The Diggintravel Podcast

Iztok Franko
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Success stories told by the digital leaders. At best you’ll get inspired to do great digital work. At worst you’ll learn about new interesting people from airline, travel, digital and experimentation world. Narrated by Iztok Franko, founder of Diggintravel.com and a digital enthusiast.

  1. 2d ago

    How Airlines Become Data Driven: Does Marketing Actually Drive More Bookings?

    In the fourth and final episode of the How Airlines Become Data Driven series, we move from analysing relationships to one of the most difficult questions in airline marketing: does marketing actually generate additional demand and bookings? Traditional attribution can show which marketing channel received credit for a conversion. But it cannot necessarily tell us whether that booking happened because of the campaign or whether the customer would have booked anyway. In this episode, I share a practical six-step framework for moving beyond attribution and correlation towards measuring the incremental impact of airline marketing. In this episode, we talk about: Why airline digital teams rarely reach the incrementality stage The difference between attribution, correlation and causation How to define the business outcome or key metric you want to influence Why airline teams need trusted, connected data before attempting advanced measurement How external factors such as capacity, pricing, seasonality and competitor activity can influence results Why clear hypotheses are the starting point for meaningful analysis How existing or deliberately created variability makes marketing impact measurable How correlation, regression analysis and experimentation can help teams test their assumptions How market matching, causal-impact analysis and GeoLift tests can estimate incremental lift Where Marketing Mix Modeling fits into the measurement toolkit Why collaboration between airline marketing teams and data scientists is critical Why marketing leaders must be willing to challenge previous decisions, learn and adjust future investments The episode is accompanied by a companion article featuring a visual six-step framework and five practical examples from airline consulting projects. These examples illustrate how airline teams can explore relationships between advertising and bookings, develop hypotheses, create test periods, compare treatment and control markets, and estimate incremental impact using different data science methods. Explaining all the technical details behind these methods is beyond the scope of one podcast. Instead, the episode focuses on the practical questions airline marketing and analytics teams need to ask, the conditions required for meaningful measurement, and the importance of building a bridge between business experts and data scientists. Whether you are evaluating an individual campaign, questioning the value of paid brand search, measuring the impact of brand advertising, or deciding how to allocate your marketing budget, the central question is the same: did your marketing create additional demand and bookings, or would they have happened anyway? RESOURCES: Read the companion article with the six-step framework, practical airline marketing analytics examples, charts, experiments and key takeaways from this episode: https://diggintravel.com/does-airline-marketing-drive-more-bookings/

  2. Jul 30

    How Airlines Become Data Driven: Connecting The Dots

    In the third episode of the How Airlines Become Data Driven series, we move from measurement to analysis and explore one of the most valuable habits I've developed during five years of consulting with airline ecommerce and digital marketing teams. Rather than starting with individual reports, campaigns, or marketing channels, I explain why airline teams should first consolidate their data, build a joined view of performance, and analyse it from the top down. This simple six-step framework has become the foundation of almost every airline analytics and reporting project I've worked on. In this episode, we talk about: Why airline data often lives in disconnected systems A practical six-step framework for airline marketing analytics How to consolidate backend bookings, web analytics, search demand, and marketing data into one joined view Why top-down analysis helps avoid paralysis by analysis How to build high-level airline performance dashboards Why breaking trends down into meaningful segments leads to better insights How external data sources, such as airline seat capacity, provide critical market and competitive context Why connecting the right datasets is the foundation for better business decisions This episode is accompanied by a comprehensive companion article featuring 10 real-world reporting examples, dashboards, charts, and visualizations from airline consulting projects. The article expands on the framework discussed in the podcast and demonstrates how it can be applied to bookings, web traffic, flight searches, Google Ads, campaign segmentation, market analysis, airline capacity data, competitor benchmarking, and more. Whether you're building weekly performance reports, evaluating marketing campaigns, or trying to create a more data-driven airline organization, the principles are the same: start with the big picture, connect your data, and only then drill into the details that matter. RESOURCES: Read the companion article with 10 practical airline analytics examples, reporting dashboards, charts, and key takeaways from this episode: https://diggintravel.com/airline-data-connecting-the-dots/

  3. Jun 26

    How Airlines Become Data Driven: Why Airline Digital Tracking Is Never Perfect

    In the second episode of the How Airlines Become Data Driven series, we move from the big picture to the first practical step of building a more data-driven airline ecommerce and digital marketing team. In my experience, every airline analytics project starts in the same place: understanding how accurate your digital data really is. Before optimizing campaigns, running experiments, evaluating the impact of digital spend, or making strategic marketing decisions, you need to know whether you can trust the data you're looking at. Drawing on five years of hands-on consulting with airline ecommerce and digital marketing teams, I explain why measuring data accuracy and tracking discrepancies between digital analytics platforms and backend systems should become one of the first habits every airline digital team builds. In this episode, we talk about: Why data accuracy is the foundation of every analytics and optimization project Why many airline teams don't know how accurate their digital analytics data really is How digital measurement has changed with GA4, privacy regulations, consent management, browser restrictions, and server-side tracking Why there is no single "correct" analytics architecture for every airline Why measuring tracking discrepancy is more important than chasing perfect tracking Practical approaches to measuring discrepancies between GA4, server-side tracking, and backend systems Why regular discrepancy tracking should become one of the first habits every airline digital team builds How to investigate discrepancies by segmenting data across countries, devices, browsers, and customer groups A real-world example of identifying a major tracking issue following a GA3 to GA4 migration Whether you use GA4, Adobe Analytics, server-side tracking, or a custom analytics platform, the principles are the same: understand the limitations of your measurement, validate it against a trusted source of truth, and build confidence in your data before making important business decisions. RESOURCES: Full article with practical examples, charts, and key takeaways from this episode: https://diggintravel.com/why-airline-digital-tracking-is-never-perfect/

  4. Jun 11

    How Airlines Become Data Driven: What Five Years of Airline Consulting Taught Me About Data

    After a six-month break, the Diggintravel Podcast is back with the start of a new series: How Airlines Become Data Driven. Over the last five years, alongside hosting more than 70 conversations with airline leaders, digital executives, UX experts, and industry practitioners, I have also spent much of my time working directly with airline ecommerce and digital marketing teams. These projects ranged from helping airlines improve digital measurement and analytics foundations, to building joined views of marketing and ecommerce performance, to more advanced experimentation and data science initiatives designed to better understand what actually drives airline business results. In this first episode of the series, I share some of the biggest lessons and observations from those consulting engagements and explain why becoming data driven is often much harder than it looks. In this episode, we talk about: Why I decided to bring the Diggintravel Podcast back after a six-month break Why this series is a return to Diggintravel's roots in airline ecommerce, analytics, UX, and digital marketing The different types of airlines and digital teams I have worked with over the last five years Why airline size matters less than organizational maturity The three stages of becoming data driven: foundations, insights, and causation Why building a common view of the business is often more important than building another dashboard How constant change, shifting priorities, and organizational complexity make data-driven transformation difficult Why routines, habits, and shared understanding are critical ingredients of data-driven culture Why alignment across marketing, ecommerce, analytics, IT, UX, and leadership often matters more than technology This episode serves as an introduction to the broader How Airlines Become Data Driven series and lays the foundation for the topics we'll explore in future episodes, including measurement, analytics, experimentation, organizational learning, and AI-driven change. If you're involved in airline ecommerce, digital marketing, analytics, data science, or digital transformation, this episode provides a practical perspective on what it really takes to build a more data-driven organization. RESOURCES: Full article with highlights and key takeaways from this episode: https://diggintravel.com/how-airlines-become-data-driven/

  5. 12/18/2025

    Airline Generative Engine Optimization Explained: What Every Aviation Marketer Must Know

    This episode closes out the 2025 Diggintravel Podcast season with a deep dive into one of the topics that kept coming up in our Airline Leaders Series conversations: Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). After a year of interviews with airline CMOs, CDOs, and digital leaders in partnership with 815Labs, we wanted to switch gears and dig into a very specific subject that sits high on many airline agendas and that many of you asked us to explore in more detail. For this episode, I traveled to Budapest to sit down with David Minorics, Business Development Director at Mito Performance. Through Mito’s airline-focused branch 815Labs, David has worked on numerous airline digital marketing and SEO projects and is now leading GEO pilots and initiatives for airlines and other travel brands. In this episode, we talk about: What Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is and how it differs from traditional SEO Why GEO is about being recommended by AI, not just being found How AI-powered search synthesizes information and what query fan-out means in practice The key elements of the GEO playbook for airlines How airlines can benchmark GEO visibility and sentiment What GEO metrics and KPIs actually matter How airline marketing teams can start GEO pilot projects Early learnings from GEO pilots, including projects with airlines This episode is a practical, no-hype conversation about how AI-powered search is changing airline visibility, marketing, and digital strategy. David shares hands-on insights that make this a must-listen for airline marketers, digital teams, and anyone responsible for airline distribution and brand presence. RESOURCES: Full article with highlights and key takeaways from this episode: https://diggintravel.com/airline-generative-engine-optimization/

  6. 11/05/2025

    Airline Leaders Interview Series – Jason Ward [Azul Airlines]

    This is the fifth episode of our 2025 Airline Leaders Series, brought to you in partnership with 815Labs! For this episode, we traveled to Lisbon during the World Aviation Festival to meet with Jason Ward, Vice President of Marketing and People at Azul Airlines. In this episode, we talk about: How Jason’s journey across Morris Air, Southwest, JetBlue, TAP Portugal, and Azul shaped his people-first leadership style Why empathy and culture are the foundations of brand loyalty The OPA (Observe, Perceive, Attend) model and how it drives great service at Azul How technology and AI can enhance, not replace, the human touch Azul’s community-driven purpose and a breakdown of their special “O Céu do Brasil é Azul” (“The Sky of Brazil is Blue”) campaign Why curiosity and learning are still the most important skills for the future of airline leadership This episode offers a refreshing perspective on leadership, culture, and airline customer experience from one of the industry’s most experienced voices. RESOURCES: Full article with highlights and takeaways from this episode: https://diggintravel.com/airline-leaders-jason-ward-azul-airlines/

  7. 10/20/2025

    Airline Leaders Interview Series – Juliana Ramirez [Flair Airlines]

    This is the fourth episode of our 2025 Airline Leaders Series, brought to you in partnership with 815Labs! In this series, we speak with top airline digital and ecommerce leaders to uncover how they drive growth, optimize digital performance, and build smarter strategies for the future. For this episode, we traveled to Lisbon during the World Aviation Festival to meet with Juliana Ramirez, Chief Digital Officer at Flair Airlines. In this episode, we talk about: Building a “team of builders” and creating a culture of ownership Balancing startup agility with corporate focus The Flair FWD initiative and using digital products to rebuild customer trust How guarantees like On-Time, Checked Bag, Travel Flex, and Disruption remove friction and build brand trust The value of direct customer feedback through Flair’s Feedback Forums Why curiosity and learning are the key skills for digital professionals in the age of AI This episode is packed with insights on leadership, digital transformation, and culture for airline digital, product, and marketing professionals who want to learn how to move fast while building trust. RESOURCES: Full article with highlights and takeaways from this episode: https://diggintravel.com/airline-leaders-juliana-ramirez-flair-airlines/

  8. 07/10/2025

    Airline Leaders Interview Series – Sara Walter de Freitas [TAP Air Portugal]

    This is the third episode of our 2025 Airline Leaders Series, brought to you in partnership with 815Labs! In this series, we speak with top airline digital and ecommerce leaders to uncover how they drive growth, optimize digital performance, and build smarter strategies for the future. For this episode, we traveled to Lisbon to meet with Sara Walter de Freitas, Head of Digital & eCommerce at TAP Air Portugal. In this episode, we talk about: Sara’s unique journey—from a marketing intern at TAP to leading its digital transformation The 3-year transformation model: Assess – Fix – Accelerate Why cultural change is harder (and more important) than tech upgrades How consistency, trust, and resilience shape better airline digital experiences The role of experimentation, data, and collaboration in driving smarter decisions This episode is full of actionable insights for airline digital, UX, product, and ecommerce professionals navigating complex transformation and customer experience challenges. RESOURCES: Full article with highlights and takeaways from this episode: https://diggintravel.com/airline-leaders-interview-series-tap-air-portugal/

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About

Success stories told by the digital leaders. At best you’ll get inspired to do great digital work. At worst you’ll learn about new interesting people from airline, travel, digital and experimentation world. Narrated by Iztok Franko, founder of Diggintravel.com and a digital enthusiast.

Information

  • Creator
    Iztok Franko
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    79
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2020 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Diggintravel Podcast

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