Industry

Loyalty Programmes

Year

2023

Deliverables

Research · UX/UI · Prototyping · Usability testing · QA Design

01

Problem

Fragmented loyalty ecosystems

Avios is shared across multiple airline programmes, British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus, AerClub, and Vueling Club. Each of them has its own earning rates, redemption rules, and transfer limitations, which means members don’t just need to travel wisely; they also need to understand a slightly different version of the same loyalty system every time they switch between accounts.

Separate balances

Due to each loyalty program operates independently with its own rules and expiration policies, users frequently encounter difficulty in managing their Avios across multiple airline platforms. This fragmentation makes it difficult to track balances and transfer points smoothly between airlines.

Fragmented loyalty ecosystems

Avios is shared across multiple airline programmes, British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus, AerClub, and Vueling Club. Each of them has its own earning rates, redemption rules, and transfer limitations, which means members don’t just need to travel wisely; they also need to understand a slightly different version of the same loyalty system every time they switch between accounts.

Separate balances

Due to each loyalty program operates independently with its own rules and expiration policies, users frequently encounter difficulty in managing their Avios across multiple airline platforms. This fragmentation makes it difficult to track balances and transfer points smoothly between airlines.

Fragmented loyalty ecosystems

Avios is shared across multiple airline programmes, British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus, AerClub, and Vueling Club. Each of them has its own earning rates, redemption rules, and transfer limitations, which means members don’t just need to travel wisely; they also need to understand a slightly different version of the same loyalty system every time they switch between accounts.

Separate balances

Due to each loyalty program operates independently with its own rules and expiration policies, users frequently encounter difficulty in managing their Avios across multiple airline platforms. This fragmentation makes it difficult to track balances and transfer points smoothly between airlines.

Fragmented loyalty ecosystems

Avios is shared across multiple airline programmes, British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus, AerClub, and Vueling Club. Each of them has its own earning rates, redemption rules, and transfer limitations, which means members don’t just need to travel wisely; they also need to understand a slightly different version of the same loyalty system every time they switch between accounts.

Separate balances

Due to each loyalty program operates independently with its own rules and expiration policies, users frequently encounter difficulty in managing their Avios across multiple airline platforms. This fragmentation makes it difficult to track balances and transfer points smoothly between airlines.

02

Challenge

User experience considerations

From a user experience perspective, having separate pages for each airline can feel less intuitive than a single, unified Avios.com page. This is the type of configuration that leads users to question whether they inadvertently enrolled in four distinct programs instead of one.

Still, this approach was essential given the unique services of each partner. The project focused on analysing user needs to create a common foundation for the Avios Wallet as a white‑label solution, while still letting each brand keep their own design identity, so it feels like the same experience, just wearing different outfits.

Same but different...

Avios is shared across multiple airline programs, including British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus, AerClub, and Vueling Club. Each program operates with different earning rates, redemption rules, and transfer limitations, making it challenging for members to fully optimize how they use their Avios. Which means members not only need to plan their trips wisely, they also need to know how the loyalty system works in a slightly different way every time they switch accounts.

User experience considerations

From a user experience perspective, having separate pages for each airline can feel less intuitive than a single, unified Avios.com page. This is the type of configuration that leads users to question whether they inadvertently enrolled in four distinct programs instead of one.

Still, this approach was essential given the unique services of each partner. The project focused on analysing user needs to create a common foundation for the Avios Wallet as a white‑label solution, while still letting each brand keep their own design identity, so it feels like the same experience, just wearing different outfits.

Same but different...

Avios is shared across multiple airline programs, including British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus, AerClub, and Vueling Club. Each program operates with different earning rates, redemption rules, and transfer limitations, making it challenging for members to fully optimize how they use their Avios. Which means members not only need to plan their trips wisely, they also need to know how the loyalty system works in a slightly different way every time they switch accounts.

User experience considerations

From a user experience perspective, having separate pages for each airline can feel less intuitive than a single, unified Avios.com page. This is the type of configuration that leads users to question whether they inadvertently enrolled in four distinct programs instead of one.

Still, this approach was essential given the unique services of each partner. The project focused on analysing user needs to create a common foundation for the Avios Wallet as a white‑label solution, while still letting each brand keep their own design identity, so it feels like the same experience, just wearing different outfits.

Same but different...

Avios is shared across multiple airline programs, including British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus, AerClub, and Vueling Club. Each program operates with different earning rates, redemption rules, and transfer limitations, making it challenging for members to fully optimize how they use their Avios. Which means members not only need to plan their trips wisely, they also need to know how the loyalty system works in a slightly different way every time they switch accounts.

User experience considerations

From a user experience perspective, having separate pages for each airline can feel less intuitive than a single, unified Avios.com page. This is the type of configuration that leads users to question whether they inadvertently enrolled in four distinct programs instead of one.

Still, this approach was essential given the unique services of each partner. The project focused on analysing user needs to create a common foundation for the Avios Wallet as a white‑label solution, while still letting each brand keep their own design identity, so it feels like the same experience, just wearing different outfits.

Same but different...

Avios is shared across multiple airline programs, including British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus, AerClub, and Vueling Club. Each program operates with different earning rates, redemption rules, and transfer limitations, making it challenging for members to fully optimize how they use their Avios. Which means members not only need to plan their trips wisely, they also need to know how the loyalty system works in a slightly different way every time they switch accounts.

03

Research

Customer insight

Online surveys with Loyalty Programme members who juggle more than one membership revealed a clear and slightly frustrating theme: users would prefer that their Avios function as a single balance points, rather than a collection of distant cousins who refuse to talk to each other.

Right now, managing points across airlines means multiple logins, scattered balances, and the occasional “where did my points even go?” moment. What they really want is simple: one balance, easy tracking.

Of course, simplicity doesn’t mean blind trust. Members still want transparency in the conversion rates and strong data security, simply because if their points are flying around, their data shouldn’t be.

In short, members expect IAG to optimize the experience so managing Avios feels less like navigating a maze.

Customer insight

Online surveys with Loyalty Programme members who juggle more than one membership revealed a clear and slightly frustrating theme: users would prefer that their Avios function as a single balance points, rather than a collection of distant cousins who refuse to talk to each other.

Right now, managing points across airlines means multiple logins, scattered balances, and the occasional “where did my points even go?” moment. What they really want is simple: one balance, easy tracking.

Of course, simplicity doesn’t mean blind trust. Members still want transparency in the conversion rates and strong data security, simply because if their points are flying around, their data shouldn’t be.

In short, members expect IAG to optimize the experience so managing Avios feels less like navigating a maze.

Customer insight

Online surveys with Loyalty Programme members who juggle more than one membership revealed a clear and slightly frustrating theme: users would prefer that their Avios function as a single balance points, rather than a collection of distant cousins who refuse to talk to each other.

Right now, managing points across airlines means multiple logins, scattered balances, and the occasional “where did my points even go?” moment. What they really want is simple: one balance, easy tracking.

Of course, simplicity doesn’t mean blind trust. Members still want transparency in the conversion rates and strong data security, simply because if their points are flying around, their data shouldn’t be.

In short, members expect IAG to optimize the experience so managing Avios feels less like navigating a maze.

Customer insight

Online surveys with Loyalty Programme members who juggle more than one membership revealed a clear and slightly frustrating theme: users would prefer that their Avios function as a single balance points, rather than a collection of distant cousins who refuse to talk to each other.

Right now, managing points across airlines means multiple logins, scattered balances, and the occasional “where did my points even go?” moment. What they really want is simple: one balance, easy tracking.

Of course, simplicity doesn’t mean blind trust. Members still want transparency in the conversion rates and strong data security, simply because if their points are flying around, their data shouldn’t be.

In short, members expect IAG to optimize the experience so managing Avios feels less like navigating a maze.

Competitive benchmark research

After digging into the competitive landscape, a few advantages stand out.
One of the biggest wins is the ability to move Avios across programmes like British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling, Finnair, and Qatar Airways without being quietly penalised for it. The points can finally travel as much as their owners do, and without picking up extra fees along the way.

Then there’s the family household feature, which lets everyone contribute their points into one shared pot. It’s a rare moment where group effort actually pays off, and possibly the only time family coordination leads to a holiday instead of a debate.

In short, there’s real flexibility here. It just occasionally hides behind a system that makes you work a bit harder than you’d like to enjoy it.

Competitive benchmark research

After digging into the competitive landscape, a few advantages stand out.
One of the biggest wins is the ability to move Avios across programmes like British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling, Finnair, and Qatar Airways without being quietly penalised for it. The points can finally travel as much as their owners do, and without picking up extra fees along the way.

Then there’s the family household feature, which lets everyone contribute their points into one shared pot. It’s a rare moment where group effort actually pays off, and possibly the only time family coordination leads to a holiday instead of a debate.

In short, there’s real flexibility here. It just occasionally hides behind a system that makes you work a bit harder than you’d like to enjoy it.

Competitive benchmark research

After digging into the competitive landscape, a few advantages stand out.
One of the biggest wins is the ability to move Avios across programmes like British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling, Finnair, and Qatar Airways without being quietly penalised for it. The points can finally travel as much as their owners do, and without picking up extra fees along the way.

Then there’s the family household feature, which lets everyone contribute their points into one shared pot. It’s a rare moment where group effort actually pays off, and possibly the only time family coordination leads to a holiday instead of a debate.

In short, there’s real flexibility here. It just occasionally hides behind a system that makes you work a bit harder than you’d like to enjoy it.

Competitive benchmark research

After digging into the competitive landscape, a few advantages stand out.
One of the biggest wins is the ability to move Avios across programmes like British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling, Finnair, and Qatar Airways without being quietly penalised for it. The points can finally travel as much as their owners do, and without picking up extra fees along the way.

Then there’s the family household feature, which lets everyone contribute their points into one shared pot. It’s a rare moment where group effort actually pays off, and possibly the only time family coordination leads to a holiday instead of a debate.

In short, there’s real flexibility here. It just occasionally hides behind a system that makes you work a bit harder than you’d like to enjoy it.

04

Ideation

User flow

Before jumping into design explorations, it’s worth taking a moment to map out what users actually do when linking our unlinking an account. In addition to complying with system requirements, such as submitting user credentials to verify their identity, this will help uncover friction, exposing confusing navigation and inefficient paths, giving us the chance to clean things up before the product sabotages itself.

05

Testing

To gather useful feedback on the Avios Wallet without exhausting our users, we split user testing into multiple focused sessions. Each one focused on a specific aspect, keeping things manageable and ensuring we got thoughtful insights instead of making assumptions.

We started with British Airways’ visual identity, but quickly realised the story was heading elsewhere. As the product evolved, so did the testing, and we shifted to Iberia, one of the first airlines, alongside Vueling, to actually bring the Avios Wallet to life.

We also tested in both English and Spanish, since most users are Spanish speakers. This wasn’t just about translation, it was about making sure the words made sense, felt natural, and didn’t leave anyone pausing mid-task wondering what exactly they were agreeing to.

In short, we kept the process focused, the language honest, and the testing grounded in reality, where users tend to notice everything and challenge our assumptions.

Avios Wallet - Unmoderated test

The first session tested whether users understood the difference between IAG accounts and Loyalty Partners, and what they expected from the Avios Wallet, especially around linking and unlinking accounts.

This session was held at the beginning of visual design exploration, providing valuable insights into what was effective and what needed refinement to match expectations.

Findings

Users understood the basics of IAG accounts and Loyalty Partners, with only 2 of 13 checking the info icon for clarification. However, the difference between the two was still unclear, especially why Qatar appeared under Loyalty Partners instead of My IAG Accounts.

Users expected the Avios Wallet to be a single place to manage Avios, including buying, gifting, sharing, tracking, and spending them. They also expected linking and unlinking to work in the same way for both IAG Accounts and Loyalty Partners.

Latest transactions (Avios Wallet) - Usability testing

The purpose of this test was to determine whether users could quickly navigate from the Wallet to this page, comprehend the information without questioning it, and figure out important details like the reason partners are listed in every transaction and the distinction between the comforting green icons and the slightly unsettling red ones. 

Latest transactions (Avios Wallet) - Usability testing

We also wanted to gauge whether this page felt genuinely useful or just like another place to look for answers. The assumption was straightforward: users want all their transactions in one place.

Findings

  • Users found the transactions page clear, comprehensive, and easy to navigate.

  • Most content felt relevant, though users expected additional details such as running balance, timestamps, currency values, and flight numbers.

  • Icons and green/red indicators supported quick scanning, but raised accessibility concerns for red-green colorblind users; however, the minus (-) sign helped clarify points spent vs. rewarded.

  • Navigation was smooth, with users easily accessing the page and detailed information.

  • Strong interest in filtering options, especially by category, time period, and partner. Users valued control without added complexity.

  • Partner information was highly useful for understanding where points came from, how they were used, and occasionally inspiring future travel.

Latest transactions filter - A/B testing

To make sense of Avios activity without turning it into a scrolling marathon, we introduced a dedicated transactions page with filtering options, and then tested two approaches to see what actually helped.

The idea was simple: give users one place to view everything, with enough control to narrow things down by partner, transaction type, category, or time.

Latest transactions filter - A/B testing

We explored whether filtering felt useful, which options mattered, and whether a dropdown or a popup made the experience clearer, or just added another decision to the pile.

Underneath it all was a fairly safe assumption: users want visibility, but preferably without needing detective skills to find what they’re looking for.

Iberia Avios Wallet - Usability testing

To complete the initial phase of the Avios Wallet launch for Iberia alongside Vueling, we intended to evaluate the Avios Wallet's Spanish terminology to ensure that it was comprehensible, natural, and comprehensible to Spanish-speaking users.

Iberia Avios Wallet - Usability testing

In particular, we wanted to validate how well key terms such as “vincular,” “desvincular,” “Avios Wallet,” and other interface labels were interpreted, to make sure they felt familiar and meaningful rather than translated for translation’s sake.

Link and unlink an account in Avios Wallet (prototype)

06

Solution

User flow and responsive screen breakpoints

The blueprint for the user journey, which outlines the steps from sign-up to initial use and ensures that it functions properly on desktops, tablets, and smartphones.

Full view on Figma

Design system

While this project was being developed, the design system was also in progress. I wasn’t leading it, but I was part of the discovery squad: a group of contributor designers who consistently provided content, feedback, and general reality checks to make sure the system matured in line with actual product needs.

Full view on Figma

Iberia Avios Wallet

Iberia Avios Wallet

Iberia Avios Wallet

Vueling Avios Wallet

Vueling Avios Wallet

Vueling Avios Wallet

07

Conclusion

Future opportunities - suggestions

Centralised Avios management
Create a more user-friendly and neutral space by bringing the Avios Wallet together on Avios.com with all Loyalty Partners. That way, users can manage their Avios without having to perform a small digital treasure hunt every time they want to check their balance.

Simplified partner integration
Strengthen the Avios ecosystem by making partner services work together more smoothly. With a single Avios balance across multiple services and rewards in one place, collecting and spending Avios becomes less of a puzzle and more of a perk.

Gamification for Increased Engagement
To keep users engaged, introduce features like challenges, badges, or levels that reward them for managing and collecting their Avios. A little recognition never hurts, especially if it turns loyalty into something that feels more rewarding than administrative.

Future opportunities - suggestions

Centralised Avios management
Create a more user-friendly and neutral space by bringing the Avios Wallet together on Avios.com with all Loyalty Partners. That way, users can manage their Avios without having to perform a small digital treasure hunt every time they want to check their balance.

Simplified partner integration
Strengthen the Avios ecosystem by making partner services work together more smoothly. With a single Avios balance across multiple services and rewards in one place, collecting and spending Avios becomes less of a puzzle and more of a perk.

Gamification for Increased Engagement
To keep users engaged, introduce features like challenges, badges, or levels that reward them for managing and collecting their Avios. A little recognition never hurts, especially if it turns loyalty into something that feels more rewarding than administrative.

Future opportunities - suggestions

Centralised Avios management
Create a more user-friendly and neutral space by bringing the Avios Wallet together on Avios.com with all Loyalty Partners. That way, users can manage their Avios without having to perform a small digital treasure hunt every time they want to check their balance.

Simplified partner integration
Strengthen the Avios ecosystem by making partner services work together more smoothly. With a single Avios balance across multiple services and rewards in one place, collecting and spending Avios becomes less of a puzzle and more of a perk.

Gamification for Increased Engagement
To keep users engaged, introduce features like challenges, badges, or levels that reward them for managing and collecting their Avios. A little recognition never hurts, especially if it turns loyalty into something that feels more rewarding than administrative.

Future opportunities - suggestions

Centralised Avios management
Create a more user-friendly and neutral space by bringing the Avios Wallet together on Avios.com with all Loyalty Partners. That way, users can manage their Avios without having to perform a small digital treasure hunt every time they want to check their balance.

Simplified partner integration
Strengthen the Avios ecosystem by making partner services work together more smoothly. With a single Avios balance across multiple services and rewards in one place, collecting and spending Avios becomes less of a puzzle and more of a perk.

Gamification for Increased Engagement
To keep users engaged, introduce features like challenges, badges, or levels that reward them for managing and collecting their Avios. A little recognition never hurts, especially if it turns loyalty into something that feels more rewarding than administrative.

What I learned

This project was especially rewarding because IAG Loyalty really took user feedback seriously, investing significant time and resources into research and usability testing. That gave us the chance to validate design decisions properly, instead of simply hoping they would behave nicely in the wild.

At the same time, we were working across four airlines and partner ecosystems, which meant we didn’t exactly have free rein over system environments or business decisions. So a big part of the job was navigating constraints, listening carefully to users, and finding solutions that balanced business goals with real user needs, a classic UX exercise in “this would be ideal, but let’s be realistic.”

And that’s really where the role gets interesting. UX design is often about making the most of what’s available, turning limitations into opportunities, and spotting the small improvements that can create real value later on. In other words: part strategy, part problem-solving, part diplomatic translation between users and business, with a little chaos thrown in for good measure.

What I learned

This project was especially rewarding because IAG Loyalty really took user feedback seriously, investing significant time and resources into research and usability testing. That gave us the chance to validate design decisions properly, instead of simply hoping they would behave nicely in the wild.

At the same time, we were working across four airlines and partner ecosystems, which meant we didn’t exactly have free rein over system environments or business decisions. So a big part of the job was navigating constraints, listening carefully to users, and finding solutions that balanced business goals with real user needs, a classic UX exercise in “this would be ideal, but let’s be realistic.”

And that’s really where the role gets interesting. UX design is often about making the most of what’s available, turning limitations into opportunities, and spotting the small improvements that can create real value later on. In other words: part strategy, part problem-solving, part diplomatic translation between users and business, with a little chaos thrown in for good measure.

What I learned

This project was especially rewarding because IAG Loyalty really took user feedback seriously, investing significant time and resources into research and usability testing. That gave us the chance to validate design decisions properly, instead of simply hoping they would behave nicely in the wild.

At the same time, we were working across four airlines and partner ecosystems, which meant we didn’t exactly have free rein over system environments or business decisions. So a big part of the job was navigating constraints, listening carefully to users, and finding solutions that balanced business goals with real user needs, a classic UX exercise in “this would be ideal, but let’s be realistic.”

And that’s really where the role gets interesting. UX design is often about making the most of what’s available, turning limitations into opportunities, and spotting the small improvements that can create real value later on. In other words: part strategy, part problem-solving, part diplomatic translation between users and business, with a little chaos thrown in for good measure.

What I learned

This project was especially rewarding because IAG Loyalty really took user feedback seriously, investing significant time and resources into research and usability testing. That gave us the chance to validate design decisions properly, instead of simply hoping they would behave nicely in the wild.

At the same time, we were working across four airlines and partner ecosystems, which meant we didn’t exactly have free rein over system environments or business decisions. So a big part of the job was navigating constraints, listening carefully to users, and finding solutions that balanced business goals with real user needs, a classic UX exercise in “this would be ideal, but let’s be realistic.”

And that’s really where the role gets interesting. UX design is often about making the most of what’s available, turning limitations into opportunities, and spotting the small improvements that can create real value later on. In other words: part strategy, part problem-solving, part diplomatic translation between users and business, with a little chaos thrown in for good measure.

Reviews

"The bottom line is that this is an excellent idea by IAG (the parent company of Avios-utilizing airlines), and if you are a frequent flyer with either Iberia or Vueling (or both), the combined wallet makes a lot of sense.Hopefully, this will be a success, and IAG will use it as a springboard to have a combined Avios wallet for all the programs that share Avios as a currency. This would be far simpler than having to send your Avios between programs when it's time to book an award. A combined wallet for all the airlines would be an excellent tool for the various program members."

awardwallet.com

"The bottom line is that this is an excellent idea by IAG (the parent company of Avios-utilizing airlines), and if you are a frequent flyer with either Iberia or Vueling (or both), the combined wallet makes a lot of sense.Hopefully, this will be a success, and IAG will use it as a springboard to have a combined Avios wallet for all the programs that share Avios as a currency. This would be far simpler than having to send your Avios between programs when it's time to book an award. A combined wallet for all the airlines would be an excellent tool for the various program members."

awardwallet.com

"The bottom line is that this is an excellent idea by IAG (the parent company of Avios-utilizing airlines), and if you are a frequent flyer with either Iberia or Vueling (or both), the combined wallet makes a lot of sense.Hopefully, this will be a success, and IAG will use it as a springboard to have a combined Avios wallet for all the programs that share Avios as a currency. This would be far simpler than having to send your Avios between programs when it's time to book an award. A combined wallet for all the airlines would be an excellent tool for the various program members."

awardwallet.com

"The bottom line is that this is an excellent idea by IAG (the parent company of Avios-utilizing airlines), and if you are a frequent flyer with either Iberia or Vueling (or both), the combined wallet makes a lot of sense.Hopefully, this will be a success, and IAG will use it as a springboard to have a combined Avios wallet for all the programs that share Avios as a currency. This would be far simpler than having to send your Avios between programs when it's time to book an award. A combined wallet for all the airlines would be an excellent tool for the various program members."

awardwallet.com

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