CASE STUDY • AIRLINE / TRAVEL
United Airlines
Led program delivery for an enterprise personalization platform, serving as the orchestration layer for contextual messaging, recommendations, and cross-channel customer experiences
Role: Primary Project Manager / Program Lead, Personalization Platform
Scope: Enterprise Personalization · Agile / Scrum Delivery · United.com & Mobile · Cross-Functional Program Leadership · AI & Contextual Messaging · Recommendations · KPI Frameworks
Situation
United Airlines was investing in digital transformation to create more relevant, data-driven customer experiences across United.com and mobile. The opportunity extended beyond isolated features to building a scalable personalization capability that could coordinate messaging, offers, and experiences across the customer journey.
The personalization platform functioned as the orchestration layer connecting data, decisioning, and delivery systems, enabling downstream capabilities such as contextual communications, conversational experiences, flight recommendations, location-based personalization, and AI-powered offers.
Problem
- Fragmented systems limited the ability to deliver coordinated, personalized experiences across channels.
- Enterprise-scale personalization required structured release cycles, testing, and stakeholder alignment.
- Multiple teams and platforms created complexity across priorities, dependencies, and delivery timelines.
- New digital experiences needed clearer measurement frameworks tied to engagement, conversion, and revenue impact.
Solution
- Program Leadership: served as the primary project manager for the personalization platform and coordinated delivery across cross-functional teams.
- Agile / Scrum Framework: established Agile and Scrum systems to support iterative development, testing, release, and continuous improvement.
- Orchestration Layer: enabled the platform to connect customer data, decisioning logic, and delivery systems across digital touchpoints.
- Measurement & Optimization: partnered with analytics teams to define KPIs and performance frameworks tied to engagement and revenue outcomes.
Key Outcomes & KPIs
$100M+
Incremental revenue generated through personalization, targeted offers, and journey optimization.
Enterprise Scale
50+ stakeholders aligned across marketing, product, engineering, analytics, and partner teams.
Multi-Channel
Web, mobile, conversational platforms, and airport-based personalization experiences.
Agile Delivery
Scrum-based release framework supporting iterative testing, delivery, security, and scalability.
Operational Efficiency
Automated release cycles and recommendation logic improved reliability, efficiency, and performance.
Customer Relevance
More personalized experiences improved engagement across the customer journey: discovery, booking, check-in, and airport interactions.
Attribution & Testing
- KPI frameworks tied personalized experiences to engagement and revenue outcomes.
- Cross-functional testing and validation supported release quality and optimization.
- Ongoing performance review informed future iterations and platform expansion.
Cross-Functional Scope
- Marketing, product, engineering, analytics, and external partners aligned around shared delivery goals.
- Complex dependencies managed across enterprise systems and customer-facing platforms.
- Platform enabled multiple downstream capabilities through one coordinated orchestration layer.
Product Developed
Conversational Platform
Helped advance United’s conversational capabilities, including Ask United check-in for Google Home and Alexa, positioning the airline as an early market leader in voice-enabled travel experiences.
Location-Based Platform
Extended personalization into airport environments using beacon technology to support frontline service, contextual offers, and improved customer experience.
Ancillary Products & Flight Recommendations
Enabled recommendations based on customer purchase behavior and propensity modeling to improve relevance, efficiency, and performance through more automated release cycles.
MilePlay & Travel Inspiration
Supported AI-powered gamified offers and personalized discovery experiences that increased engagement, encouraged desired behaviors meeting the customer where they were, from inspiration to take off and future journeys together.
Elisa Hodapp 