The Diggintravel Podcast

Episoade

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  How Airlines Become Data Driven: Connecting The Dots 30.07.2026 25min

  In the third episode of the How Airlines Become Data Driven series, we move from measurement to analysis and explore one of the most valuable habits I've developed during five years of consulting with airline ecommerce and digital marketing teams. Rather than starting with individual reports, campaigns, or marketing channels, I explain why airline teams should first consolidate their data, build a joined view of performance, and analyse it from the top down. This simple six-step framework has become the foundation of almost every airline analytics and reporting project I've worked on. In this episode, we talk about: Why airline data often lives in disconnected systems A practical six-step framework for airline marketing analytics How to consolidate backend bookings, web analytics, search demand, and marketing data into one joined view Why top-down analysis helps avoid paralysis by analysis How to build high-level airline performance dashboards Why breaking trends down into meaningful segments leads to better insights How external data sources, such as airline seat capacity, provide critical market and competitive context Why connecting the right datasets is the foundation for better business decisions This episode is accompanied by a comprehensive companion article featuring 10 real-world reporting examples, dashboards, charts, and visualizations from airline consulting projects. The article expands on the framework discussed in the podcast and demonstrates how it can be applied to bookings, web traffic, flight searches, Google Ads, campaign segmentation, market analysis, airline capacity data, competitor benchmarking, and more. Whether you're building weekly performance reports, evaluating marketing campaigns, or trying to create a more data-driven airline organization, the principles are the same: start with the big picture, connect your data, and only then drill into the details that matter. RESOURCES: Read the companion article with 10 practical airline analytics examples, reporting dashboards, charts, and key takeaways from this episode: https://diggintravel.com/airline-data-connecting-the-dots/
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  How Airlines Become Data Driven: Why Airline Digital Tracking Is Never Perfect 26.06.2026 30min

  In the second episode of the How Airlines Become Data Driven series, we move from the big picture to the first practical step of building a more data-driven airline ecommerce and digital marketing team. In my experience, every airline analytics project starts in the same place: understanding how accurate your digital data really is. Before optimizing campaigns, running experiments, evaluating the impact of digital spend, or making strategic marketing decisions, you need to know whether you can trust the data you're looking at. Drawing on five years of hands-on consulting with airline ecommerce and digital marketing teams, I explain why measuring data accuracy and tracking discrepancies between digital analytics platforms and backend systems should become one of the first habits every airline digital team builds. In this episode, we talk about: Why data accuracy is the foundation of every analytics and optimization project Why many airline teams don't know how accurate their digital analytics data really is How digital measurement has changed with GA4, privacy regulations, consent management, browser restrictions, and server-side tracking Why there is no single "correct" analytics architecture for every airline Why measuring tracking discrepancy is more important than chasing perfect tracking Practical approaches to measuring discrepancies between GA4, server-side tracking, and backend systems Why regular discrepancy tracking should become one of the first habits every airline digital team builds How to investigate discrepancies by segmenting data across countries, devices, browsers, and customer groups A real-world example of identifying a major tracking issue following a GA3 to GA4 migration Whether you use GA4, Adobe Analytics, server-side tracking, or a custom analytics platform, the principles are the same: understand the limitations of your measurement, validate it against a trusted source of truth, and build confidence in your data before making important business decisions. RESOURCES: Full article with practical examples, charts, and key takeaways from this episode: https://diggintravel.com/why-airline-digital-tracking-is-never-perfect/
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  How Airlines Become Data Driven: What Five Years of Airline Consulting Taught Me About Data 11.06.2026 23min

  After a six-month break, the Diggintravel Podcast is back with the start of a new series: How Airlines Become Data Driven. Over the last five years, alongside hosting more than 70 conversations with airline leaders, digital executives, UX experts, and industry practitioners, I have also spent much of my time working directly with airline ecommerce and digital marketing teams. These projects ranged from helping airlines improve digital measurement and analytics foundations, to building joined views of marketing and ecommerce performance, to more advanced experimentation and data science initiatives designed to better understand what actually drives airline business results. In this first episode of the series, I share some of the biggest lessons and observations from those consulting engagements and explain why becoming data driven is often much harder than it looks. In this episode, we talk about: Why I decided to bring the Diggintravel Podcast back after a six-month break Why this series is a return to Diggintravel's roots in airline ecommerce, analytics, UX, and digital marketing The different types of airlines and digital teams I have worked with over the last five years Why airline size matters less than organizational maturity The three stages of becoming data driven: foundations, insights, and causation Why building a common view of the business is often more important than building another dashboard How constant change, shifting priorities, and organizational complexity make data-driven transformation difficult Why routines, habits, and shared understanding are critical ingredients of data-driven culture Why alignment across marketing, ecommerce, analytics, IT, UX, and leadership often matters more than technology This episode serves as an introduction to the broader How Airlines Become Data Driven series and lays the foundation for the topics we'll explore in future episodes, including measurement, analytics, experimentation, organizational learning, and AI-driven change. If you're involved in airline ecommerce, digital marketing, analytics, data science, or digital transformation, this episode provides a practical perspective on what it really takes to build a more data-driven organization.RESOURCES:Full article with highlights and key takeaways from this episode:https://diggintravel.com/how-airlines-become-data-driven/
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  Airline Generative Engine Optimization Explained: What Every Aviation Marketer Must Know 18.12.2025 51min

  This episode closes out the 2025 Diggintravel Podcast season with a deep dive into one of the topics that kept coming up in our Airline Leaders Series conversations: Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). After a year of interviews with airline CMOs, CDOs, and digital leaders in partnership with 815Labs, we wanted to switch gears and dig into a very specific subject that sits high on many airline agendas and that many of you asked us to explore in more detail. For this episode, I traveled to Budapest to sit down with David Minorics, Business Development Director at Mito Performance. Through Mito’s airline-focused branch 815Labs, David has worked on numerous airline digital marketing and SEO projects and is now leading GEO pilots and initiatives for airlines and other travel brands. In this episode, we talk about: What Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is and how it differs from traditional SEO Why GEO is about being recommended by AI, not just being found How AI-powered search synthesizes information and what query fan-out means in practice The key elements of the GEO playbook for airlines How airlines can benchmark GEO visibility and sentiment What GEO metrics and KPIs actually matter How airline marketing teams can start GEO pilot projects Early learnings from GEO pilots, including projects with airlines This episode is a practical, no-hype conversation about how AI-powered search is changing airline visibility, marketing, and digital strategy. David shares hands-on insights that make this a must-listen for airline marketers, digital teams, and anyone responsible for airline distribution and brand presence. RESOURCES:Full article with highlights and key takeaways from this episode:https://diggintravel.com/airline-generative-engine-optimization/
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  Airline Leaders Interview Series – Jason Ward [Azul Airlines] 05.11.2025 37min

  This is the fifth episode of our 2025 Airline Leaders Series, brought to you in partnership with 815Labs! For this episode, we traveled to Lisbon during the World Aviation Festival to meet with Jason Ward, Vice President of Marketing and People at Azul Airlines. In this episode, we talk about: How Jason’s journey across Morris Air, Southwest, JetBlue, TAP Portugal, and Azul shaped his people-first leadership style Why empathy and culture are the foundations of brand loyalty The OPA (Observe, Perceive, Attend) model and how it drives great service at Azul How technology and AI can enhance, not replace, the human touch Azul’s community-driven purpose and a breakdown of their special “O Céu do Brasil é Azul” (“The Sky of Brazil is Blue”) campaign Why curiosity and learning are still the most important skills for the future of airline leadership This episode offers a refreshing perspective on leadership, culture, and airline customer experience from one of the industry’s most experienced voices. RESOURCES:Full article with highlights and takeaways from this episode: https://diggintravel.com/airline-leaders-jason-ward-azul-airlines/
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  Airline Leaders Interview Series – Juliana Ramirez [Flair Airlines] 20.10.2025 51min

  This is the fourth episode of our 2025 Airline Leaders Series, brought to you in partnership with 815Labs! In this series, we speak with top airline digital and ecommerce leaders to uncover how they drive growth, optimize digital performance, and build smarter strategies for the future. For this episode, we traveled to Lisbon during the World Aviation Festival to meet with Juliana Ramirez, Chief Digital Officer at Flair Airlines. In this episode, we talk about: Building a “team of builders” and creating a culture of ownership Balancing startup agility with corporate focus The Flair FWD initiative and using digital products to rebuild customer trust How guarantees like On-Time, Checked Bag, Travel Flex, and Disruption remove friction and build brand trust The value of direct customer feedback through Flair’s Feedback Forums Why curiosity and learning are the key skills for digital professionals in the age of AI This episode is packed with insights on leadership, digital transformation, and culture for airline digital, product, and marketing professionals who want to learn how to move fast while building trust. RESOURCES:Full article with highlights and takeaways from this episode: https://diggintravel.com/airline-leaders-juliana-ramirez-flair-airlines/
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  Airline Leaders Interview Series – Sara Walter de Freitas [TAP Air Portugal] 10.07.2025 1h 2min

  This is the third episode of our 2025 Airline Leaders Series, brought to you in partnership with 815Labs! In this series, we speak with top airline digital and ecommerce leaders to uncover how they drive growth, optimize digital performance, and build smarter strategies for the future. For this episode, we traveled to Lisbon to meet with Sara Walter de Freitas, Head of Digital & eCommerce at TAP Air Portugal. In this episode, we talk about: Sara’s unique journey—from a marketing intern at TAP to leading its digital transformation The 3-year transformation model: Assess – Fix – Accelerate Why cultural change is harder (and more important) than tech upgrades How consistency, trust, and resilience shape better airline digital experiences The role of experimentation, data, and collaboration in driving smarter decisions This episode is full of actionable insights for airline digital, UX, product, and ecommerce professionals navigating complex transformation and customer experience challenges. RESOURCES:Full article with highlights and takeaways from this episode:https://diggintravel.com/airline-leaders-interview-series-tap-air-portugal/
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  Airline Leaders Interview Series – Sevilay Gökduman [Pegasus Airlines] 30.05.2025 42min

  This is the second episode of our 2025 Airline Leaders Series, brought to you in partnership with 815Labs! In this series, we speak with top airline digital and ecommerce leaders to uncover how they drive growth, optimize digital performance, and build smarter strategies for the future. For this episode, we traveled to Istanbul to meet with Sevilay Gökduman, Group Head of Digital Channel Management & e-Commerce at Pegasus Airlines. In this episode, we talk about: Sevilay’s 16-year journey from revenue management to leading digital team at Pegasus How Pegasus is using gamification and loyalty to boost mobile app engagement Why the BolBol program is at the heart of their digital strategy Personalization and the challenges of building a smarter booking flow The role of testing, CRO, and agile teams in Pegasus’ digital growth This episode is full of practical insights for airline digital, UX, loyalty, and ecommerce professionals looking to create better user experiences and long-term engagement. RESOURCES:Full article with highlights and takeaways from this episode: https://diggintravel.com/airline-leaders-pegasus-digital-loyalty/
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  Airline Leaders Interview Series – Ismael Monzon [Air Europa] 17.04.2025 50min

  This is the kickoff episode of our 2025 Airline Leaders Series, brought to you in partnership with 815Labs! In this series, we speak with top airline digital and ecommerce leaders to uncover how they drive growth, optimize digital performance, and build smarter strategies for the future. We’re starting strong with Ismael Monzón, Head of Digital Growth at Air Europa—a longtime friend of the Diggintravel Podcast and one of our earliest collaborators. In this episode, recorded live in Palma de Mallorca, we talk about: How Air Europa’s digital growth team evolved post-COVID Optimizing landing pages and value propositions for 30+ markets Personalization, CDPs, and a test-and-learn approach to AI Balancing day-to-day execution with long-term strategic thinking Lessons from Ismael’s journey from CRO expert to digital leader This episode is full of insights for airline digital, marketing, data, and ecommerce professionals looking to grow both their results and their leadership skills. RESOURCES:Full article with highlights and takeaways from this episode: https://diggintravel.com/airline-leaders-air-europa-digita-growth/
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  Airline UX Series: Lessons in Building Digital Products & UX Teams and Solving the Build vs. Buy Dilemma 11.03.2025 58min

  This is the latest episode in our Airline UX Series in partnership with 815Labs! In this series, we’re speaking with top airline and travel UX leaders to uncover the secrets behind building exceptional digital experiences. This time, we explore airline digital platforms, product teams, and the build vs. buy dilemma with insights from Remus Moraru, an ecommerce leader who spent seven years building digital products, UX teams, and airline ecommerce at Wizz Air. This episode covers: The balancing act of airline ecommerce – why airlines must align UX, ticket sales, and ancillaries without creating friction. Building strong, autonomous product teams – lessons from Wizz Air on structuring digital teams for speed and agility. What it takes to develop great airline digital products – key insights from projects like Fare Finder and Wizzride. The build vs. buy dilemma – when airlines should invest in custom platforms and when buying off-the-shelf solutions makes more sense. This episode is packed with valuable takeaways for airline UX, digital retailing, and product strategy leaders looking to build better digital experiences and platforms. RESOURCES:You can find the full article with key insights, quotes, and takeaways from this episode here: https://diggintravel.com/airline-ux-series-digital-products-ux-teams/
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  Airline UX Series: Data-Driven UX—Lessons from Turkish Airlines 04.02.2025 41min

  This is the fifth podcast in our Airline UX Series in partnership with 815Labs! In this series, we’re speaking with top airline and travel UX leaders to uncover the secrets behind building exceptional digital experiences. This time, we dive into the world of digital analytics and data-driven UX with Kamran Emre Sayin, Digital Analytics and MarTech Leader at Turkish Airlines Technology. His team recently implemented a sophisticated analytics framework that helps measure and optimize user experience across Turkish Airlines’ digital platforms. Kamran shares insights on: Tracking 400+ event-level dimensions to improve the booking journey Ensuring clean, reliable data for better decision-making Moving toward server-side tracking and qualitative analytics to uncover deeper insights The impact of AI on analytics and the challenges of a cookieless future This episode is packed with actionable takeaways for airline digital and UX leaders looking to leverage analytics for better user experiences and business results. RESOURCES: You can find the full article with key insights, quotes, and takeaways from this episode here: https://diggintravel.com/airline-data-driven-ux-turkish-airlines/
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  Airline UX Series: Mobile-First Design 19.12.2024 54min

  This is the fourth podcast in our Airline UX Series in partnership with 815Labs! In this series, we’re speaking with top airline and travel UX leaders to uncover the secrets behind building exceptional digital experiences. This episode is a special one, recorded on the road in Belgrade with Srdjan Prokić, Head of E-Commerce at Air Serbia. Srdjan shares his journey of building Air Serbia’s mobile app from scratch and offers practical insights into mobile-first design, collaborating with UX agencies, and using user feedback to tackle complex airline challenges. From simplifying payment flows to innovative features like the histogram for flexible pricing, Srdjan provides real-world examples of how Air Serbia creates seamless mobile experiences. RESOURCES: You can find the full article with examples, key concepts, quotes, and other notes from this chat here: https://diggintravel.com/airline-ux-series-mobile-first-design/  
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  Airline UX Series: The 3 Pillars of Building High-Performing Design Teams in Travel 14.11.2024 54min

  This is the third podcast in our Airline UX Series in partnership with 815Labs! In this series we're speaking with top airline and travel UX leaders to uncover what it takes to build outstanding digital experiences. This time, our guest is Martyn Reding—former Head of Digital Experience for an airline at Virgin Atlantic and now Director of User Experience Design at Expedia. He also developed his own platform where he is mentoring designers and managers from the global UX community. So, Martyn really is one of the best people from our industry to talk about digital experience and UX design. RESOURCES: You can find the full article with examples, key concepts, quotes, and other notes from this chat here: https://diggintravel.com/airline-ux-design-teams-in-travel/
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  Airline UX Series: Building Great UX—What Sets Top Designers Apart 24.10.2024 57min

  This is the second podcast in our new Airline Leader Interview Series, where we talk with industry UX leaders about how to build a great digital experience and user experience (UX) for airlines. Together with our new podcast partner, 815Labs—experts in building top-tier airline UX—we’ve structured a series of episodes that bring together insights from leaders across various perspectives to understand what it takes to create exceptional airline UX. In this second episode Carlos Lima Santana, Senior Product Designer shared his unique views, and broad understanding in what goes into designing great airline digital experience. Carlos talked about the basic principles of UX design, why you need to cover the basic first, the balance between doing the most obvious things and innovating new, about the most important trait for a great UX designer, testing and many more. RESOURCES: You can find the full article with examples, screenshots, key concepts, quotes, and other notes from this chat here: https://diggintravel.com/airline-ux-what-sets-top-designers-apart/
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  [NEW] Airline UX Series: Key UX Concepts for Airline Success 23.09.2024 56min

  Earlier this year, we launched the Airline Leader Interview Series, where we spoke with industry leaders about high-level trends and strategies. But now, we’ve decided to dig deeper into one key topic: how to build a great digital experience and user experience (UX) for airlines.Together with our new podcast partner, 815Labs—experts in building top-tier airline UX—we’ve structured a series of episodes that bring together insights from leaders across various perspectives to understand what it takes to create exceptional airline UX.This first episode kicks things off with Norbert Krizsan from 815Labs. Not only does Norbert have extensive experience building airline UX from scratch, but he’s also an external lecturer in UX design. He has held nearly every UX role possible—from designer to researcher to Head of UX—and now serves as a Design Strategy advisor. Norbert helped us structure this entire series and is the perfect guest to set the stage for the episodes to come. Our goal is to bring various great UX leaders to share their perspectives on different UX topics, so by the end of the series, you’ll have a much deeper understanding of how to create outstanding airline digital experiences. RESOURCES: You can find the full article with examples, screenshots, key concepts, quotes, and other notes from this chat here: https://diggintravel.com/key-ux-concepts-for-airline-success/
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  Transforming Airline Digital Culture: Insights from LATAM’s Chief Digital Officer 27.08.2024 44min

  Diggintravel Podcast is back for our fifth year, and we couldn't think of a better way to start the new season than with one of the top digital minds in the airline industry, Ricard Vila, Chief Digital Officer at LATAM Airlines. In this talk, Ricard explained how LATAM Airlines built a unique ecosystem to succeed and move faster in the digital world. Ricard's talk goes beyond the usual digital transformation buzzwords and narratives, delving into concrete concepts and examples--as you'll see some are quite unconventional--to illustrate how LATAM is actively re-shaping its digital culture. This was one of the most enlightening talks on our podcast, so we highly recommend it to anyone interested in understanding how airline digital transformation unfolds. RESOURCES: You can find the full article with examples, screenshots, key concepts, quotes, and other notes from this chat here: https://diggintravel.com/airline-digital-culture-latam-airlines/  
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  The Strategic Advantage of Modern Airline Digital Commerce Tech Stack [flyadeal Case Study] 23.04.2024 46min

  Another exciting Diggintravel Podcast episode, featuring an in-depth discussion with Surya Kuchibotla, Head of eCommerce and Distribution at flyadeal. Discover how flyadeal is building a modern digital commerce tech stack and leveraging technology to carve out a competitive edge.Key podcast highlights: Flyadeal's unique organizational model How flyadeal is running consolidated, end-to-end digital marketing campaigns utilizing CDP How to do airline personalization on three levels Flyadeal's approach to AI-driven personalization and conversational commerce on WhatsApp RESOURCES: You can find the full article with examples, screenshots, key concepts, quotes, and other notes from this chat here: https://diggintravel.com/modern-airline-digital-commerce-stack-flyadeal/ You can find how airline marketers can build relevant, timely, trustworthy customer experiences on autopilot with AI here: https://useinsider.com/sirius-ai-generative-ai-solution-for-customer-experience/
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  Lufthansa Group’s Shift to Airline Product Analytics 21.03.2024 43min

  For all you digital professionals who want to learn how the best airlines are mastering analytics and doing so at scale, this Diggintravel Podcast episode is a must-listen.   Today, we bring you another insightful case study: the Lufthansa Group and their Digital Hangar’s journey from web and CRO analytics to airline product analytics.   Laura J. Hornbake, Product Analytics Community of Practice Lead at Lufthansa Group Digital Hangar, talked about their shift towards a decentralized model and the establishment of a digital analytics community of practice, highlighting how some of the most innovative airlines are revolutionizing the use of analytics to build better products more efficiently and on a larger scale. And naturally, our discussion wouldn’t be complete without delving into personalization and AI. RESOURCES: You can find the full article with examples, screenshots, key concepts, quotes, and other notes from this chat here: https://diggintravel.com/lufthansas-group-evolution-to-airline-product-analytics/You can find how airline marketers can build relevant, timely, trustworthy customer experiences on autopilot with AI here: https://useinsider.com/sirius-ai-generative-ai-solution-for-customer-experience/
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  Airline Digital Career: Your 2024 Guide to Advancement with Expert HR and Recruiting Insights 17.01.2024 39min

  To kick off the new year, we're doing something different at Diggintravel Podcast. And it's all about helping you advance your airline digital career! This episode is all about how to find and land your ideal airline digital job. As we step into 2024, the digital landscape keeps evolving, and AI is reshaping our world daily. Understanding the skills to acquire, what to learn, and where to focus for your airline digital career has never been more challenging. That's why we sought insights from Arpad Szakal, a seasoned recruiter and executive talent consultant with extensive global airline experience. In our latest podcast chat, Arpad shares practical advice to help you seize opportunities in the airline digital marketing world. RESOURCES: You can find the full article with examples, screenshots, key concepts, quotes, and other notes from this chat here: https://diggintravel.com/airline-digital-career-2024-guide/You can find how airline marketers can build relevant, timely, trustworthy customer experiences on autopilot with AI here: https://useinsider.com/sirius-ai-generative-ai-solution-for-customer-experience/  
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  Changes in Airline Marketing [Part II]: Navigating the Shift in Digital Analytics and Measuring Marketing Effectiveness 07.12.2023 34min

  Marketing and marketing technology are changing fast! With constant changes and mounting pressure on airlines to stay on top, we've decided to help you navigate these shifts with a special two-part podcast series. Today, in Part II, join us and founder and editor of Martech Weekly Juan Mendoza as we explore the state of digital analytics and how analytics and measuring measuring marketing effectiveness will change in the future. And why we need to get back to basics and find alternative approach to when it comes to measuring how you airline digital marketing campaigns perform and which channels and initiative really generate incremental growth and bookings.   RESOURCES: You can find the full article with examples, screenshots, key concepts, quotes, and other notes from this chat here: https://diggintravel.com/airline-marketing-digital-analytics-marketing-effectiveness//You can find how airline marketers can build relevant, timely, trustworthy customer experiences on autopilot with AI here: https://useinsider.com/sirius-ai-generative-ai-solution-for-customer-experience/