Personalization fails when teams argue about who the traveler is. Identity resolution has to be boringly reliable before you experiment with tailored bundles. This article outlines a practical architecture for identifying customers and using that insight responsibly.
Build an identity graph
Start by linking every identifier: loyalty numbers, email addresses, device fingerprints, corporate contract IDs, even PNR locators from past trips. Store them as nodes in an identity graph with confidence scores. Make it easy to explain why two records merged-regulators and customer support will ask.
Respect consent and jurisdictions
- Capture consent state per channel and per data use (marketing, personalization, analytics).
- Tag identities with residency to apply regional privacy rules automatically.
- Expose a self-service portal so travelers can review and revoke consent without calling support.
Segmentation that drives offers
Segmentation should be transparent to product teams. Define segments based on behaviors you can measure: upgrade propensity, ancillary purchase history, on-time sensitivity. Publish the segment definitions and refresh cadence so analysts and engineers work off the same reference.
- Confidence scores on every attribute (email verified, device inferred, etc.).
- Timestamped source details so you can expire stale data.
- Audit logs for merges and manual overrides.
Deploy personalization thoughtfully
Use the identity graph to tailor offers, but keep fallbacks:
- Check eligibility rules first (fare brand restrictions, corporate policies).
- Apply personalization to ranked offers or ancillaries-never compromise availability integrity.
- Log decisions with the identity reference so customer care can explain why a traveler saw a certain offer.
When identity resolution is transparent, personalization stops being a guessing game. Travelers get relevant offers, regulators get clear controls, and your teams iterate without fear of breaking trust.