Airport seating

A Zoeftig Installation with the Zenky model at Birmingham Airport.
A variety of chairs for massage and waiting at a gate

An airport chair or airport seating is seating within an airport.

Airport terminals designed by major architects such as Renzo Piano (Kansai International Airport) or Richard Rogers (London Heathrow Terminal 5) require high quality seating to match the general quality of their interiors.[1]

Fire safety is a significant consideration at airports. Regulations now govern the contents of airport terminals and this affects the choice of materials used for the seating.[1] Werner Sobek designed the airport chair Expression using only aluminium in a simple form.[2]

Recent firms and designers involved in the highly lucrative and competitive business include Porsche, Vitra, Sir Norman Foster, and Alberto Meda.[3]

Business travellers commonly wish to use laptop computers while waiting and so seating for them may incorporate a charging point and a form of desk.[4]

Robert Sommer studied the design of airport seating and concluded that the arrangement of chairs in rigid lines bolted to the floor was deliberately sociofugal — discouraging social interaction such as conversation and encouraging the sitters to go to commercial locations such as shops and cafes.[5] The provision of arms on the chairs increased the usage of the chairs, as compared with bench seats without arms. Strangers are more comfortable sitting adjacent each other if there is an arm to mark their personal space. The parallel orientation of the modular seat units also minimises face-to-face contact and this is less threatening for strangers.[6]

History

While designing chairs of the Chicago O’Hare International Airport in 1962, Charles and Ray Eames took it upon themselves to design a chair that would not only be stylish, but also functional for the people occupying each seat.[7] This seat was later deemed, the Eames Tandem Sling Seat.

Like anything, updates and recreations are needed to stay relevant. Brian Alexander took the Eames's creation and added needed revamps to stay up with the hustle and bustle of airport occupants. He added an occasional table in between seats and a power plug in, which became a big hit with people traveling for work.[8] In addition, with technology being so dominant in society, this feature allowed for convenient charging of technological devices.

Variance in airport lounges

Traditional airport seating at Portland International Airport (PDX) in Portland, Oregon, USA gate

Seating in airports plays a significant role in the satisfaction of travelling passengers as well as their overall experience in airports. Seating has been an ever so important aspect of airports due to it being a component that represents both a pleasant airport experience and visual appeal.[9]

Purpose of seating styles

The design of the standard airport seating has not seen a significant change in over 50 years, and is fact known for its simplicity.[9] The primary focus of today’s airport seating goes to the size and comfort of seating to fit to the right environment that the airport and airline caters to.[10]

Airport lounges provide elite access to those part of the service allow passengers to feel the comfort of home and beyond in a place aside from the standard airport environment. Airport lounges require a membership, which allows access to a number of premium amenities. While standard domestic and international airport lounges include basic seating and access to charging stations, the membership based lounges provide seating that are larger, comfortable and spacious.[11]

Primary features of airport lounges include:

  • Refreshments and bars
  • Entertainment
  • Relaxation
  • Unique seating styles[11]

Types of seating

Dubai International Airport (DXB) provides airline travelers with a premium seating range of seating material in various colors of blue, red, black and grey.[10] Dubai International Airport (DXB) is an example of an airport that is focused on setting apart standards of original airport seating and experimenting with various colors to enhance appearance and comfort.

Priority Pass is a membership-based lounge access service that caters to airports around the world including Africa, Asia, Continental Europe, Latin America and The Caribbean, Middle East, North America and UK and England. With 25 years of service, Priority Pass provides passengers with elegant seating styles, far from ordinary.[12]

The first sleeping pod was introduced in 2013 to Helsinki Airport in Finland. The sleeping pod allowed airline travelers to relax in their own peaceful space. The pod features adjustment to be turned from a seat to a bed, storage area for carry-on luggage, as well as charging connectivity.[9]

Business class lounge at Bamako-Sénou International Airport offers relaxed seating including bar-style seating

Dubai International Airport (DXB) also features sleeping pods that fulfils a similar purpose at their Sleep ‘n Fly Lounge.[13]

The environment of airport waiting areas is continuously updated, and revamped. The purpose has been, to enhance the experience of the traveler. Due to the reinforcement of airport security, the wait time of a passenger has significantly increased. To accommodate customer experience, airports have applied major efforts in increasing comfort in the lobbies/seating areas.[14] The space surrounding the seating area within an airport is designed to encourage comfort, happiness and connectedness within travelers. The level of comfort within travelers has been dependent on a number of elements, which affect the surrounding environment.

The six airport servicescape factors[14] are:

  • Design
  • Scent
  • Functional organization
  • Air/lighting conditions
  • Seating
  • Cleanliness

In a study[14] regarding the importance of these factors, it was found that there is a positive correlation between the comfort of the traveler and the scent of the waiting area. A higher level of comfort has encouraged the desire to fly through a specific airline more than once.

Modern technologies

As for the future of airports, there are many trends floating around, and becoming more relevant in regards to the experience of the traveler. An example, being the need to create a “sense of place”.[15] The seating arrangement in a waiting area, is taking on a new and fresh look, all in the hopes of creating a positive response from travelers.

The Ampere modular tandem seating system[16] is a seating arrangement designed for a technologically reliant society. It allows travelers to comfortably utilize multiple electrical devices, while remaining seated in their chair. The wiring goes behind the chair, creating an appealing and inviting look.

GoSleep sleeping pods in Abu Dhabi International Airport provides privacy and comfort for sleeping in a public area

The introduction of the GoSleep sleeping pods[17] at the Abu Dhabi International Airport, has allowed travelers to sleep comfortably, during longer layovers. There is a pull down cover, to provide travelers with the feelings of security and privacy. It also includes outlets, so that electronic devices may be charged, while one is sleeping.

References

  1. 1 2 Steve Thomas-Emberson (2007), Airport interiors: design for business, Wiley-Academy, p. 78, ISBN 978-0-470-03475-0
  2. ↑ Conway Lloyd Morgan (2004), Show me the future, p. 118, ISBN 978-3-89986-031-3
  3. ↑ "Hot Seat: Airport Furniture Designers Battle for Glory". Wall Street Journal. 2010-05-17. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
  4. ↑ Jeremy Myerson, Philip Ross (2003), The 21st century office, p. 4:4, ISBN 978-1-85669-394-3
  5. ↑ Donelson R. Forsyth (2009), Group Dynamics, pp. 459–460, ISBN 978-0-495-59952-4
  6. ↑ Donna P. Duerk (1993), Architectural Programming, John Wiley and Sons, p. 137, ISBN 978-0-471-28468-0
  7. ↑ "Maximising airport seating capacity while ensuring customer satisfaction | Interview with Johan Berhin - International Airport Review". www.internationalairportreview.com. Retrieved 2018-05-17.
  8. ↑ "Eames Tandem Sling Seating Design Story". www.hermanmiller.com. Retrieved 2018-05-17.
  9. 1 2 3 "Airport Seating: Where Modern Ideas and Classic Design Converge - APEX | Airline Passenger Experience". apex.aero. Retrieved 2018-05-17.
  10. 1 2 Williams, Paul. "In the hot seat - Airport World Magazine". Retrieved 2018-05-17.
  11. 1 2 "Airport lounges 101: Why to use them and how to get in". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2018-05-17.
  12. ↑ "Airport Lounge Access Worldwide | Priority Pass". www.prioritypass.com. Retrieved 2018-05-17.
  13. ↑ "You can access over 1,000 Priority Pass airport lounges for free with certain credit cards — here are 9 of the best ones". Business Insider. Retrieved 2018-05-17.
  14. 1 2 3 "Traveler anxiety and enjoyment: The effect of airport environment on traveler's emotions". Journal of Air Transport Management. 57: 122–129. 2016-10-01. doi:10.1016/j.jairtraman.2016.07.019. ISSN 0969-6997.
  15. ↑ "How new technology is influencing the design of the future airport". Future Travel Experience. 2013-10-24. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
  16. ↑ Ampere modular tandem seating system, 2008-06-27, retrieved 2018-05-21
  17. ↑ Spyrou, Anna. “Middle Eastern Airports: What To Expect.” Travel Trade Mena, June 2017, www.traveltrademena.travel/pdf/Travel-Trade-Mena-June-2017-issue-92.pdf.
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