration

  • Can only rely on airline staff, further straining an inefficient system

02

The Client Brief

Our client challenged us to reduce CSA workload (99 tasks per flight) during irregular operations (IROPs—delays and cancellations) while maintaining their award-winning customer service as they scale.

📌 The Challenge:
How might we deliver self-service capabilities on travel day to help passengers resolve issues efficiently and feel back in control?
03

Discover

To understand how passengers experience flight disruptions, we conducted:

  • 14 interviews with passengers & airline staff near the airport gates

  • Live observations at airport terminals to track behavioral patterns

  • Benchmarking of competitor services (details blurred due to NDA)

04

Brainstorm

Guided by our principles and Michelle’s challenges, I initiated a series of Crazy 8s brainstorming sessions to rapidly generate speculative concepts

Initially, our leading concept is a chat-based assistant to reduce CSA workload, but research showed passengers avoided chatbots when stressed. This led us to rethink automation as a proactive guidance system rather than a replacement for CSAs.

After iteration, we refined 3 concepts and presented prototypes, with the client approving Virtual Accommodation Hub & Flight Day Mode to enhance passenger autonomy while maintaining human support.

05

Test & Iteration

With client alignment, we built high-fidelity prototypes and conducted usability testing with travelers to refine the experience.

We learned the below issues with our current design:

Unclear Info Hierarchy

Users weren’t sure what information to prioritize.

Confusing Button Labels

“Manage” & “Accommodation” were often ignored.

Too Many Steps for Vouchers

Users found the form unnecessarily long.

With these actionables, we refined our prototype into the final deliverable—Reroute Ready. The client praised it as a high-impact solution addressing major pain points while shaping the future service model for airlines.

06

The Solution

We arrived at a refined concept that synthesizes our research and goals — a digital-first solution that guides passengers through airport navigation and simplifies hotel & meal voucher requests during IROPs.

Virtual Accommodation Hub lets passengers instantly request hotel & meal vouchers or manage rebooking via the mobile app, easing stress and reducing CSA workload.

Seamless Request Process

No more waiting in line! Travelers can manage flights and request accommodations instantly on the app with auto-filled details.

All-in-One Voucher Hub

After approval, travelers instantly access hotel reservations and shuttle details—all in one place, with easy in-app management.

Paired with Enhanced Flight Day Mode, offering location-based travel guides, helping passengers with travel planning, TSA wait times, and in-airport navigation—reducing the need for staff assistance.

Smooth Travel Day Aid

Real-time flight insights and airport guidance help passengers stay ahead, navigate efficiently, and minimize last-minute stress.

07

Design Impact

With Reroute Ready…

✔️ Passengers Regain Control

Cutting down the typical 2-3 hour CSA wait and email-based accommodation process to just 15 minutes.

✔️ CSAs Focus on Urgent Needs

Reducing workload by ~20 tasks per flight, streamlining operations with digital assistance.

✔️ Airlines Improve Efficiency

Minimizing costly escalations while ensuring smoother, faster disruption management.

08

Key Learning

Spontaneous Interviews Matter

In-the-moment conversations with travelers gave us richer insights than structured research.

Design Systems Strengthen Clarity

Applying a structured UI system helped standardize information hierarchy and improve usability.

A Fresh Eye Mindset Prevents Over-Engineering

Taking a step back at key moments kept us from overcomplicating the user flow.

Appreciate the Scroll

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