24% Conversion Increase for Airline during Pandemic after Highlighting Refund Policies

Key Takeaway

By clearly displaying a COVID-specific refund guarantee during the booking process, we increased Ukraine International Airlines’ session-to-purchase conversion rate by 24% and average revenue per user by 28%. Addressing uncertainty around cancellations helped reduce user hesitation and improved purchase confidence during a period of industry-wide volatility.

Client Overview

Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) is the country's largest flag carrier, with over 1 million monthly website visitors (according to Similarweb) prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline operates more than 1,000 regular weekly flights to Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, and several domestic destinations in Ukraine.

Opportunity Background

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a sharp decline in airline bookings as their users became reluctant to purchase flights due to unpredictable travel restrictions and the possibility of sudden cancellations. UIA needed to improve its ticket purchase conversion rate and increase revenue per user at a time when user confidence in travel was at an all-time low.

Qualitative research showed that 41% of users were less likely to purchase airline tickets due to pandemic-related uncertainty. Of these, 37% specifically cited concerns about losing money if a flight was cancelled or not understanding the airline's refund policy. Despite offering a generous refund, UIA had not prominently communicated this benefit during the booking process.

Solution

To reduce hesitation and address user concerns, we added an informational banner to the ticket booking page. The banner explained UIA's special refund policy, stating that if a flight was canceled due to COVID-19, customers would receive a voucher worth 125% of the original ticket price. The message included details of the refund format (promo code) and the two-year validity period.

On mobile, the banner was collapsed by default and could be expanded with a click, preserving the page layout while ensuring accessibility. The feature was launched on the flight search results page, which was identified as a key drop-off point in the booking funnel.