Avoya Travel — BIXA Customer Research & UX Agency

Case Study

Informing a rebrand for Avoya Travel through in-depth traveler interviews

A trusted travel advisor can make a complex vacation feel effortless. But when travelers credit their experience to the advisor directly, how does the tech company behind that interaction build lasting brand loyalty?

Avoya Travel partnered with Bixa to explore options for their brand strategy for their upcoming rebranding effort. Through in-depth interviews with nearly 20 travelers (some who had planned travel through an Avoya travel advisor, and some who had heard of Avoya but had not used the company), we examined how people choose travel advisors, what keeps them coming back, how they perceive Avoya Travel, and what they expect in the way of human expertise along with the tech platform. We also conducted concept testing for new possible service offerings. The findings gave Avoya clear direction for strengthening its brand, improving the booking experience, and refining future offerings.

The challenge

Before planning its rebrand, Avoya needed to understand what travelers valued about its brand and advisor network, and where its assumptions about customer needs warranted a closer look.

As today’s travelers have an overwhelming amount of travel information at their fingertips and the ability to research and book tips independently, the team wanted to clarify what would make Avoya’s tech platform relevant, distinctive, and worth returning to. The research focused on:

Understanding brand perceptions and opportunities to strengthen positioning beyond cruises
Exploring how advisor relationships influence repeat bookings and loyalty to Avoya Travel as a brand
Mapping the travel planning journey to identify when travelers seek an advisor, how they choose, and what prevents them from booking
Examining assumptions about advisor costs, generational differences, and the roles of human expertise and AI
Testing reactions to bundled vacation packages, a luxury cruise booking service, and a more tech-forward booking concept designed around younger travelers’ needs

Our approach

Bixa conducted a qualitative study consisting of in-depth traveler interviews to explore how travelers plan, choose, and build trust and gather reactions to new potential brand/service directions. The research team at Bixa:

Brought a variety of perspectives into the research: We recruited through Avoya’s customer lists and supplemented with younger travelers from Bixa’s panel (who had heard of Avoya but who had not booked with them previously) to explore differences between younger and older travelers.
Explored the customer journey behind the booking: Interviews examined travel inspiration, planning habits, advisor selection, past experiences, and the moments that build or weaken trust.
Probed the assumptions behind the rebrand: We explored how participants understood Avoya’s role, perceived the value of Avoya vs. their travel advisor, and how they were using AI today for travel research or booking—looking for opportunities to make the brand’s contribution more visible.
Tested three concepts for possible growth direction: Participants evaluated bundled vacation packages, a premium/luxury travel booking concept, and a different for tech-first experience designed around the behaviors of Gen Z and Millennial travelers.
Translated individual stories into strategic themes: Bixa recorded, transcribed, and coded interviews line by line, comparing responses across participants to identify recurring needs, meaningful differences, and recommendations.

What we accomplished

Created a data-backed foundation for the rebranding direction

The research clarified what Avoya could credibly own beyond the individual advisor relationship: access, protections, technology, and consistent support. These findings gave the team direction for a brand promise that makes Avoya’s value more visible and gives travelers reasons to stay with the company.

Prioritized experience improvements

Interviews revealed where communication gaps, payment concerns, and advisor outreach created tension. The findings provided direction for a more flexible digital journey, clearer service standards, and technology that supports the personalized human guidance that the brand’s advisors are known for.

Sharpened future offerings

Concept testing informed how new offerings could fit within the rebrand. Recommendations outlined how to distinguish Avoya Select through tangible benefits and create a modern digital experience with a visible Avoya connection, attracting younger travelers through their behaviors rather than age-based messaging.

A peek behind the curtain

Research into loyalty for Avoya's rebrand

Customer interviews revealed which benefits travelers attributed to Avoya itself, and which travelers were more apt to attribute these to Avoya vs. their independent travel advisor directly—identifying opportunities for the rebrand to emphasize access, protections, and support that extend beyond one advisor relationship.

Rethinking messaging around cost

There is a pervasive myth in the travel world that people believe advisors to be more expensive than planning themselves. This set of research showed that this particular set of travelers did not subscribe to this myth. These qualitative research findings guided the rebrand’s messaging toward demonstrating benefits rather than countering an assumed cost barrier.

Highlighted tools & techniques

In-depth Interviews

One-on-one conversations with target customers, led by senior researchers, that go beyond surface-level answers to uncover the motivations, needs, experiences, and decision-making behind what people do. Our flexible format lets us probe into unexpected insights in real time, revealing the “why” behind customer behavior that surveys alone can’t capture.

Brand perception research

Understand how customers see your brand, what they value, and where their perceptions differ from your assumptions. Through focused interviews, we explore trust, loyalty, and differentiation—giving your team clear direction for brand positioning, messaging, and rebranding decisions.

Concept testing

This puts actual concepts for products, features, messaging, campaigns, or design in front of target customers to understand what resonates, compare competing directions, uncover potential problems, and refine the strongest ideas before significant investment is made.

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