Cancel for Any Reason | Designing flexible cancellation to increase attach
The problem
Travelers were hesitant to book flights in case plans changed. Refundable fares felt expensive, and insurance options were often restrictive. Many travelers waited until their plans were certain, only to find prices had risen or flights had sold out.
Expedia needed a way to offer flexibility that would help travelers book with confidence and improve attach rates.
The solution
We introduced a flexible cancellation option that let travelers cancel for any reason and still get money back, without paying for a full refundable ticket.
The content focused on clarity and trust, explaining how it worked and setting expectations so travelers felt comfortable booking.
My role
As the content designer, I focused on building trust through clear communication and thoughtful content design. I partnered closely with design, research, product, legal, and engineering to shape the experience across touchpoints.
I joined in mid-2022 after the project had paused during the pandemic. To restart the work, we revisited research from 2019, connected with the previous design pod, reviewed competitor approaches, and kicked off a new discovery phase.
Discovery & collaboration
Empathy map
I co-led an empathy mapping session with a cross-functional group to better understand traveler concerns and decision-making. We looked at both the shopping and post-purchase phases and mapped what travelers might be thinking, feeling, and doing at each stage.
Top Emotional Themes
After mapping the journey, we grouped insights into common themes. The emotions were mixed, highlighting both confidence and hesitation:
•Confident: Ready to book, reassured by having flexibility if plans changed.
•Peace of mind: Relief from avoiding credits or lost value.
•Unsure: Wondering whether insurance might be a better choice.
•Doubtful: Questioning the value if they don’t cancel. Is a refund really that easy?
These insights shaped the content strategy, with a focus on trust, clear expectations, and making the value feel concrete.
Journey map & value prop canvas
I worked with my design partner to map the end-to-end journey and identify where content could support travelers from shopping through post-cancellation. We also created a value proposition canvas to clarify what made this offering compelling and how content could reinforce those benefits.
These exercises helped define where and how content could support travelers across the journey, especially in moments of hesitation or decision-making..
A new approach
After early explorations, the project was paused. When I picked it back up in fall 2023, I reviewed past work, earlier research, and shifts in the competitive landscape to reestablish direction. With limited time for discovery, I held brainstorming sessions with my design pod and shared early ideas in content crits.
Earlier research showed travelers were drawn to Cancel for Any Reason because it felt simpler and more flexible than insurance. They liked avoiding claims and complicated refund steps.
I explored messaging that highlighted the “no claims” angle but didn’t want to undercut our insurance offering. Instead, I focused on making the process feel simple and predictable.
After narrowing my options, I worked with our UX researcher to focus testing on comprehension. Because space was limited to a small module, I had to make every word count. I focused on two different themes: flexibility vs peace of mind.
Travelers understood both versions, but they preferred the second. “Flexibility” felt vague and was often associated with airline fare rules rather than cancellation coverage.
One concern that surfaced in testing was the “view terms and conditions” link. Even though the content promised an easy refund, the legal phrasing made some travelers skeptical. They worried the fine print would contradict what they were told.
Since the link was required, I met with our legal partner, shared research findings, and proposed alternatives. We aligned on changing the CTA to “Get more details,” which maintained compliance while sounding more trustworthy to travelers.
Where we ended up
We launched in May 2024 to 20% of non-refundable Basic Economy flights on American Airlines. After a successful pilot, the experience expanded to 100% of eligible flights. The pilot validated strong traveler interest in flexible cancellation and informed exploration of similar offerings in other parts of the business.
Below are the final screens where travelers can add the product, view confirmation, and remove it if they change their mind.
