Hi! I am Alexi Thornton,
founder of epalithia …
I come from a rich tapestry of cultures, blending my Greek heritage with British and Australian influences.
I have a lifelong passion for all things travel, customer and employee experiences.
My early exposure to the travel industry and the Greek tradition of philoxenia instilled in me a deep appreciation for hospitality and human connection.
Whilst exploring the world through multiple industry roles, I built expertise in front-line customer service, airline operations, and online travel agency fulfilment. Later, transitioning into the SaaS side of the industry, I worked with multinational airlines and travel agencies, helping them navigate the complexities of digital transformation for passenger communications.
I now help businesses uncover what stands between their customers and seamless journeys, so that they feel valued and employees operate with confidence.
My work and experience
Roots & Resilience: Escaping expectations in 1980s Greece and finding a niche in UK aviation during an economic downturn.
Frontline Airport Realities: Surviving five years on Heathrow shifts, dealing with clunky legacy reservation systems (BABS), and the human psychology of travel disruption.
The Rise of Travel Tech: Joining Opodo at inception, filing fares, launching through 9/11, and bridging the gap between developers and operational reality.
Scaling Down Under with 15Below: Expanding passenger disruption communications across APAC and partnering with airlines across Oceania and Asia.
Mastering Service Design: Walking in the customer’s shoes, mapping cross-departmental journeys, and breaking operational silos to solve passenger pain points.
BermudAir Irregular Operations Audit and CX improvements.
A remote exercise with great results!
A series of real-life stories that shaped my CX and EX ethos.
Real life experiences, Service Design and Customer Service Lessons
How I fell in love with Design Thinking and Service Design.
A collaboration through 15below and Empathyce.
