An AI travel assistant that gives passengers control and peace of mind during flight disruptions
Role:
Team: Jack Q, Krishna S, Phoenix L, Jimmia T
Timeline: 1/14/25—3/14/25
The Opportunity
Northwestern’s EDI program partners with industry leaders annually for its interaction design course. This year, we collaborated with a major U.S. airline (confidential) to reimagine the customer experience during irregular flight operations—also known as “IROPs.”
Currently…
IROPs create challenges across the board:
For customers: it's the stress and confusion of canceled or delayed flights—often with little transparency or support.
For airline staff: it's the overwhelming task of fielding requests and rebookings during high-pressure moments.
For the business: it means overstaffing “just in case,” leading to inefficiencies when operations are running normally.
The Problem
To better understand how IROPs impact travelers, we visited Chicago’s Midway Airport during an actual disruption. Through live observation and interviews with both passengers and staff, we uncovered valuable insights, most notably that rebooking stood out as the most overwhelming part of the IROP experience for passengers, triggering long wait times, uncertainty, and emotional fatigue.
Key Insights
Job To Be Done
“When my flight is delayed or canceled, I want to rebook quickly and confidently, so I can regain control of my travel plans and reduce stress.”
The high-level goals that defined my design:
Emotional: Reduce anxiety, feel supported, regain a sense of agency.
Functional: Find and confirm a new flight easily, avoid long lines, get help if needed.
More Coming Soon
