Charlotte.

The Opportunity

Seat selection is a key part of the booking journey and an important source of ancillary revenue. However, the existing seat map experience made it difficult to introduce differentiated pricing. Key issues included:

- All seats appeared equal in value
- Pricing was only revealed after selection
- Page instructions were frequently overlooked
- Exit row and twin seats were unclear
- Customers lacked context to evaluate seat choices

Understanding Customer Behaviour

Customers selecting seats are typically mid-booking and focused on completing their purchase quickly. Research and testing showed that hidden pricing and unclear seat types increased hesitation and errors. The design needed to:

- Support fast selection across multiple passengers
- Maintain trust while introducing higher-priced options
- Reduce cognitive effort during decision-making
- Make value differences immediately visible

Design Approach

Based on these insights, the redesign focused on reducing decision friction while making pricing transparent. Key improvements included:

- Seat prices displayed directly within the seat map
- Clear visual differentiation of exit row and specialist seating
- Introduction of a seat map key explaining seat types and pricing tiers
- First passenger selected by default to streamline interaction
- Flight duration displayed to help customers assess seat value on longer journeys

These changes allowed pricing variation to feel understandable and expected rather than disruptive.

Testing & Iteration

The redesigned seat map went through multiple rounds of customer testing, with iterative refinements made based on user feedback. Following testing, the experience was further updated to display the seat map key alongside the layout, introduce more detailed seat representations, and add clearer icons to improve understanding at a glance.

Outcome & Impact

The redesigned seat map was successfully launched on ba.com and supported the introduction of tiered seat pricing.

Outcomes
- Reduction in user errors during seat selection
- Improved customer understanding of seat differences and pricing
- Increase in paid seat selection uptake
- Supported British Airways’ ancillary revenue goals while maintaining usability

These improvements demonstrated how clearer pricing and visual hierarchy can support commercial goals while maintaining customer trust.