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Making Every Point Count.

Pivoting an award search engine into a retention-worthy travel finance layer

View case study

14:08

Trip Watchlist

Flights

Stays

Active Watch

updated 2 minutes ago

Lisbon, PT

BOS

1

Economy

≤ 40,000 pts

5 Programs

United Airlines

BOS - EWR - LIS

8h 35m

Mar 19

32,000 Miles

Air Canada

BOS - YYZ - LIS

9h 30m

Mar 19

33,250 Points

10+ Options

P

Overview

Overview

GetAway is a rewards travel trip planning concept developed at Boston University's startup competition during the Innovation & Entrepreneurship module. The project advanced through 4 competitive elimination rounds to a finalist pitch mentored/judged by VCs.

GetAway is a rewards travel trip planning concept developed at Boston University's startup competition during the Innovation & Entrepreneurship module. The project advanced through 4 competitive elimination rounds to a finalist pitch mentored/judged by VCs.

Role

Role

Product/UX Lead

Team

Team

Cross-functional team of 6 (Product, GTM, and Finance)

Timeline

Timeline

9 weeks (2025)

Tools

Tools

Figma, Miro, and AI LLMs

Executive summary

The challenge

Our initial startup concept was an award search + trip-planning experience (find what you can book with points), but feedback surfaced a retention risk—trip planning is "plan once, done," which makes the subscription-based business model hard to sustain.

Our initial startup concept was an award search + trip-planning experience (find what you can book with points), but feedback surfaced a retention risk—trip planning is "plan once, done," which makes the subscription-based business model hard to sustain.

The task

Reframe the concept to create value between trips, while keeping the original promise of helping users figure out what they can book with their points balance.

Reframe the concept to create value between trips, while keeping the original promise of helping users figure out what they can book with their points balance.

The decisions

STRATEGY 01

Build the between-trips experience that helps users understand their points, spot timely opportunities, and see what those points unlock.

STRATEGY 02

Design search as the moment users move from exploration to comparison to booking with more confidence.

Context

Context

The business idea started as an award search + trip planner; feedback from mentors revealed the real challenge (and subscription risk) lives in the decisions users make between trips.

The business idea started as an award search + trip planner; feedback from mentors revealed the real challenge (and subscription risk) lives in the decisions users make between trips.

User problem

Rewards points feel valuable, but acting on them feels risky because:


  • Value isn't stable (availability and pricing change)

  • Rules are complex (transfer partners and ratios, constraints)

  • Some actions are irreversible (points transfers)

  • Opportunities expire (bonuses, deadlines)

Rewards points feel valuable, but acting on them feels risky because:


  • Value isn't stable (availability and pricing change)

  • Rules are complex (transfer partners and ratios, constraints)

  • Some actions are irreversible (points transfers)

  • Opportunities expire (bonuses, deadlines)

job to be done
"Help me decide where I can go and what to do next with my points."
Initial concept (Round 1)

Build an award search engine that helps users…

Search destinations/routes based on award availability

Compare redemption options across programs

Business problem

An award search + planner is most useful when booking intent is high, so usage is naturally episodic. That's weak for subscription retention unless we create value between trips.

An award search + planner is most useful when booking intent is high, so usage is naturally episodic. That's weak for subscription retention unless we create value between trips.

Research

Research

At the time, the product concept was stuck at the "calculator/search" stage. I shaped the research focus to answer two decisions:

At the time, the product concept was stuck at the "calculator/search" stage. I shaped the research focus to answer two decisions:

  1. Is the trip planning episodic enough to break retention?

  1. Is the trip planning episodic enough to break retention?

  1. What creates value between trips?

  1. What creates value between trips?

How I gathered input (with my team)

  • Co-led interviews with peers in our master's program (varied travel frequency and rewards sophistication)

  • Co-led interviews with faculty with extensive business travel experience

  • I synthesized mentor/VC feedback from elimination rounds into themes and pivots

  • I conducted secondary research on typical rewards behaviors and opportunity patterns

  • Co-led interviews with peers in our master's program (varied travel frequency and rewards sophistication)

  • Co-led interviews with faculty with extensive business travel experience

  • I synthesized mentor/VC feedback from elimination rounds into themes and pivots

  • I conducted secondary research on typical rewards behaviors and opportunity patterns

Research snapshot

14

Structured interviews

6

Low-fi prototype walkthroughs

0%

described trip planning as a short burst and expected to stop using a search tool after booking

0%

described trip planning as a short burst and expected to stop using a search tool after booking

0%

described trip planning as a short burst and expected to stop using a search tool after booking

"How often do you check your points balance?" (points behavior)

Never (50%)

Weekly (14%)

Occasionally (35%)

Never (50%)

Occasionally (35%)

Weekly (14%)

Top triggers for points activity

1

Strategic
Strategic
Strategic

Mentioned by

Mentioned by

9
9
9

Transfer bonuses, "sweet-spot discoveries," etc.

2

Transactional
Transactional
Transactional

Mentioned by

Mentioned by

7
7
7

Sign-up bonuses, category spending (using a specific card to earn 4x on dining), etc.

3

Psychological
Psychological
Psychological

Mentioned by

Mentioned by

6
6
6

Points optimization (booking First Class with points they would never pay cash for), points gamification/status chasing

Insights

  • User

    Retention

    01

    Retention risk is real

    Trip planning is episodic, so a search-only product won't justify a paid subscription.

  • 02

    Most users are inactive between trips

    The between-trip experience must be fast and low-effort.

  • 03

    Points behavior is reactive

    People only pay attention when there's a specific reason to act: like a transfer bonus, an expiration deadline, or being close to a goal.

  • User

    Retention

    01

    Retention risk is real

    Trip planning is episodic, so a search-only product won't justify a paid subscription.

  • 02

    Most users are inactive between trips

    The between-trip experience must be fast and low-effort.

  • 03

    Points behavior is reactive

    People only pay attention when there's a specific reason to act: like a transfer bonus, an expiration deadline, or being close to a goal.

Strategy & pivot

If GetAway only helped when a user was actively planning a trip, it would struggle to create repeat value.

If GetAway only helped when a user was actively planning a trip, it would struggle to create repeat value.

If GetAway only helped when a user was actively planning a trip, it would struggle to create repeat value.

So the pivot was not to abandon search, but to change the center of the product: from a search-first calculator to a service that helps users between trips.

So the pivot was not to abandon search, but to change the center of the product: from a search-first calculator to a service that helps users between trips.

So the pivot was not to abandon search, but to change the center of the product: from a search-first calculator to a service that helps users between trips.

This shift gave us three criteria for the next round of ideation:

This shift gave us three criteria for the next round of ideation:

This shift gave us three criteria for the next round of ideation:

01

Create value without requiring a trip in progress

Create value without requiring a trip in progress

02

Fit low-effort, between-trips behavior

Fit low-effort, between-trips behavior

03

Help users act on points with more confidence

Help users act on points with more confidence

Ideation

Ideation

Guided by the insights from our research, we generated and compared multiple concept directions to find solutions that would make users return.

My contribution

  • Led the team in grounding our discussions on reframing the product from "better award search" to a between-trips job (stay ready to book)

  • Introduce a simple prioritization lens to choose ideas: value frequency × user effort × tech feasibility

  • Facilitated team alignment on core user needs based on user journey.

  • Led the team in grounding our discussions on reframing the product from "better award search" to a between-trips job (stay ready to book)

  • Introduce a simple prioritization lens to choose ideas: value frequency × user effort × tech feasibility

  • Facilitated team alignment on core user needs based on user journey.

Prioritization outcomes

We've moved forward with features that were high-frequency, low-effort, and technically feasible:

  • Points net worth + value range and multi-program breakdown to remove pre-search setup

  • Active promotions personalized to the user's ecosystem

  • Trip goal process to keep a user's travel aspirations visible between trips

Solution

Solution

Product thesis

"GetAway helps users to points into trips: search what you can book, then stay ready between trips with time-sensitive next steps."

Dashboard

Points Snapshot

Trip Goal

Active Promotions

Travel Opportunities

Collapsed

Expanded

14:08

Total Net Worth

307,839 pts

$2,578-3,039

estimated travel value

+2

Points Breakdown

Trip Goal

Tokyo, JP

78%

Flights

Hotels

Active Promotions

NEW

Virgin Atlantic

20% transfer bonus from Amex through May 31

Virgin Atlantic

20% transfer bonus from Amex through May 31

NEW

Hyatt

3X points for every 2-night stay, up to 30k bonus points total

Hyatt

3X points for every 2-night stay, up to 30k bonus points total

Travel Opportunities

You have enough points for 134 destinations

Explore

SPONSORED

Boost your progress by 20% towards your Tokyo trip.

Apply and find out your welcome offer.

P

01
We observed

50% never checked points balance between trips.

"I have to open three other sites just to check my points balance."

02
It implies

Between trips, people won't do the "prep work." If the first step feels like logging into multiple programs, they'll stop.

03
I designed

A single, glanceable snapshot that answers "what do I have?" fast:

  • total points net worth

  • value range

  • simple breakdown by program

04
This matters

It removes setup friction that prevents users from starting, so search becomes something they can actually get to.

Points Snapshot

Trip Goal

Active Promotions

Travel Opportunities

Collapsed

Expanded

14:08

Total Net Worth

307,839 pts

$2,578-3,039

estimated travel value

+2

Points Breakdown

Trip Goal

Tokyo, JP

78%

Flights

Hotels

Active Promotions

NEW

Virgin Atlantic

20% transfer bonus from Amex through May 31

Virgin Atlantic

20% transfer bonus from Amex through May 31

NEW

Hyatt

3X points for every 2-night stay, up to 30k bonus points total

Hyatt

3X points for every 2-night stay, up to 30k bonus points total

Travel Opportunities

You have enough points for 134 destinations

Explore

SPONSORED

Boost your progress by 20% towards your Tokyo trip.

Apply and find out your welcome offer.

P

01
We observed

50% never checked points balance between trips.

"I have to open three other sites just to check my points balance."

02
It implies

Between trips, people won't do the "prep work." If the first step feels like logging into multiple programs, they'll stop.

03
I designed

A single, glanceable snapshot that answers "what do I have?" fast:

  • total points net worth

  • value range

  • simple breakdown by program

04
This matters

It removes setup friction that prevents users from starting, so search becomes something they can actually get to.

Explore

Explore Map + List

01
We observed

People don't want to do heavy planning unless they're in a booking sprint.

"I don't always have the perfect plan…it'd be great if I can see what's possible first."

"I don't always have the perfect plan…it'd be great if I can see what's possible first."

02
It implies

Early on, many users don't have a fully defined trip (dates, destinations, airline). "Seeing what's possible" is how they narrow the space, not comparing every route in detail.

Early on, many users don't have a fully defined trip (dates, destinations, airline). "Seeing what's possible" is how they narrow the space, not comparing every route in detail.

Map

List

P

Explore

1 Month

2

London

+3

58K

+$5.60

1 Stop

Business

Madrid

+3

60.23K

+$12.80

Nonstop

Business

Amsterdam

+1

78K

+$12.80

1 Stop

Business

14:08
03
I designed

A combined map + list view of the same results:

  • Map: supports broad exploration by showing reachable destinations at a glance.

  • List: supports fast evaluation once a user has candidates, with key informations (points, routing/program options

A combined map + list view of the same results:

  • Map: supports broad exploration by showing reachable destinations at a glance.

  • List: supports fast evaluation once a user has candidates, with key informations (points, routing/program options

04
This matters

It matches how people actually plan: browse first to narrow choices, then compare a short list, without requiring a "perfect query" up front.

It matches how people actually plan: browse first to narrow choices, then compare a short list, without requiring a "perfect query" up front.

Trip

Trip Watchlist

Transfer Guide

Transfer Guide

Boston to Cape Town

Flight Details

UA 721

BOS

1h 46m

IAD

Wed Feb 4 2026

2:20 pm

Wed Feb 4 2026

4:06 pm

Layover · 1h 32m

UA 1230

IAD

1h 32m

EWR

Wed Feb 4 2026

5:38 pm

Wed Feb 4 2026

7:10 pm

Layover · 1h 25m

UA 1122

EWR

14h 25m

CPT

Wed Feb 4 2026

8:35 pm

Wed Feb 5 2026

6:00 pm

Transfer Paths

34,000 pts

+ $58 tax

15% Bonus to LifeMiles

View Guide

Transfer

40,000 pts

+ $58 tax

View Guide

Transfer

P

14:08

Trip Watchlist

Flights

Stays

Active Watch

updated 2 minutes ago

Lisbon, PT

BOS

1

Economy

≤ 40,000 pts

5 Programs

United Airlines

BOS - EWR - LIS

8h 35m

Mar 19

32,000 Miles

Air Canada

BOS - YYZ - LIS

9h 30m

Mar 19

33,250 Points

10+ Options

Active Watch

updated 2 minutes ago

Cape Town, ZA

BOS

1

Economy

≤ 50,000 pts

5 Programs

United Airlines

BOS - IAD - EWR - CPT

20h 40m

Mar 19

40,000 Miles

United Airlines

BOS - EWR - CPT

21h 29m

Mar 19

40,000 Miles

3 Options

P

14:08
01
We observed

Award availability and price change constantly.

Re-running the same search just to check what's changed is high-effort and easy to postpone.

02
It implies

Users don't just need a place to "save" an idea; they need a way to keep track of it overtime until it becomes worth acting on.

03
I designed

A watchlist that saves a trip as a tracked item. Instead of starting over, users return to the same trip and see updated availability and options.

04
This matters

It turns episodic planning into an ongoing, low-effort workflow: users can monitor a trip until timing is right, then move forward with confidence.

Trip Watchlist

Transfer Guide

Transfer Guide

Boston to Cape Town

Flight Details

UA 721

BOS

1h 46m

IAD

Wed Feb 4 2026

2:20 pm

Wed Feb 4 2026

4:06 pm

Layover · 1h 32m

UA 1230

IAD

1h 32m

EWR

Wed Feb 4 2026

5:38 pm

Wed Feb 4 2026

7:10 pm

Layover · 1h 25m

UA 1122

EWR

14h 25m

CPT

Wed Feb 4 2026

8:35 pm

Wed Feb 5 2026

6:00 pm

Transfer Paths

34,000 pts

+ $58 tax

15% Bonus to LifeMiles

View Guide

Transfer

40,000 pts

+ $58 tax

View Guide

Transfer

P

14:08

Trip Watchlist

Flights

Stays

Active Watch

updated 2 minutes ago

Lisbon, PT

BOS

1

Economy

≤ 40,000 pts

5 Programs

United Airlines

BOS - EWR - LIS

8h 35m

Mar 19

32,000 Miles

Air Canada

BOS - YYZ - LIS

9h 30m

Mar 19

33,250 Points

10+ Options

Active Watch

updated 2 minutes ago

Cape Town, ZA

BOS

1

Economy

≤ 50,000 pts

5 Programs

United Airlines

BOS - IAD - EWR - CPT

20h 40m

Mar 19

40,000 Miles

United Airlines

BOS - EWR - CPT

21h 29m

Mar 19

40,000 Miles

3 Options

P

14:08
01
We observed

Award availability and price change constantly.

Re-running the same search just to check what's changed is high-effort and easy to postpone.

02
It implies

Users don't just need a place to "save" an idea; they need a way to keep track of it overtime until it becomes worth acting on.

03
I designed

A watchlist that saves a trip as a tracked item. Instead of starting over, users return to the same trip and see updated availability and options.

04
This matters

It turns episodic planning into an ongoing, low-effort workflow: users can monitor a trip until timing is right, then move forward with confidence.

Results

Results

We closed the project with a finalist presentation to VCs after four elimination rounds. The final pitch had three parts: Product, Go-To-Market, and Finance.


I led the product portion with one teammate from GTM, and I was responsible for presenting the screens, and answering product and technical feasibility questions from the judges. The judges responded well to the clarity of the product story and the logic behind the pivot.

We closed the project with a finalist presentation to VCs after four elimination rounds. The final pitch had three parts: Product, Go-To-Market, and Finance.


I led the product portion with one teammate from GTM, and I was responsible for presenting the screens, and answering product and technical feasibility questions from the judges. The judges responded well to the clarity of the product story and the logic behind the pivot.

Deliver

In the product portion, I delivered…

In the product portion, I delivered…

A clear product story: search helps at booking time, but value also has to exist between trips

A clear product story: search helps at booking time, but value also has to exist between trips

A product differentiation case: why GetAway is more than a search tool or rewards calculator

A product differentiation case: why GetAway is more than a search tool or rewards calculator

A screen-level walkthrough that connected our research directly to how the product works

A screen-level walkthrough that connected our research directly to how the product works

Impact

01

User value

User value

Reduced the biggest friction before award search and added between-trips value that matches behavior.

02

Business value

Business value

Addressed the subscription risk by shifting value from episodic trip planning to higher-frequency utility between trips.

If I had more time

01

Conduct real usability tests on the prototype to validate clarity, ease of use, and overall flow.

02

Push on the foundational product assumptions: is our product offering enough to make the concept feel credible over time?

Reflection

This project changed how I think about product strategy. A product can solve a real user problem and still fails if its value only shows up occasionally. The pivot pushed me to think beyond usability and ask a harder question: when does this product actually deserve to be part of someone's routine?

This project changed how I think about product strategy. A product can solve a real user problem and still fails if its value only shows up occasionally. The pivot pushed me to think beyond usability and ask a harder question: when does this product actually deserve to be part of someone's routine?

My biggest takeaway was that the strongest product decisions came from aligning the experience with real behavior. Search mattered when users were ready to book, but the concept became much stronger once it also helped them make sense of their points, spot meaningful opportunities, and move forward with more confidence. That shift made the product more useful and more credible as a business.

About me

About me

I'm Patrick Lee, a product and growth-minded builder with an MS in Management from Boston University's Questrom School of Business and a BA in Economics from New York University.

I work at the intersection of product, strategy, and design, translating customer insight and market context into clear priorities, strong narratives, and shippable outcomes. I'm currently exploring product management and growth/strategy roles where I can help teams simplify complex problems and drive measurable impact.

Contact

Contact

Patrick Lee MMXXVI

Patrick Lee MMXXVI