Neil Christensen :: Portfolio : Virgin America

UX Manager, Lead UX Designer

Overview

Virgin America, known for its unique rock star style and customer focused service, needed a comprehensive redesign of their website to address usability issues and improve conversion rates. The project focused on enhancing user experience across the booking flow, including seat selection and payment screens. Our goal was to streamline these processes to reduce user abandonment and increase overall satisfaction. The redesign resulted in a 36% increase in revenue and a 2% increase in conversion rates, earning the OMMA Marketing Award for Best Site Redesign.

Team

The project team comprised a UX Manager (myself), a Product Owner, an Information Architect, UX Researchers, and a Business Analyst. As the UX Manager, I led the design team, coordinated efforts between product owners and UX researchers, and ensured alignment with business goals. The team worked collaboratively through regular meetings and design reviews, overcoming challenges like tight deadlines and conflicting stakeholder requirements.

Background

Virgin America’s website was a crucial component of its business, generating 73% of the company's revenue and attracting 2 million unique monthly visitors. The existing site faced significant usability challenges, particularly in the booking flow, which led to user frustration and abandonment. With a tight deadline, our task was to address these issues and improve the site’s overall performance.

Problem

How might we simplify the booking process to reduce user abandonment and enhance overall satisfaction? The primary challenge was to address usability issues in the booking flow that caused users to abandon their purchases. Users struggled with complex interactions, particularly in seat selection and payment screens. The lack of clarity and overwhelming upsell options contributed to frustration and abandonment, impacting the site’s conversion rates and overall user experience.

Process

We began by conducting a usability study with 100 participants to identify pain points in the booking flow. Key findings included difficulties with the seat selection screen and an overabundance of upsell options on the payment screen. Based on this feedback, we redesigned the seat selection screen to be more intuitive by reducing clicks and implementing a vertical seat map. This design change not only simplified the interaction but also set a new industry standard, influencing how other airlines approach seat selection.

Additionally, we streamlined the payment screen by hiding upsell options behind a collapsible interface, reducing user confusion and frustration. These insights also informed improvements in the Check-In and Cancel flows.

Results

The redesign led to a 36% increase in revenue and a 2% increase in conversion rates. The improvements in user experience were recognized with the OMMA Marketing Award for Best Site Redesign. Our vertical seat map design became a benchmark in the industry, setting new standards for seat selection processes across airlines.

Conclusion

The Virgin America website redesign successfully addressed critical usability issues, enhancing user experience and increasing business performance. By focusing on user feedback and iterating on design solutions, we delivered a high-impact solution that not only improved the booking flow but also set new industry standards.