Case Study – MakeMyTrip’s Cash-on-Delivery (COD) for Flights

Recommendation: Launch a six-week pilot of Cash-on-Delivery for flights in top markets to test customer acceptance and minimize cart abandonment. Align every touchpoint with a customer-centric approach, and prepare to scale after the first wave reveals increased conversions and faster response from support.

Investment plan and strategies: Allocate $2.5M across operations, customer service, and merchant campaigns. Build access to COD during booking and check-in, train staff to handle COD payments, and run targeted campaigns to capture hesitant shoppers. This set of strategies combines clear value propositions with frictionless checkout, and the impact on experiences becomes measurable within two sprints.

Impact metrics: COD bookings increased from 6% to 14% of flight bookings in the pilot markets, an 8-point rise. First-month customer experiences improved, with average order value rising 5%, refunds on COD orders down 12%, and support response times shrinking from 12 hours to 4 hours. The increased engagement also tracked to a 15% lift in mobile searches for COD flights.

Competitive insights: Our конкурент COD option yielded slower checkout flows and higher abandonment on long routes. To outpace them, integrate targeted кампанії that highlight payment flexibility and provide a clear path to COD at both searches and booking stages. Increase access to COD by enabling it at checkout, post-booking confirmation, and mobile check-in.

Future actions: Expand COD to additional routes with geo-targeted кампанії, refine payments logic, and align the product roadmap with shaping customer experiences. Track searches and conversions, collect feedback from customers, and increase investment in marketing activities and agent training to sustain gains across markets. Maintain a customer-centric focus while outperforming a key competitor through fast, reliable COD flows.

COD for Flights: Practical Evaluation and Newsletter Rating Framework

Recommendation: Launch a controlled COD pilot for flights on select routes in india, with a mobile-first checkout made to minimize friction, verified travelers, and strict limits on ticket value to minimize risk.

The framework rests on four pillars: ticketing, channels, experiences, and finance. For ticketing, map the path from selection to payment and ticket issuance, and place COD at the paid step with thresholds that protect margins. For channels, compare mobile app, mobile web, and call-center interactions; ensure consistent messaging across all touchpoints. For experiences, monitor checkout friction, error rates, refunds, and post-purchase satisfaction, focusing on less steps to complete the purchase. For finance, build models to analyze projected revenue, cost-to-serve, fraud indicators, and route-level performance; consider what-if scenarios and break-even points.

Select routes and traveler cohorts where COD suits the risk profile. Before launch, set clear COD terms, verification rules, and a capped value. During the pilot, collect data on paid conversions, channel contribution, and experiences; the team should analyze results weekly and adjust the deal structure accordingly. Kalra’s customized plan could leverage inputs from others in the india market to refine channel-specific offers and terms. The aim: make COD feel straightforward for travelers while keeping quality control tight. Test each feature of the COD flow under realistic load to spot friction points before scale, and gather early signals on what works.

Newsletter Rating Framework: Create a grid to rate newsletters that discuss COD for flights, using criteria such as clarity of what is offered (what is included, what is paid at delivery), degree of customization for travelers, and the quality of examples and deals. Score each item on a 1–5 scale, apply weights, and compute a composite rating. Key metrics: deal clarity, feature relevance, channel coverage, and the perceived reliability of the COD option. Publish the scores monthly to subscribers and use them to suggest select newsletters to kalra and the team; ensure the framework remains aligned with india experiences and the needs of travelers who prefer mobile-first experiences.

In practice, the system should support customization: a set of configurable rules per route, with thresholds that trigger escalation if risk rises. Use a continuous feedback loop: analyze experiences, adjust the terms, and document what worked. The team can share samples of early pilots, what paid at the start, and what changed over time to readers in the newsletter. Focus on less friction in checkout, clearer payment signals, and faster refund processes; these create trust for travelers and partners.

Models should compare between routes and channels, measure projected gains, and test different deal structures. The analysis should pull data from the system and ticketing feeds, combine with feedback from travelers and agents, and present actionable insights to the team. For india, include regional patterns and partner channel performance; ensure data privacy and compliance in every step.

What to monitor: paid share, on-time ticket issuance, refund time, customer rating after COD purchase, and fraud indicators. Early indicators could include higher post-booking drop-offs on mobile-first checkout or lower support load on successful COD deals. Before scaling up, validate the operational readiness and return on investment with a clear projected margin. others can adapt the approach with route-specific tweaks, keeping the focus on what delivers quality experiences for travelers who choose COD.

COD eligibility criteria for flight bookings

Confirm COD eligibility before booking: ensure the flight is domestic, the fare cap fits your policy, and the customer’s contact details are verified in the mmts system. This upfront check improves visibility for reservations and lets them proceed only when rules are met.

Base criteria for COD coverage include route type, passenger count, fare type, and the payment profile. Leading platforms in the industry standardize these rules to overcome regional constraints. For COD, restrict to domestic routes, limit to single-ticket bookings or a maximum of two segments, and apply a per-ticket value cap that reflects logistics cost and delivery windows. Promotional fares are typically excluded with COD, and reservations tied to high-risk routes may require video verification prior to approval.

Step-by-step process: Step 1: run the eligibility check in the system for the current reservation; Step 2: verify identity, using video verification for high-value bookings; Step 3: confirm the reservations match the route and fare class; Step 4: issue the COD confirmation and start sending payment instructions to the customer.

Automated checks handle most cases; human review steps in for exceptions. The automated layer uses customer history, location signals, device fingerprints, and the base rules. If a case falls outside the standard rules, a human reviewer can approve or adjust, enabling expanded coverage for special scenarios and promotional campaigns in the domestic market.

Promotional opportunities: COD visibility supports promotional campaigns and can lift domestic flight bookings, while maintaining strict risk controls. The system tracks sending status and customer responses; this base workflow helps the team compare results with paid options and focus on improving the experience. When customers have a питання, respond with clear steps and a short video link if needed. For any doubts from the human team, refer to policy notes and update the rules.

Cash flow impact: timing of payments and refunds

Recommendation: implement a 7-business-day refund window for COD flight orders and institute a 3-day payout cadence to suppliers, with a 5% liquidity reserve. This stabilizes cash flow across markets during holidays and peak travel periods.

kalra notes that the core lever is aligning customer payments with vendor settlements while preserving the ability to scale. The following steps turn that into action.

Each new book entry triggers a payment capture.

• Forecast and settle: Build a daily cash forecast that accounts for COD bookings, refunds, and vendor settlements. Use real-time data to update the forecast and adjust liquidity needs with a well-designed, scalable model.
• Separate flows: Create two pools–paid receipts and refunds–so the software can manage timing without mixing funds. This supports inventory planning and reduces the risk of shortages on high-penetration routes.
• Refund policy design: For cancellations, process refunds automatically after verification, but hold back a portion for potential penalties. Define a maximum refund window by region to manage holidays and peak travel periods.
• Multiple payment methods: COD interacts with bank settlements differently than prepaid bookings. Align payment capture with the moment the customer book entry is created, and refund through the same channel when possible.
• Algorithms and risk: Use predictive algorithms to flag high-risk bookings (large group trips, long-haul routes) and apply a longer hold queue for those. This reduces spike refunds and stabilizes expenses.
• Marketing and reach: Tailor strategies to regions with stronger COD penetration. Focus on clear terms in the booking flow, reducing disputes and improving cash flow predictability.
• Case and scenarios: Run multiple what-if scenarios for holidays and major sale events to see how refunds and paid amounts move through the system. Use these case studies to sharpen policies.
• Inventory and areas: Track real-time flight inventory and partner hotels to ensure stock levels match cash availability, avoiding overcommitment.
• Group and human oversight: Assign a small human group to monitor COD experiences, with escalation paths for exceptions. Maintain well-documented processes and dashboards.
• Physical and digital reconciliation: For COD desks at airports or partner counters, ensure physical collection aligns with paid records and daily digital settlements are reconciled.

Fraud risk controls: identity verification and order flags

Implement a two-tier approach: multi-layer identity verification at onboarding and real-time order flags during COD flight checkout, focusing on the largest Indian markets and indians travelers during vacation seasons. This move aligns with risk needs and helps prevent cash-based abuse before tickets move to sold status.

Identity verification leverages a concept of layered checks: government ID match, device fingerprint, and tele-verification, with avail signals from IP, SIM, and geo data. We compare onboarding inputs to avail records and travel history, looking for name or address drift, inconsistent contact details, or recent card- or bank-issuer flags. For indian customers, we chose to add extra verification on new numbers or rapid changes in contact data, keeping the flow fast enough to avoid friction during busy travel windows. Onboarding checks typically complete within 45–60 seconds on mobile and under 8 minutes on desktop, reducing drop-off while tightening identity confidence.

Order flags create a dynamic rule set that applies to each transaction. High-risk triggers include order value spikes, mismatches between passenger name and payment profile, geolocation or travel dates that don’t align with typical itineraries, and repeated COD attempts within a 24-hour window. When flagged, the system moves the order to a review queue, allowing agents to verify details and request supporting documents. This approach enables timely decisions and allows teams to intervene, preventing risky moves before a ticket is sold.

In practice, the time to decision for flagged orders remains 15 minutes for routine checks and extends to 60 minutes for high-risk cases requiring manual validation. The approach shows potential to reduce fraud while maintaining a smooth customer experience, especially during vacation peaks. We compare with competitor baselines to ensure our controls stay competitive, iterating on rules as we expand avail data sources and refine signals from each transaction. The framework addresses issues such as data drift and device spoofing, while staying responsive to customer needs and shifts in travel demand.

Checkout and post-purchase flow for COD flights

Use a single go-to checkout path that places COD upfront and validates eligibility with an instant mobile OTP. This boosts conversions and builds trust from the first click.

In the pre-purchase flow, run an ai-based risk check and display the contents of the fare, final taxes and contingencies. Present an early promotion for COD on domestic routes to increase confidence and capture impulse buys.

Post-purchase, deliver instant confirmation with a clear status on the online dashboard and a downloadable physical receipt if needed. Do not hide any charges; show the full fare contents and taxes upfront. Provide a clear refunds policy and a fast path for refunds requests, a fact customers rely on.

Boost trust with online reviews, a founder note, and a simple question channel. The company maintains a single COD feature across platforms and highlights the promotion benefits. If any extra charges appear, flag hidden costs immediately.

Industry benchmarks show COD success rises when contents are consistent across online and app flows. Track peak demand periods, refunds turnaround, and the boost from the go-to flow. Always save time for customers and agents by automating updates, and keep the founder’s customer-first approach in mind to strengthen domestic flight bookings.

Newsletter rating metrics: open rates, reader actions, and recommended actions

Recommendation: build a real-time open-rate dashboard and apply customized subject lines for each segment to lift engagement by 12–18% in july. Use the information gathered from the источник and monitor which actions arouse the most pickups there. Align the approach with Indians and other regional audiences for better relevance and faster resolve of friction points.

Open rates are the first signal. Track each send by day, time, and device, then segment by list source and language to surface the most relevant patterns. The vast dataset should include baseline rates, subject line variants, and preheader strength to identify which elements move the needle.

• Measure: open rate, unique opens, and skip rate by go-to channel (email app, desktop, mobile).
• Analyze: test customized subject lines and sender names, use algorithms to predict best send times for each segment, and compare against a real baseline.
• Apply: rotate 3–5 subject-line variants per July campaign and track which yields the highest open rate for Indians and other segments.

Reader actions reveal engagement deeper than a click. Monitor clicks, time spent in the email, and subsequent pickups (like viewing flight options or price pages). Use this data to map the user journey and identify bottlenecks that prevent conversion.

1. Track: click-through rate (CTR), click-path depth, and the go-to actions from each reader segment.
2. Correlate: link clicks with page views, add-to-cart, and booking completions to measure effectiveness of calls-to-action.
3. Discover: hidden patterns in action sequences, such as readers who pause on a price table then return later–capture that as a signal for retargeting.

Recommended actions synthesize insights into concrete steps. Use a swot-style lens to prioritize changes that are feasible now and those that require longer-term data collection.

• Strategies: implement a mixed approach of A/B testing, automated follow-ups, and segment-specific creative. Keep the focus on customized experiences that respond to each reader’s history and preferences.
• Actions: set weekly experiments, publish a go-to playbook for the team, and maintain a visible dashboard showing real-time metrics and targets.
• Actions-priority: 1) improve subject lines, 2) strengthen CTAs with clear value propositions, 3) optimize landing pages for mobile, 4) re-engage inactive segments.
• Measurement: track improvement against available benchmarks, and report progress with a real-time update cadence to companys stakeholders.

To validate the approach, run a quick July pilot and compare it against a control group. Pull insights from diverse sources, analyze outcomes, and adjust ongoing campaigns to reduce the question of why certain readers drop off. Use a methodical, much-needed process to resolve gaps and convert openers into booked flights – a practice that remains real, actionable, and relevant for any newsletter program.

Key notes: maintain a steady stream of data, keep content fresh, and ensure that each touchpoint adds tangible value. If a metric stalls, reframe the message, revisit the subject line, and iterate with visible ownership across teams. This disciplined cycle will yield better engagement and clearer signals for future newsletters.