Turning Destination Inspiration Into 4× Higher Booking Conversion
Etihad partnered with Unravel to transform how travel inspiration connects to flight bookings. Instead of relying on traditional search-led flows, Etihad introduced destination-first, video-led discovery supported by AI that guided guests from curiosity to confirmed booking across the entire guest lifecycle.
Stronger Intent Built
Increase Pre-Trip Engagement
Higher Conversion
The Challenge
While Etihad operates a strong global route network (~100 destinations), travel inspiration often started outside its ecosystem. Customers discovered destinations on social platforms, but landed in generic booking flows that failed to reflect what sparked their interest, creating a disconnect between inspiration and conversion.
The Solution
Unravel deployed a destination-first, video-led discovery layer inside Etihad’s digital ecosystem. Guests now explore immersive short-form destination stories mapped directly to Etihad’s route network. Discovery spans the entire guest lifecycle from pre-booking inspiration and wishlist-driven intent capture, to AI-guided flight recommendations, to post-booking anticipation, stopover storytelling, and in-destination assistance. AI translates browsing behavior into contextual nudges, surfaces relevant routes, and seamlessly continues the journey into flight booking, preserving narrative continuity from inspiration to transaction.
The Impact
By shifting from search-first to destination-first engagement, Etihad significantly strengthened pre-booking intent and achieved 4× higher booking conversion. Social and paid media traffic now lands on contextual destination journeys instead of generic pages, increasing qualified demand entering the booking funnel. Etihad moved from selling flights to inspiring travel owning more of the guest journey before, during, and beyond the ticket.
