Redefining the
Travel Experience

Unlocking the potential of gamification to captivate diverse travelers

Brief

As a member of the CX team for a leading international airline, your task is to reimagine the future of air travel by creating a personalized service experience that strengthens relationships with existing customers (Gen X) and attracts new audiences (Millennials and Gen Z).

The goal is to establish the airline as the top international choice by delivering a best-in-class experience through a future-state omnichannel approach, integrating both digital and offline interactions. This approach must consider the current global landscape and treat every customer interaction as an opportunity to deepen brand loyalty.

7 Day Sprint
Team: Ansari | David | Dion | Geraldine | Isaiah | Rupa
My Role: UX Research, UI/UX Design

The Changing Landscape of Air Travel

To stay ahead in the competitive air travel industry, Singapore Airlines recognized the need to meet the evolving expectations of Gen X, Gen Y, and Gen Z travelers. These digital natives seek engaging, personalized, and interactive experiences.

Singapore Airlines CX Team’s Ambitious Goal

  • Enhance customer loyalty, engagement, and satisfaction.

  • Build stronger relationships with existing customers.

  • Reach new audiences by offering an extraordinary travel experience.

Despite being a well-established and highly regarded airline, Singapore Airlines faced several challenges:

The Problem

Decreasing Engagement

Traditional loyalty programs and travel experiences were failing to fully engage the newer generations of travelers.

Lack of Personalization

Customers, particularly younger travelers, were seeking more personalized and interactive experiences.

Competitive Pressure

Competitive Pressure: Other airlines were beginning to introduce innovative digital features, creating a need for Singapore Airlines to differentiate itself and stay ahead of the curve.

Problem Statement

How might we create an engaging and personalized travel experience for Gen X, Gen Y (Millennials), and Gen Z travelers in order to build stronger relationships and enhance brand loyalty for Singapore Airlines?

Persona

Zaheen

Aged: 38, Male, Gen X (Millennial)

Who

A tech-savvy marketing manager with a passion for travel, is eager to enhance his family’s travel experiences.

Motivation Background

Excited to spend quality time with his wife and daughter, aged 12 (Gen-Z) and son, aged 9 (Gen-Z) create lasting memories, having not travelled together in a while.

Pain Points

Seeks engaging and interactive travel experiences, wants to share travel activities on social media, and enjoys recognition from peers.

Zaheen’s Journey

Zaheen and his family—Aisha, Leila (12), and Adam (9)—were at Changi Airport, excited for their trip to Bangkok. As Zaheen scrolled through Instagram, he spotted an ad with the headline, “Earn KrisPay miles with travel quests on Kris+.”

Curious, he clicked on it and learned they could earn miles by completing fun challenges during their journey, which could be redeemed in KrisShop or for future flights.

“Hey, everyone,” Zaheen said, barely containing his excitement. "Check this out! We can earn miles by completing quests on the Kris+ app. Let’s make it a family game!"

Adam and Leila’s eyes lit up, and Aisha looked up, curious. “How does it work?” she asked.

Zaheen opened the app and said, “The first quest is easy: arrive at the airport 120 minutes before check-in. We’ve already done that, so we’ve completed it! We can even earn miles by sharing this on social media.”

Next, the quest appeared: “Take a picture of your in-flight meal.” Leila bounced in her seat. “This is going to be so much fun!”

After going through security and boarding, they took pictures of their meal and uploaded them to the app, earning more miles.

During their trip to Bangkok, they completed quests—sharing photos and participating in activities—quickly racking up miles.

By the time they returned to Changi Airport, the family had earned plenty of miles.

Zaheen opened KrisShop in the app, letting Adam and Leila pick toys while Aisha chose a scarf.

“We turned our vacation into an adventure and got all these rewards,” Zaheen said.

Aisha smiled. “It made our trip even more special.” With their new treasures and cherished memories, the family left the airport beaming with joy.

Hi-fidelity mockups

1. Kris+ Home page

‘Quests’ button integrated into the main navigation carousel. This familiar positioning encourages users to explore the new feature without disrupting the current navigation flow.

2. Information page

Purpose - is to educate users on the mechanics of the quests and rewards systems.
The information is placed upfront so that the users understand the value and process of the gamification feature. It would also enhance their engagement & motivation to participate.

3. Quests Main page

The backend system would recognize the users travel destination and suggest quests relevant to those destinations. A personalized approach would make it meaningful and engaging.

4 & 5. Individual Quests pages

Provide detailed instructions on how to complete the quest and rewards that can be earn.

6. Social sharing

Upon quests completion, users will receive a notification and there will be a social sharing component. This strategy promotes the gamification feature through word of mouth and social network, leading to engagement and adoption.

The UX Process

Faced with a tight deadline, we brainstormed solutions and chose to gamify the travel experience. This approach appeals to Gen X, Y, and Z by leveraging their love for competition, rewards, and recognition.

Ideation

Research Insights

Engagement

70% of Gen Y and 65% of Gen Z respondents prefer interactive and gamified travel experiences.

Personalization

80% of Gen X travelers value personalized recommendations based on their travel history and preferences.

Social Sharing

75% of Gen Z and 68% of Gen Y frequently share their travel achievements on social media.

Loyalty Programs

Gen Z and Millennials are less likely to join airline loyalty programs, with 65% and 70% participation rates, respectively, compared to 89% of Baby Boomers and 80% of Gen X.

Research Sources

Deloitte Insights: The Deloitte Global Millennial Survey 2019

Summary: This report provides insights into the preferences and behaviors of Millennials, including their inclination towards interactive and engaging experiences.

GlobalWebIndex: Social Media Trends 2024

Summary: An in-depth look at social media trends, highlighting how different generations use social media for sharing and engagement.

McKinsey & Company: The future of personalization—and how to get ready for it

Summary: This report discusses the importance of personalization in enhancing customer experiences and loyalty.

Millennials stand out for their technology use, but older generations also embrace digital life

Summary: This article explores how different generations engage with technology and digital platforms, highlighting the tech-savviness of Millennials and Gen Z.

Solution

We developed a gamification feature for the Kris+ app to enhance the travel experience, utilizing SIA and Scoot's rewards ecosystem. It engages travelers, personalizes activities, and fosters community and competition.

The solution would address:

1

Enhanced Customer Engagement

Rewarding users for their activities fosters loyalty and increases customer retention.

2

Attracting New Demographics

Gamification resonates well with younger, tech-savvy travelers who seek fun and engaging experiences.

The new features and rewards would also keep existing loyal customers engaged.

3

Reinforcing Brand Positioning

Showcases Singapore Airlines as an innovative and forward-thinking airline.


Aligns with SIA’s commitment to innovation and digital transformation.

4

Market Potential

Gamification is becoming increasingly popular across various industries, including travel and hospitality.


Our target audience values technology, rewards, and social sharing.

By implementing the new gamification features, these will be the potential business impacts:

Business Impact

Brand Differentiation

Distinguishes Singapore Airlines from competitors by offering a unique and engaging digital experience: Estimated growth in market share by 5% in key demographic segments (Gen Y and Gen Z).

Social Media Exposure

Amplified brand presence through user-generated content and social sharing: Estimated to expand by 40%, reaching a broader audience through organic shares and influencer partnerships.

Enhanced Loyalty

Strengthened loyalty through personalized recommendations and recognition of achievements: Expected to improve by 15%, reducing churn rates and increasing customer lifetime value.

Increased Engagement

Higher user engagement through interactive and gamified experiences: 20% rise in active users within the first year.

To measure the success of our proposal, we could track the following business metrics:

Business Metrics

User Engagement

Aim to reach 200,000 active users within the first year. Frequency of interactions goal to achieve an average of 5 interactions per user per week.

Social Media Metrics

Aim for 50,000 social media shares of achievements within the first six months.

Loyalty Program Growth

Increase KrisFlyer and Scoot loyalty program sign-ups by 25%, adding approximately 250,000 new members.

Customer Satisfaction

Increase NPS from 65 to 75 within the first year. Maintain an average user satisfaction rating of 4.8 out of 5.

Next Steps

1

Beta Launch

Introduce the MVP to a select group of frequent flyers and loyalty program members to gather initial feedback.

2

Phased Roll-Out

Gradually roll out the platform to include more features like AI-powered Travel Planner and Interactive Maps.

3

Marketing Campaign

Promote the gamification feature through email campaigns, social media, and in-flight announcements.

4

User Feedback

Regularly collect and analyze user feedback to identify areas for improvement.