The Diggintravel Podcast

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/

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/

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/

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/

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/

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/

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/

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/

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/

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 I, join us and founder and editor of Martech Weekly Juan Mendoza as we explore the state of marketing technology, discussing emerging roles and the critical need for new, emerging marketing skills. Then, in Part II, we dive deeper into the future of digital analytics, covering everything from the cookie-less world to AI's impact on marketing. RESOURCES: You can find the full article with key key concepts, quotes, and other notes from this chat here: https://diggintravel.com/changes-in-airline-marketing-part-and-challenges-in-martech/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/

Today, I'm reconnecting with a familiar voice, Ravi Shankar Mallavarapu. I first met Ravi when he held the position of Chief Growth Officer at AirAsia. He was one of the first guests on our podcast back in 2020, sharing insights about his efforts to transform AirAsia's digital marketing team into a modern growth marketing unit. Ravi's journey has been a captivating one, especially his recent transition to CMO at CARSOME. Our conversation delves into the lessons he's learned, including what he'd do differently if he were to work for an airline again. I believe many of you will find his insights, especially regarding his global branding campaign with football legend Eric Cantona and the challenges of measuring its impact, particularly enlightening. And, for those curious about the intersection of AI and marketing, we dive into discussions about ChatGPT and other related topics towards the end. You can find the full article with key key concepts, quotes, and other notes from this chat with Ravi here: https://diggintravel.com/key-pillars-of-modern-airline-digital-marketing/

Yes, we had to do it! A special episode dedicated to ChatGPT and potential airline applications. There's tons of articles and podcast about ChatGPT, we felt there is a need to do a top-down, structured overview of ChatGPT and why it matters for airline and travel digital professionals. Our guest, Bostjan Kozuh has finished several data science trainings at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University and is a mentor for many companies on AI strategy. Bostjan was also analytics instructor in Diggintravel Airline Digital Academy. You can find the full article with key key concepts, quotes, and other notes from this chat with Bostjan here: https://diggintravel.com/chatgpt-for-airlines/