The Company
During my time with RewardOps, in collaboration with Air Canada’s in-house design team, we were involved in redesigning the new Aeroplan Points website and app. They would use RewardOps’ API-based software and wanted us to design the user experience and participate in the user interface redesign.
My Role: Senior Product Designer
Tools & Methods: Planning & Road Mapping | DesignOps & Leadership | Discovery & Research | Design Strategy & Thinking | Project Management Tools | Figma | User Journeys & Flows | Prototyping | Agile methodology | Cross-Team Collaboration
The Task: Update the Aeroplan Rewards Website & App
How do you reinvent a long-standing program with deeply passionate fans? When the ambition is to be the best, envisioning change has to be just as grand. The latest Aeroplan transformation involved a total brand redesign—conceptualized by Air Canada’s in–house creative team, which knew the strategy most intimately—as well as consumer research that went deep and wide. It was a privilege to work alongside such an accomplished and dedicated team.
Over 20 months, members of the in–house team listened to 36,000 consumers from around the world. Engaging in a type of research called ethnography, sitting down with people in their homes to see how they planned to travel and venture through airports. Although this was highly time-consuming, it was the only way to create the perfect product for the customer.
As the Senior Product Designer, my role was to:
Craft the user experience of all the steps, from logging in to the customer using their earned points to purchasing merchandise.
Design in close collaboration with the Aeroplan in-house design team, Product Owners, functional analysts, data analysts, architects, and developers to develop solutions that meet the business requirements concerning the scope and technical constraints.
Deliver user flows, high-fidelity mockups, and functional prototypes that are tested to validate/invalidate assumptions.
Participate in promotional material, including videos and advertisements.
Past & Present Designs
The Process
In developing the transformed Aeroplan, we started with only two things; Air Canada’s CEO asked us to ‘Show us what the best travel loyalty program in the world looks like’. And two, they wanted a program that would appeal to all of Air Canada’s customers. Everything else was informed by research. The last thing we wanted to do was alienate existing loyal customers; we aimed to simplify the process of booking flights, using your points, and the ability to combine your points with cash and purchase merchandise - this was a huge undertaking.
As discussed above, the most important part of the process was the overlap of the listening, building, and designing phases so that concepts could return to the cycle for feedback. Recurring themes came through loud and clear: the importance of family and close friends in loyalty decisions directly inspired new features, including Aeroplan Family Sharing. Up to eight family members can earn and redeem points in a shared plan and collectively get preferred pricing if anyone in the group is an Elite Status Member or primary Aeroplan credit cardholder.
The research process also involved checking out both direct and indirect competition. We knew some of the best loyalty experiences weren’t even in travel, so we cast a wide net. We then benchmarked against over 40 programs in a half–dozen countries, looking at other airlines, hotels, proprietary credit cards, and retail. We learned exactly how they worked, spoke to members, and learned from them.
The Updated Aeroplan Rewards Website
Updated design of the new Aeroplan Rewards Website
The Updated Aeroplan Rewards App
The time and effort it took to transform Aeroplan have created what Air Canada now proudly considers the most beneficial loyalty program in the country. No program in Canada has a higher reward rate. We’re very excited to offer it to our loyal customers and give them the best possible product they deserve, and we will continue to develop and improve it.
Solutions added to the new Aeroplan:
No More Cash Surcharges — Redeeming for a flight reward won’t require paying extra out of pocket – potentially saving you hundreds of dollars.
More and Better Ways to Earn Points — Collect points on every Air Canada® flight you book in cash on aircanada.com or the official app, regardless of the fare class.
Aeroplan Family Sharing — Up to eight family members can earn points together – and reach rewards faster – for free.
Flight Rewards, Simplified—There are no restrictions or blackout periods. If there’s a seat available on an Air Canada flight, you can book it with points.
New Aeroplan Elite™ Status—Loyalty benefits include preferred pricing on flight rewards, complimentary checked baggage, and much more. Plus, you can upgrade a friend’s travel experience with a Status Pass—an industry first.
Promotional Video: Introducing the new Aeroplan design
Air Canada: Get to know Aeroplan Flight Rewards. Rollout promotional video introducing the new Aeroplan redesign to the public.