Case
Improving the Air France-KLM travel transfer experience
Recognising that transfer journeys can be moments of uncertainty or stress, Air France-KLM set out to better understand passengers’ emotional needs and uncover ways to improve the overall experience.
The challenge
Transfer journeys are among the most emotionally charged moments in air travel. Tight connections, unfamiliar airports and the fear of missing a flight can create stress and uncertainty for passengers. Air France-KLM saw an opportunity to better understand these emotions and uncover how the transfer experience could become more seamless, reassuring and customer-centric. By getting closer to the human reality of these journeys, they aimed to identify new opportunities for service innovation and stronger customer connections.
The solution
Starting with the lived experiences of frequent flyers, we brought travellers together in a dedicated online consumer community to map the transfer journey and uncover the needs, emotions and expectations shaping every stage of the experience.
These insights revealed 10 key opportunity areas for innovation. Through a three-week co-creation programme, community members helped develop and refine new ideas for improving the journey. More than 30 concepts were generated, with the four most promising solutions validated through quantitative testing focused on emotional impact.
The impact
By placing passengers at the heart of the innovation process, Air France-KLM gained a deeper understanding of what drives a positive transfer experience. By staying closely connected to frequent flyers throughout the process, Air France-KLM were able to identify emotional barriers, refine concepts and develop service propositions that better responded to the realities of the transfer journey.
“On aircrafts equipped with internet connectivity, passengers can retrieve information about their transfer. (…) When rebooking options are available, they are redirected to KLM.com to rebook while still in the air. This makes that we empower passengers to take control of their journey.”
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