This episode closes out the 2025 Diggintravel Podcast season with a deep dive into one of the topics that kept coming up in our Airline Leaders Series conversations: Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).

After a year of interviews with airline CMOs, CDOs, and digital leaders in partnership with 815Labs, we wanted to switch gears and dig into a very specific subject that sits high on many airline agendas and that many of you asked us to explore in more detail.

For this episode, I traveled to Budapest to sit down with David Minorics, Business Development Director at Mito Performance. Through Mito’s airline-focused branch 815Labs, David has worked on numerous airline digital marketing and SEO projects and is now leading GEO pilots and initiatives for airlines and other travel brands.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is and how it differs from traditional SEO

• Why GEO is about being recommended by AI, not just being found

• How AI-powered search synthesizes information and what query fan-out means in practice

• The key elements of the GEO playbook for airlines

• How airlines can benchmark GEO visibility and sentiment

• What GEO metrics and KPIs actually matter

• How airline marketing teams can start GEO pilot projects

• Early learnings from GEO pilots, including projects with airlines

This episode is a practical, no-hype conversation about how AI-powered search is changing airline visibility, marketing, and digital strategy. David shares hands-on insights that make this a must-listen for airline marketers, digital teams, and anyone responsible for airline distribution and brand presence.

RESOURCES: Full article with highlights and key takeaways from this episode: https://diggintravel.com/airline-generative-engine-optimization/

This is the fifth episode of our 2025 Airline Leaders Series, brought to you in partnership with 815Labs!

For this episode, we traveled to Lisbon during the World Aviation Festival to meet with Jason Ward, Vice President of Marketing and People at Azul Airlines.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How Jason’s journey across Morris Air, Southwest, JetBlue, TAP Portugal, and Azul shaped his people-first leadership style

• Why empathy and culture are the foundations of brand loyalty

• The OPA (Observe, Perceive, Attend) model and how it drives great service at Azul

• How technology and AI can enhance, not replace, the human touch

• Azul’s community-driven purpose and a breakdown of their special “O Céu do Brasil é Azul” (“The Sky of Brazil is Blue”) campaign

• Why curiosity and learning are still the most important skills for the future of airline leadership

This episode offers a refreshing perspective on leadership, culture, and airline customer experience from one of the industry’s most experienced voices.

RESOURCES: Full article with highlights and takeaways from this episode:

https://diggintravel.com/airline-leaders-jason-ward-azul-airlines/

This is the fourth episode of our 2025 Airline Leaders Series, brought to you in partnership with 815Labs!

In this series, we speak with top airline digital and ecommerce leaders to uncover how they drive growth, optimize digital performance, and build smarter strategies for the future.

For this episode, we traveled to Lisbon during the World Aviation Festival to meet with Juliana Ramirez, Chief Digital Officer at Flair Airlines.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Building a “team of builders” and creating a culture of ownership

• Balancing startup agility with corporate focus

• The Flair FWD initiative and using digital products to rebuild customer trust

• How guarantees like On-Time, Checked Bag, Travel Flex, and Disruption remove friction and build brand trust

• The value of direct customer feedback through Flair’s Feedback Forums

• Why curiosity and learning are the key skills for digital professionals in the age of AI

This episode is packed with insights on leadership, digital transformation, and culture for airline digital, product, and marketing professionals who want to learn how to move fast while building trust.

RESOURCES: Full article with highlights and takeaways from this episode:

https://diggintravel.com/airline-leaders-juliana-ramirez-flair-airlines/