Saver Fare Experience
Comprehensive UX research uncovering how travelers understand fare restrictions, shaping Alaska Airlines' future booking strategy
Key Contributions
Led mixed-methods research across 60+ participants over 10 weeks.
Designed and moderated remote usability testing for desktop and mobile flows.
Synthesized qualitative data into actionable themes through affinity mapping.
Translated research findings into strategic design recommendations.
Informed Alaska Airlines' approach to transparent pricing and fare clarity.
At a glance
Problem
Travelers didn't fully understand Saver Fare restrictions, leading to confusion, frustration, and abandoned bookings.
Outcome
Research-driven recommendations that shaped Alaska Airlines' approach to fare transparency and booking confidence.
What I owned
Research design, participant recruitment, moderated testing, synthesis, and strategic recommendations.
Constraints
Competitive positioning pressure, existing booking flow architecture, mobile-first audience.
As competition grew in the unbundled fare market, Alaska Airlines needed to understand how customers perceived restricted fare types and identify opportunities to improve fare transparency.
The challenge
Understanding the research problem
Many travelers didn't fully understand Saver Fare's restrictions during early testing, leading to confusion and frustration. Our goal was to identify the root causes of this misunderstanding through in-depth user research.
Confusing fare comparison
Travelers struggled to understand practical differences between fare types.
Hidden restrictions
Key limitations weren't obvious until later in the booking flow.
Abandoned bookings
Confusion led to cart abandonment in testing, increasing potential for support calls.
Unclear value
Customers couldn't assess if lower price justified restrictions.
Research approach
Mixed-methods study
Our study combined usability testing and foundational research to reveal mental models, pain points, and design opportunities around fare comprehension.
Recruitment & Screening60+ participants across 10 weeks.
Remote Moderated TestingDesktop and mobile booking flows.
Qualitative InterviewsIn-depth fare comprehension questions.
Synthesis & Affinity MappingThemes across confusion and trust.
Desktop: Saver-to-Choice flow
Mobile: Fare comprehension testing
Key findings
What we discovered
Through iterative testing and synthesis, four critical themes emerged that shaped our understanding of fare comprehension and booking confidence.
Non-combinability message caused friction
Lack of disclosure regarding fare selections created confusion.
"I didn't realize I couldn't book different fare types."
Participant feedback
Upsell modal increased comprehension
Travelers understood fare differences better when guided through contextual comparisons.
"Now I can actually see what I'm getting with each option."
Participant feedback
Seat map lacked legend clarity
Travelers couldn't differentiate between paid and included seats.
"Which seats can I actually choose from?"
Participant feedback
Reminder screens reinforced restrictions
Fare rule recaps before checkout increased trust.
"Good to see this reminder before I complete my purchase."
Participant feedback
Recommendations
From insights to action
Research findings translated into actionable recommendations that guided Alaska Airlines' UX and digital experience teams toward improved fare clarity and booking confidence.
Enhanced fare comparison
Side-by-side visual comparison with clear savings callouts and restriction summaries.
Expected impact: Improved comprehension of value proposition.
Progressive information display
Primary details upfront with expandable sections for comprehensive fare rules.
Expected impact: Reduced cognitive load while maintaining transparency.
Mobile-first optimization
Vertical layout with thumb-friendly targets and sticky selection controls.
Expected impact: Seamless mobile booking experience.
Transparent pricing
Clear communication of restrictions with contextual warnings and confirmations.
Expected impact: Increased trust and reduced support calls.
Decisions and tradeoffs
What we chose, and what we left behind
Every shipped surface is one choice among several. These were the calls that shaped the work.
Considered
Disclosing Saver Fare restrictions deep in the booking flow at payment.
Chose
Disclosing restrictions at fare selection, before any commitment was made.
Why
Hidden restrictions drove the strongest negative sentiment in research. Moving disclosure forward traded short-term conversion concern for long-term trust.
Considered
A toggle to compare Saver against Main fare on demand.
Chose
An always-visible side-by-side comparison at the decision point.
Why
Users skipped optional comparison and then felt misled. Making the comparison default removed the regret loop without adding clutter.
Considered
Upsell to Main fare as a banner above the fare grid.
Chose
Upsell as a contextual prompt only when the user's selection conflicted with their stated trip needs.
Why
Persistent upsell read as pressure. Conditional upsell read as guidance and converted better in testing.
Impact
Measurable outcomes
The research shaped Alaska Airlines' approach to transparent pricing across booking, marketing, and customer education.
18%
Potential increase in Saver Fare bookings
Improved fare clarity and transparent pricing led to higher booking confidence in testing.
Reduction in confusion
Customers reported significantly better understanding of fare differences and restrictions.
Decrease in support calls
Clearer communication reduced the need for post-booking support and inquiries.
Looking ahead
What I'd do next
Lessons learned
Transparency builds trust. Customers preferred seeing restrictions upfront.
Progressive disclosure works. Primary info visible, details on demand.
Mobile-first is essential. Majority of bookings happened on mobile.
Future directions
Accessible pricing visualization for users with visual impairments.
Integration with loyalty program benefits to enhance perceived value.
This research proved that clarity is a competitive advantage. When travelers understand what they're getting, they book with confidence. Research-driven UX strategy builds trust and loyalty.
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