The Diggintravel Podcast

This episode closes out the 2025 Diggintravel Podcast season with a deep dive into one of the topics that kept coming up in our Airline Leaders Series conversations: Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). After a year of interviews with airline CMOs, CDOs, and digital leaders in partnership with 815Labs, we wanted to switch gears and dig into a very specific subject that sits high on many airline agendas and that many of you asked us to explore in more detail. For this episode, I traveled to Budapest to sit down with David Minorics, Business Development Director at Mito Performance. Through Mito’s airline-focused branch 815Labs, David has worked on numerous airline digital marketing and SEO projects and is now leading GEO pilots and initiatives for airlines and other travel brands. In this episode, we talk about: What Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is and how it differs from traditional SEO Why GEO is about being recommended by AI, not just being found How AI-powered search synthesizes information and what query fan-out means in practice The key elements of the GEO playbook for airlines How airlines can benchmark GEO visibility and sentiment What GEO metrics and KPIs actually matter How airline marketing teams can start GEO pilot projects Early learnings from GEO pilots, including projects with airlines This episode is a practical, no-hype conversation about how AI-powered search is changing airline visibility, marketing, and digital strategy. David shares hands-on insights that make this a must-listen for airline marketers, digital teams, and anyone responsible for airline distribution and brand presence. RESOURCES: Full article with highlights and key takeaways from this episode: https://diggintravel.com/airline-generative-engine-optimization/

This is the fifth episode of our 2025 Airline Leaders Series, brought to you in partnership with 815Labs! For this episode, we traveled to Lisbon during the World Aviation Festival to meet with Jason Ward, Vice President of Marketing and People at Azul Airlines. In this episode, we talk about: How Jason’s journey across Morris Air, Southwest, JetBlue, TAP Portugal, and Azul shaped his people-first leadership style Why empathy and culture are the foundations of brand loyalty The OPA (Observe, Perceive, Attend) model and how it drives great service at Azul How technology and AI can enhance, not replace, the human touch Azul’s community-driven purpose and a breakdown of their special “O Céu do Brasil é Azul” (“The Sky of Brazil is Blue”) campaign Why curiosity and learning are still the most important skills for the future of airline leadership This episode offers a refreshing perspective on leadership, culture, and airline customer experience from one of the industry’s most experienced voices. RESOURCES: Full article with highlights and takeaways from this episode: https://diggintravel.com/airline-leaders-jason-ward-azul-airlines/

This is the fourth episode of our 2025 Airline Leaders Series, brought to you in partnership with 815Labs! In this series, we speak with top airline digital and ecommerce leaders to uncover how they drive growth, optimize digital performance, and build smarter strategies for the future. For this episode, we traveled to Lisbon during the World Aviation Festival to meet with Juliana Ramirez, Chief Digital Officer at Flair Airlines. In this episode, we talk about: Building a “team of builders” and creating a culture of ownership Balancing startup agility with corporate focus The Flair FWD initiative and using digital products to rebuild customer trust How guarantees like On-Time, Checked Bag, Travel Flex, and Disruption remove friction and build brand trust The value of direct customer feedback through Flair’s Feedback Forums Why curiosity and learning are the key skills for digital professionals in the age of AI This episode is packed with insights on leadership, digital transformation, and culture for airline digital, product, and marketing professionals who want to learn how to move fast while building trust. RESOURCES: Full article with highlights and takeaways from this episode: https://diggintravel.com/airline-leaders-juliana-ramirez-flair-airlines/

This is the third episode of our 2025 Airline Leaders Series, brought to you in partnership with 815Labs! In this series, we speak with top airline digital and ecommerce leaders to uncover how they drive growth, optimize digital performance, and build smarter strategies for the future. For this episode, we traveled to Lisbon to meet with Sara Walter de Freitas, Head of Digital & eCommerce at TAP Air Portugal. In this episode, we talk about: Sara’s unique journey—from a marketing intern at TAP to leading its digital transformation The 3-year transformation model: Assess – Fix – Accelerate Why cultural change is harder (and more important) than tech upgrades How consistency, trust, and resilience shape better airline digital experiences The role of experimentation, data, and collaboration in driving smarter decisions This episode is full of actionable insights for airline digital, UX, product, and ecommerce professionals navigating complex transformation and customer experience challenges. RESOURCES: Full article with highlights and takeaways from this episode: https://diggintravel.com/airline-leaders-interview-series-tap-air-portugal/

This is the second episode of our 2025 Airline Leaders Series, brought to you in partnership with 815Labs! In this series, we speak with top airline digital and ecommerce leaders to uncover how they drive growth, optimize digital performance, and build smarter strategies for the future. For this episode, we traveled to Istanbul to meet with Sevilay Gökduman, Group Head of Digital Channel Management & e-Commerce at Pegasus Airlines. In this episode, we talk about: Sevilay’s 16-year journey from revenue management to leading digital team at Pegasus How Pegasus is using gamification and loyalty to boost mobile app engagement Why the BolBol program is at the heart of their digital strategy Personalization and the challenges of building a smarter booking flow The role of testing, CRO, and agile teams in Pegasus’ digital growth This episode is full of practical insights for airline digital, UX, loyalty, and ecommerce professionals looking to create better user experiences and long-term engagement. RESOURCES: Full article with highlights and takeaways from this episode: https://diggintravel.com/airline-leaders-pegasus-digital-loyalty/

This is the kickoff episode of our 2025 Airline Leaders Series, brought to you in partnership with 815Labs! In this series, we speak with top airline digital and ecommerce leaders to uncover how they drive growth, optimize digital performance, and build smarter strategies for the future. We’re starting strong with Ismael Monzón, Head of Digital Growth at Air Europa—a longtime friend of the Diggintravel Podcast and one of our earliest collaborators. In this episode, recorded live in Palma de Mallorca, we talk about: How Air Europa’s digital growth team evolved post-COVID Optimizing landing pages and value propositions for 30+ markets Personalization, CDPs, and a test-and-learn approach to AI Balancing day-to-day execution with long-term strategic thinking Lessons from Ismael’s journey from CRO expert to digital leader This episode is full of insights for airline digital, marketing, data, and ecommerce professionals looking to grow both their results and their leadership skills. RESOURCES: Full article with highlights and takeaways from this episode: https://diggintravel.com/airline-leaders-air-europa-digita-growth/

This is the latest episode in our Airline UX Series in partnership with 815Labs! In this series, we’re speaking with top airline and travel UX leaders to uncover the secrets behind building exceptional digital experiences. This time, we explore airline digital platforms, product teams, and the build vs. buy dilemma with insights from Remus Moraru, an ecommerce leader who spent seven years building digital products, UX teams, and airline ecommerce at Wizz Air. This episode covers: The balancing act of airline ecommerce – why airlines must align UX, ticket sales, and ancillaries without creating friction. Building strong, autonomous product teams – lessons from Wizz Air on structuring digital teams for speed and agility. What it takes to develop great airline digital products – key insights from projects like Fare Finder and Wizzride. The build vs. buy dilemma – when airlines should invest in custom platforms and when buying off-the-shelf solutions makes more sense. This episode is packed with valuable takeaways for airline UX, digital retailing, and product strategy leaders looking to build better digital experiences and platforms. RESOURCES: You can find the full article with key insights, quotes, and takeaways from this episode here: https://diggintravel.com/airline-ux-series-digital-products-ux-teams/

This is the fifth podcast in our Airline UX Series in partnership with 815Labs! In this series, we’re speaking with top airline and travel UX leaders to uncover the secrets behind building exceptional digital experiences. This time, we dive into the world of digital analytics and data-driven UX with Kamran Emre Sayin, Digital Analytics and MarTech Leader at Turkish Airlines Technology. His team recently implemented a sophisticated analytics framework that helps measure and optimize user experience across Turkish Airlines’ digital platforms. Kamran shares insights on: Tracking 400+ event-level dimensions to improve the booking journey Ensuring clean, reliable data for better decision-making Moving toward server-side tracking and qualitative analytics to uncover deeper insights The impact of AI on analytics and the challenges of a cookieless future This episode is packed with actionable takeaways for airline digital and UX leaders looking to leverage analytics for better user experiences and business results. RESOURCES: You can find the full article with key insights, quotes, and takeaways from this episode here: https://diggintravel.com/airline-data-driven-ux-turkish-airlines/

This is the fourth podcast in our Airline UX Series in partnership with 815Labs! In this series, we’re speaking with top airline and travel UX leaders to uncover the secrets behind building exceptional digital experiences. This episode is a special one, recorded on the road in Belgrade with Srdjan Prokić, Head of E-Commerce at Air Serbia. Srdjan shares his journey of building Air Serbia’s mobile app from scratch and offers practical insights into mobile-first design, collaborating with UX agencies, and using user feedback to tackle complex airline challenges. From simplifying payment flows to innovative features like the histogram for flexible pricing, Srdjan provides real-world examples of how Air Serbia creates seamless mobile experiences. RESOURCES: You can find the full article with examples, key concepts, quotes, and other notes from this chat here: https://diggintravel.com/airline-ux-series-mobile-first-design/  

This is the third podcast in our Airline UX Series in partnership with 815Labs! In this series we're speaking with top airline and travel UX leaders to uncover what it takes to build outstanding digital experiences. This time, our guest is Martyn Reding—former Head of Digital Experience for an airline at Virgin Atlantic and now Director of User Experience Design at Expedia. He also developed his own platform where he is mentoring designers and managers from the global UX community. So, Martyn really is one of the best people from our industry to talk about digital experience and UX design. RESOURCES: You can find the full article with examples, key concepts, quotes, and other notes from this chat here: https://diggintravel.com/airline-ux-design-teams-in-travel/