US Airways' Web site gets major makeover
Christia Gibbons
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 30, 2007 07:47 PM
When America West merged with US Airways in 2005, it quickly became apparent that the carrier needed a better way to let its passengers travel through cyberspace.
Neither had an adequate Web site for all that came with the new company.
America West's site was technically up to date but didn't have the type of navigation needed for a larger carrier offering lots of options. advertisement
"It's like America West was in the minor leagues, and once we got into the majors, expectations were higher," said Travis Christ, vice president for sales and marketing for Tempe-based US Airways Group. "We moved from Phoenix and Las Vegas as the center of the world to Phoenix, Charlotte, Washington (D.C.) and New York."
So the airline set about revamping its Web site. The $10million project, which is ongoing, is expected to be complete by next summer. In the meantime, customers are likely to notice changes and upgrades every few weeks.
An airline Web site, which has a direct bearing on revenue via ticket booking, needs to function smoothly.
And what was in place didn't.
For example, America West's Web page featured a drop-down menu of destinations. But the setup didn't make sense for US Airways, which is part of the Star Alliance, a partnership program that connects 17 airlines worldwide to more than 800 destinations.
Now, passengers simply type in the name of the city they wish to travel to.
The airline says site changes are expected to speed up Web check-in by 50percent and the booking process by 40percent. Where it once took eight pages to get a boarding pass, it now takes two.
"There will be a day next summer when the look and feel will be different. ... In the meantime, a lot of different stuff is kicking in about every eight weeks," Christ said.
Testing the changes
To help assess the redesign, passengers are testing the site.
US Airways has asked elite-class fliers for their opinions, and about 1,000 customers have given feedback.
US Airways passenger Kurt Erickson of Cave Creek has been part of the testing program. He said he liked the larger print and more-attractive design.
"More things stand out," Erickson said. "I was able to navigate the old one pretty easily, but the new one is going to be faster."
In addition, the airline is keeping track of what it is seeing from the everyday user.
US Airways has partnered with Bob Atkinson, a professor in the division of psychology in education at Arizona State University.
Recently, Atkinson was sitting at his computer in one of the US Airways club lounges at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, tracking and recording the eye movement of a volunteer using the new site.
He ran the volunteer through some common Web site uses, such as booking flights, checking status or checking in.
By scanning the movement of the user's eyeball, Atkinson said he could assess strengths and weaknesses of the site.
"It helps us identify where the customer is looking and what attracts their attention and what we might be missing," Atkinson said.
Competitive edge
Christ said US Airways is behind when it comes to its Web site because other major carriers had a 10-year head start in evolving, improving and expanding their sites.
"We fully recognize that our current site, while functional and capable, is still not the industry-leading Web site that our customers expect," Christ said. "The new usairways.com will be competitive with the best in the industry, and we have a small army of experts working to make that happen."
Delta Airlines and Continental Airlines, which feature easy-to-navigate Web sites that allow passengers to read about fare sales, check flight status, print a boarding pass and perform myriad other tasks, are considered industry leaders.
US Airways hopes to learn from them.
Considering Delta and Continental airlines the Web sites to beat, Christ added, "We intend to take advantage of our rebuilding status to pick up best practices from across the industry and apply them to our site."
Christia Gibbons
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 30, 2007 07:47 PM
When America West merged with US Airways in 2005, it quickly became apparent that the carrier needed a better way to let its passengers travel through cyberspace.
Neither had an adequate Web site for all that came with the new company.
America West's site was technically up to date but didn't have the type of navigation needed for a larger carrier offering lots of options. advertisement
"It's like America West was in the minor leagues, and once we got into the majors, expectations were higher," said Travis Christ, vice president for sales and marketing for Tempe-based US Airways Group. "We moved from Phoenix and Las Vegas as the center of the world to Phoenix, Charlotte, Washington (D.C.) and New York."
So the airline set about revamping its Web site. The $10million project, which is ongoing, is expected to be complete by next summer. In the meantime, customers are likely to notice changes and upgrades every few weeks.
An airline Web site, which has a direct bearing on revenue via ticket booking, needs to function smoothly.
And what was in place didn't.
For example, America West's Web page featured a drop-down menu of destinations. But the setup didn't make sense for US Airways, which is part of the Star Alliance, a partnership program that connects 17 airlines worldwide to more than 800 destinations.
Now, passengers simply type in the name of the city they wish to travel to.
The airline says site changes are expected to speed up Web check-in by 50percent and the booking process by 40percent. Where it once took eight pages to get a boarding pass, it now takes two.
"There will be a day next summer when the look and feel will be different. ... In the meantime, a lot of different stuff is kicking in about every eight weeks," Christ said.
Testing the changes
To help assess the redesign, passengers are testing the site.
US Airways has asked elite-class fliers for their opinions, and about 1,000 customers have given feedback.
US Airways passenger Kurt Erickson of Cave Creek has been part of the testing program. He said he liked the larger print and more-attractive design.
"More things stand out," Erickson said. "I was able to navigate the old one pretty easily, but the new one is going to be faster."
In addition, the airline is keeping track of what it is seeing from the everyday user.
US Airways has partnered with Bob Atkinson, a professor in the division of psychology in education at Arizona State University.
Recently, Atkinson was sitting at his computer in one of the US Airways club lounges at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, tracking and recording the eye movement of a volunteer using the new site.
He ran the volunteer through some common Web site uses, such as booking flights, checking status or checking in.
By scanning the movement of the user's eyeball, Atkinson said he could assess strengths and weaknesses of the site.
"It helps us identify where the customer is looking and what attracts their attention and what we might be missing," Atkinson said.
Competitive edge
Christ said US Airways is behind when it comes to its Web site because other major carriers had a 10-year head start in evolving, improving and expanding their sites.
"We fully recognize that our current site, while functional and capable, is still not the industry-leading Web site that our customers expect," Christ said. "The new usairways.com will be competitive with the best in the industry, and we have a small army of experts working to make that happen."
Delta Airlines and Continental Airlines, which feature easy-to-navigate Web sites that allow passengers to read about fare sales, check flight status, print a boarding pass and perform myriad other tasks, are considered industry leaders.
US Airways hopes to learn from them.
Considering Delta and Continental airlines the Web sites to beat, Christ added, "We intend to take advantage of our rebuilding status to pick up best practices from across the industry and apply them to our site."
