IndiGo booking research. Interview question: 'What factors influence your seat selection decision?'
Interview answer (consistent across 40 participants): 'Price, and then window seat preference.'
Hotjar recordings of actual seat selection: 78% of users selected a seat based on its position relative to exit rows, regardless of price tier. The decision was primarily about disembarkation speed — something nobody mentioned in interviews.
Why the gap? Because 'I want to get off the plane faster' sounds trivial and slightly selfish. 'I prefer window seats' sounds like a real preference. Users edit their answers toward what seems like a reasonable, considered response.
The research principle: behaviour data is more honest than stated preference data. Watch what people do, don't just ask what they think. When they diverge — and they will — the behaviour is true.
This specific insight changed how we designed the seat selection: we added an 'Exit row proximity' filter. It became the third most-used filter within 30 days of launch.
The Takeaway
Ask 'why' in interviews as a starting point, not an ending point. Validate with behaviour data. When they conflict, the behaviour is telling the truth.