Jetnet Migration to Unily

Unily
Angular
TypeScript
JavaScript
HTML
CSS

Migrated a global, always-on employee intranet from a legacy platform to Unily, preserving mission-critical functionality while modernizing the UX and front-end architecture. I worked on a four-developer team and owned all UI customization and custom-built functionality, extending the platform through Angular Federated Modules.

Overview

This project modernized American Airlines' employee intranet (Jetnet), a global portal used by employees across regions and time zones. The migration required constant uptime, careful preservation of existing integrations, and a clear strategy for extending Unily beyond its out-of-the-box capabilities.

In addition to platform migration and content transition, I implemented a modular front-end approach that allowed us to deliver enterprise-specific features safely and maintainably—without compromising platform stability or future upgrade paths.

Context & Challenges

Jetnet had grown organically over many years into a mission-critical platform. The migration needed to maintain business continuity while improving usability, performance, and maintainability.

  • Global scale and constant uptime: The portal served employees worldwide, making downtime and broken workflows unacceptable.
  • Deep legacy integrations: Embedded tools and integrations had to be preserved or replaced with feature parity.
  • Massive content footprint: Thousands of pages, articles, and subsites required migration, validation, and link integrity.
  • Small team, high ownership: With a four-developer team, I owned all UI customization and the design/implementation of custom front-end modules.
  • Platform constraints: Unily provides strong baseline features, but enterprise needs required extending the platform safely while remaining upgrade-friendly.

Solution & Architecture

The migration approach combined content transition and validation with a front-end architecture designed to extend Unily without fighting it. My work focused on UI customization, reusable UI patterns, and a modular strategy for delivering enterprise-specific features.

  • UI customization & theming: Implemented comprehensive UI updates aligned to branding, navigation patterns, and user expectations to ease the transition.
  • Angular Federated Modules: Built independently deployable modules to introduce new functionality beyond Unily's standard components while preserving upgrade paths.
  • Migration collaboration: Worked with the team to migrate and validate intranet content at scale, ensuring permissions, metadata, and existing workflows continued to function.
  • Testing and rollout: Established validation practices to ensure feature parity and consistent behavior across regions, devices, and user roles.

Key Custom Modules

A core part of the migration was delivering new capabilities through Angular Federated Modules. These modules allowed us to ship enterprise-specific features independently, integrate securely with third-party services, and keep the overall platform maintainable.

Secure Streaming Video (Brightcove)

Built a module that enables Corporate Communications to embed secure Brightcove streaming video directly within intranet pages. The component supports consistent playback UX, responsive layouts, and a repeatable publishing workflow for non-technical editors.

Brightcove streaming module. Secure video embedded in-page with a consistent, editor-friendly publishing workflow.

Region-Specific Pay & Benefits Calculator

Developed a module that provides region-specific pay and benefits guidance based on employee context. The design emphasized clarity, input validation, and maintainable configuration so updates could be made as policies evolved.

Pay & benefits calculator. Region-aware UX designed for clarity, accuracy, and maintainable configuration.

Embedded Employee Chat (LivePerson)

Implemented a module that embeds a LivePerson chat experience within the intranet, enabling employees to access support and communication channels without leaving the portal. The implementation focused on reliable loading, safe script integration, and consistent UX across pages.

Results & Impact

  • Minimal disruption during migration: Completed the platform transition while maintaining business continuity and preserving critical workflows.
  • Improved usability and performance: Delivered a more consistent mobile experience and cleaner, more maintainable UI.
  • Sustainable extensibility model: Angular Federated Modules enabled independent delivery of enterprise features without compromising upgrade paths.
  • Foundation for ongoing enhancements: Established an architecture that supports iteration without reintroducing legacy complexity.

Role & Responsibilities

  • UI customization ownership: Responsible for all intranet UI customization, theming, and reusable UI patterns.
  • Federated module architecture: Designed and built Angular Federated Modules to deliver enterprise-specific functionality beyond Unily.
  • Custom module delivery: Implemented Brightcove secure streaming, pay/benefits calculators, and LivePerson chat integrations.
  • Migration collaboration: Partnered with the team to migrate and validate content, maintain link integrity, and preserve workflows.
  • Quality and stability: Supported testing and rollout practices aligned to uptime, global usage, and long-term maintainability.