Redesigning Flight Redemption to Improve Conversion and Retention
HDFC SmartBuy is a rewards portal for booking travel using credit card points. Flight booking had high drop-offs due to poor clarity, weak comparisons, and fragmented post-booking updates.
When I took ownership of the flight experience, I began with a comprehensive audit rather than a redesign. I audited the end-to-end flow, identified key UX issues, and proposed UI/UX improvements to simplify decisions, improve booking clarity, and increase conversion and retention.
A repeatable framework for moving from ambiguous problems to outcomes that work for users and the business.
Understand
Research user needs and validate assumptions before a single pixel is placed. User research · Jobs-to-be-done · Assumption mapping.
Align
Connect user value with business goals and measurable outcomes. OKR mapping · Success metrics · Stakeholder framing.
Structure
Systems thinking to build scalable, coherent experiences. Design systems · IA & flows · Component thinking.
Simplify
Transform complexity into intuitive, accessible solutions. Cognitive load · Accessibility · Progressive disclosure.
Collaborate
Partner with product, engineering and stakeholders to drive impact. Cross-functional · Design critique · Handoff & specs.
The flight search and fare selection experience had high visual density and limited scannability — increasing cognitive load and slowing decision-making. The audit combined journey mapping, UI/UX gap analysis, competitor analysis and real-time data deep dives across the full flight flow.
Pricing confusion
Multiple price points per flight created confusion and reduced trust.
Weak visual hierarchy
Weak visual hierarchy made it hard to compare options quickly.
High cognitive load
High information density increased cognitive load during scanning.
Unclear fare differentiation
The fare selection modal lacked clear differentiation between options.
Poor content prioritization
OTA listings competed equally with flight information.
Fragmented conversion flow
CTAs were fragmented, reducing conversion focus.
Convoluted booking journey
Extra steps and redundant screens slowed booking and increased drop-off.
Inconsistent communication
Users received inconsistent emails with missing booking information.
Poor microcopy
Developer jargon made buttons and errors unclear — “Error 502” offered no actionable guidance.
I owned the product strategy for revamping the pricing and selection flow — introducing clearer differentiation and a structured comparison model to improve engagement and conversion efficiency.
Faster flight comparison and selection, reduced decision fatigue, improved trust through pricing transparency, and a simplified CTA flow built for high-frequency travel shoppers.
Landing Page
The old landing page diluted booking focus across multiple sections — a dense layout with weak emphasis on premium value and rewards, and low CTA visibility. The new page opens with the booking flow, stronger premium brand positioning, and rewards highlighted for motivation.
Booking-first focus
Multiple competing sections replaced with a clear, single-purpose flight-booking flow.
Rewards as motivation
Reward points and savings surfaced prominently — 5X points and trip savings lead the page.
CTA visibility
A cleaner layout and an improved call-to-action lift booking intent from the first screen.
Partner & Fare Selection
The old results were a linear list — flight details repeated unnecessarily, weak differentiation between partners and pricing, and CTAs without urgency. The redesign introduces a structured comparison that improves decision speed.
Structured comparison
Clear separation of partners and pricing options, so fares can be scanned and compared at speed.
Best value surfaced
Best-value fares are highlighted for faster selection and a shorter path to a confident choice.
Key info first
Flight time, stops and price carry clear visual weight — surfaced for quick scanning.
Fare Family Selection
Dense fare cards made value differences between fare families unclear, with limited emphasis on benefits versus price trade-offs. The new structured cards create a clear benefit hierarchy that supports informed decisions.
Benefit hierarchy
Baggage, flexibility, seats and meals laid out consistently across every fare family.
Value contrast
Better contrast highlights value differentiation — what each step up actually buys.
Guided upgrades
Delta pricing (“+₹615 for Flexi”) and a recommended badge guide the upgrade decision.
Cancellation & Date Change
The old policy table was dense and policy-focused — users manually interpreted penalties with no urgency or guidance on the best action. The redesign is customer-focused and action-oriented.
Cancel now & save
Savings opportunities highlighted so the best action to take is obvious at a glance.
Visual timelines
Penalty stages plotted against deadlines improve fee transparency.
Deadline urgency
Deadline-based penalty messaging creates urgency and stronger decision-making.
Six key improvements, each tied to a metric: pricing clarity, visual hierarchy, reduced cognitive load, conversion optimisation, smarter discovery and the fare selection redesign.
Quick fixes compound
Individually, rewriting an error message or removing one redundant screen feels small. But across a journey that millions of users traverse, these micro-improvements compound into measurable conversion lifts and significant support-ticket reductions.
The invisible layer matters most
Email communication was completely absent for critical booking events. Users were anxious not because the product was broken, but because it was silent. Building the communication layer was technically unglamorous — but it had an outsized impact on user trust.
Designing across bank brands requires shared systems
HDFC and ICICI have different brand guidelines, but users expect the same quality of experience. The template system had to be flexible enough for brand compliance while rigid enough to ensure no critical information was ever missing.
New features land better after trust is established
Fare Families — a brand-new concept for these portals — was received well partly because we’d already fixed the baseline friction. Users were more open to exploring a new feature when the rest of the journey finally felt reliable.