product management usability testing 6th february 2006

Product Management

Usability Testing6th February 2006

Seating Implementation6th February 2006

2 Product Management

Agenda

1. Background• Current policy• Reasons to change• New policy• Principles of new policy

2. Objective for testing3. What’s new

• Flight confirmation page• MMB change (for existing bookings)

4. Where it takes me5. What we want to test6. Test scenarios



Background - current policy

We know:– Today’s policy is not understood by customers and staff– We are making it work today by excess man power (7million changes globally

p.a.) and by taking a hit on punctuality– Today’s policy is largely first come first served until we reach our % targets of

each cabin – Its broken

At any one time we can’t tell a customer what they are entitled to:– A gold card holder never knows if he will be able to select a seat or not– A Club World customer doesn’t know if he is entitled to select at seat or not at

time of booking – A mother travelling with small children doesn’t know if she will be able to

select a seat

BA is not differentiated from any other airline in this area as the majority of other airlines operate their seating policy in the same way



Background - reasons to change

SimplificationA new policy that is easy to understand and communicate (both internally and externally);

Promote self-serviceCustomers utilising self service check-in channels will have greater choice of seats, including ‘more desirable seats’ previously not available. The choice of seats will visibly decrease over time. Self service is key to T5;

Reward our most valuable customersCurrent ‘first come first served’ policy penalises our late (high value) bookers;



Background - new policy

Extra custom - more controlCan select a seat when they book and change it at any time until they check in, via any channel• Premier, Gold and Silver Executive Club members and oneworld equivalents • Those travelling in FIRST• Those travelling in full fare tickets booked in J,C,W,Y• Those travelling on a corporate dealt ticket

Exceptions: Extra Care passengers travelling with infants & those for whom we have a legal obligation

Everyone – more choiceFull choice of all available seats when online check in opens (unable to request a seat or state a seat preference before check in opens)

Extra care – more helpAllocated a seat before online check in opens; can change their allocated seat when they check in, via any channel• Passengers travelling with children aged 2-11• Other special needs• Group bookings of more than 9 in economy, 6 in Club

Exceptions: Extra Custom passengers travelling in the Euro Traveller cabin (Y,B,H) will be allocated a seat according to preference due to the moving curtain



Background - principles of the new policy

• Eligible passengers are able to choose from ALL available seats. Previously we held seats back;

• Far more seats will be available through online check-in (eg. 28 in old policy, 194 in new!) because we are allocating seats to fewer people before check-in opens;

•This means that some people (typically those paying a lower fare) will no longer be able to choose a seat at time of booking;

• The ‘best’ seats will be available for selection (exit rows/bulkhead/front row);

• We are improving the seat map so that passengers can make a more informed choice about where they sit;

• If we change a passengers seat we will let them know via MMB;

• Passengers won’t be able to change their seat after boarding pass is issued.



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Seat Blocking – new policy

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2. Objectives for testing

Understand customer’s reaction to new screens (not the policy!);

• Understand the customer’s perspective and preferred process for researching and choosing a seat on ba.com;

• Ensure that all ba.com customers are able to find out when/where they are able to choose their seat;

• Ensure that those passengers eligible to choose their seat are doing so in the majority of cases;



4. New functionality - flight confirmation page

New ‘seating’ button will appear on flight confirmation page for ALL bookings made on ba.com.



Where does the button take me ?

On clicking the link the system will THINK (ie. determine the eligibility of the booking) and take it through to one of three places:

1. Custom - at least ONE sector of your booking is eligible for seating (it may be that some sectors are not eligible for seating);

2. Special care - BA will allocate your seat(s) 3 days prior to departure;

3. Everyone else - only able to choose seat(s) at time of check-in;

However, (perhaps confusingly) the three pages will have the same look and feel to ensure consistency.



1. Custom – at least one sector is eligible for seating



2. Special care – BA will allocate 3 days prior to departure

No consent required as they are not choosing seats.



3. Everyone – able to choose seats at check-in

Again, no consent required.

Does the ‘more information’ answer all of their questions?

Would they like more information shown (such as when check-in opens?)



There is another way to get to the 3 new screens

For existing bookings, customers can access the same three seating screens via ‘Manage my Booking’ (MMB).

The MMB landing page will be tailored according to seating eligibility within the booking.

1. Custom Will see an important message asking them to choose their seats if they haven’t

already done so;2. Special Care Will see links to seating (previously greyed out);3. Everyone Will see links to seating (previously greyed

out).

All links will take customers through to the same three screens already mentioned.



What’s new for Custom group in MMB?

Customers eligible to choose seats, who have not yet done so, will be prompted to choose their seat with an ‘important message’.

Shortcuts will contain a link through to seating. Wording to be defined but will be tailored and read either ‘choose/view seats’ or something similar.



What’s new for ‘Special care’ and ‘Everyone’

Key difference - these customers will always be able to access information on seating.

Today – if they are not able to choose a seat the button is simply greyed out, with little explanation.

The seating link will take customers through to one of the three pages outlined earlier.

Question – are customers able to find seating information easily?

Does it meet their needs?



MMB – other sources of seating information

Seating information will be available through other tabs (yet to be mocked up).

These will be located in either:

a) ‘Before my flight’, or

b) ‘On board’

• Understand where customers would look for seating information.

• Does the information provided satisfy their needs?

• Would they like to seat maps even if they weren’t allowed to choose a seat?



5. What we want to test

a) Different sectors might mean different eligibility;

b) EuroTraveller preference capture is new and complex;

c) BA initiated seat changes – customer reaction to the information;

d) New seat map information;



a) Different sectors might mean different eligibility;

Do customers understand why they are able to choose a seat on one sector and not the other?

EDI – LHR ineligible for seating (discounted fare)

LHR – MIA eligible for seating (full fare)



b) Euro-Traveller preference capture is new and complex

Euro-traveller preference capture – option 1

In line with our competitors, BA do not offer any pre-seating in the Euro-traveller cabin because of the complexity of the ‘moving curtain’

Preference is requested for each passenger in the sector.

Do they work out that they potentially won’t be sitting next to each other?

Does the ‘information’ adequately explain the process?



b) Euro-Traveller preference capture is new and complex

Euro-traveller preference capture – option 2

Only once preference is captured for the booking.

Will the information’ adequately explain why this is the case.

Does anyone mention that they would rather NOT sit next to others in their party?



c) BA initiated seat changes – customer reaction to the information

Under the new policy we will advise customers if their allocated seat has been changed.

At present, we will only be advising customers via MMB and will NOT be sending out proactive communication (for example, email)



d) New seat map information

Example of the current seat map



d) New seat map information

Emergency exits

• will be highlighted in red;

• under current policy these seats are always kept for allocation at the check-in desk (except for shorthaul);

Warning message (bottom)

• shown if passenger selects these seats;

• customer will be unable to confirm seats until they have checked the box accepting that they fulfil the criteria;

Toilets, galleys and bulkheads

• will be shown;

Cot positions

•highlighted showing whether occupied or available for selection;

•until check-in opens the cot seats will only be visible to bookings with an infant in them. Other passengers will see them as occupied until check-in opens at –24hrs;



6. Test scenarios

product management usability testing 6th february 2006

Documents

seating policy

allocated seat

seat preference

seat blocking

seat map

seat ba

g c j f b h e

new policy eligible