Designing digital experiences for travellers is one thing. Designing them as if you were the traveller? That takes empathy, strategy and a serious shift in mindset. In this post, we pull insights from our Future Picks podcast interview with Gosia Korpal, Product Owner of Triplake Check-in and Triplake Smart Self Service at Branchspace, to understand how thinking like a traveller can completely reshape how airlines design, deliver and optimise their digital channels.
With years of experience spanning airline operations, customer service, QA and now product ownership, Gosia breaks down what matters most when building self-service and check-in experiences customers actually want to use. Here are her top takeaways.
1. Ditch the perfection trap and ship for value
A recurring theme in Gosia's approach is value-first thinking. The goal isn’t to release the flashiest feature, but rather to create something useful, easy and measurable. Gosia emphasises that features should be released as soon as they’re viable and then iterated and improved based on real user feedback. Not only does this accelerate delivery, but it prevents the underlying technology from becoming outdated by the time of launch.
Tip: Release your MVP early and lean into feedback loops. Real value comes from listening to users, not guessing what they’ll need.
2. Success metrics change over time, and that’s a good thing
A smart KPI strategy evolves with your product. In the early days, Gosia looks at success and error rates. Are passengers completing the flow? Are there blockers? Later, the focus shifts to transactions, upsells and conversions.
Tip: Don’t set and forget your KPIs. Align short-term metrics with stability and usability, and long-term ones with value creation and ROI.
3. Manage the noise: Not all requests are equal
As a product owner, Gosia explains that balancing delivery requests with a clear strategic roadmap is critical. Everyone wants something, but not everything will benefit the customer and the airline’s business goals. Ground decisions in value and impact, so you can maintain clarity without getting swamped by stakeholder demands.
Tip: Get comfortable saying no. Or at least, “not yet.”
4. Career transitions are easier when you understand both sides
For those moving into product roles, especially from QA or operations, Gosia recommends harnessing your understanding of systems and users. Her service centre background gave her empathy for passengers, while her QA mindset trained her in process and quality. The result? She now designs products that connect both worlds.
Tip: Technical skills can be taught. Empathy for users? That’s a superpower.
5. Want a competitive edge? Start with adaptability
Airlines that win aren’t always the biggest. They’re the ones that adapt the fastest.
That’s where Triplake comes in. As Branchspace's modular digital retailing platform, Triplake allows airlines to launch modern self-service and check-in flows without being shackled to legacy systems. Built for agility, it empowers product teams to experiment, measure and evolve fast. Just as Gosia recommends.
Whether it's driving upsell opportunities during Check-in or simplifying disruption management through Smart Self-Service, Triplake provides airlines with the tools to stay competitive, responsive and customer-centric.
Tip: Start with what your customers really need. Build from there.
Final word: Turning traveller mindset into a competitive airline experience
Gosia’s advice makes one truth crystal clear: Long‑term success in airline digital retailing isn’t about launching flashy features. It’s about designing with empathy, measuring outcomes and adapting fast. That’s exactly what Triplake is built to do.
Release early, learn fast
Triplake’s modular architecture, covering Check‑In, Smart Self Service, Mobile Apps, Web Portals, Ancillaries and more, allows your team to deliver new functionalities efficiently and effectively. You will gain valuable user insights immediately, instead of waiting months for a monolithic release.
Evolve your metrics with your product
By embedding analytics from the start, Triplake allows you to track Gosia’s key KPIs. Begin with success and error ratios to monitor stability, then move to user adoption, transaction value and upsell performance as features mature. With Triplake SkyMetrix, you always know your product’s health and impact.
Prioritise with clarity and data
Gosia highlights the need to filter stakeholder noise by focusing on genuine value. Triplake Control Hub provides product teams control over experimentation, dynamic content rules and customer targeting. Instead of chasing scoreboards, your team can test, measure and double down on what truly matters.
Bridge legacy and intuitive UX
From her QA background, Gosia knows the importance of an engaging design layered over older systems. Triplake UX/UI Design and On The Go modules enable airlines to present an inspiring and intuitive interface across devices, without replacing the core reservation infrastructure.
Stay agile and customer‑centric
Triplake is made for continual optimisation. Built with data at its core, it supports local customisation, experimentation and rollout of post‑booking features that reflect real passenger needs.
In short: When product teams think like travellers, design with empathy, measure impact and adapt quickly, airlines stop ticking boxes and start delivering experiences that passengers want to return to repeatedly. With Triplake, you get not just technology but a proven toolkit for lasting, customer-centered innovation in airline retail.
Ready to transform your airline's digital journey?
