Airport Terminal Seating
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Joined: Nov 2013
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From: apogee
Airport Terminal Seating
There are two types of airport terminal seats.
Type One - reasonably comfortable bench that in a pinch (delays, cancellations, acts of god, terrorist activities 10,000 miles away etc.) could be used as a makeshift temporary cot.
Type Two - reasonably comfortable bench when sat down that has been designed, specified to be as impossible to sleep upon as is possible. This usually consists of the addition of many arm rests or metal half hoop dividers at thigh level. To create these requires a conscious decision to do so. Something like this - " I am fully aware that bad things happen occasionally and people will end up stranded for hours and hours and sometimes overnight(s). They will eventually become exhausted and often have children similarly knackered. Regardless, we will not have them sleeping on our benches in our terminal and this is how we will do that."
These are the people I like to meet in dark alleys.
Type One - reasonably comfortable bench that in a pinch (delays, cancellations, acts of god, terrorist activities 10,000 miles away etc.) could be used as a makeshift temporary cot.
Type Two - reasonably comfortable bench when sat down that has been designed, specified to be as impossible to sleep upon as is possible. This usually consists of the addition of many arm rests or metal half hoop dividers at thigh level. To create these requires a conscious decision to do so. Something like this - " I am fully aware that bad things happen occasionally and people will end up stranded for hours and hours and sometimes overnight(s). They will eventually become exhausted and often have children similarly knackered. Regardless, we will not have them sleeping on our benches in our terminal and this is how we will do that."
These are the people I like to meet in dark alleys.
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,415
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From: Europe
It's to prevent 1 person occupying the space provided for 4 people, under crowded conditions following delays, which is exactly when people want to sleep on the benches and ignore all the other people looking for a seat.
On a more general note, many airport operators, including my one-time employer the BAA, prefer to keep people moving around the shopping opportunities to purchase over-priced tat and "duty-free" stuff, mostly goods on which there is no duty in the first place. They achieve that by filling the space that could have been seating with more tat emporiums.
They also strive constantly to maximise the "dwell time" that passengers are forced to spend in their shopping malls, but that's another story. It used to be a Key Performance Indicator for terminal managers to lengthen the dwell time.
On a more general note, many airport operators, including my one-time employer the BAA, prefer to keep people moving around the shopping opportunities to purchase over-priced tat and "duty-free" stuff, mostly goods on which there is no duty in the first place. They achieve that by filling the space that could have been seating with more tat emporiums.
They also strive constantly to maximise the "dwell time" that passengers are forced to spend in their shopping malls, but that's another story. It used to be a Key Performance Indicator for terminal managers to lengthen the dwell time.
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 736
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From: UK
Modern airports and stations: shopping and eating malls with transport options.
The problem is they want as many people in them as possible spending as much as possible, but when things go wrong and there is no spare space the poor cattle, er, passengers face total misery.
The problem is they want as many people in them as possible spending as much as possible, but when things go wrong and there is no spare space the poor cattle, er, passengers face total misery.
Paxing All Over The World
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 10,842
Likes: 328
From: Hertfordshire, UK.
Agreed but the next seating problem is that, increasingly, there area decreasing numbers of seats. 
How do we save money? Reduce the seating by 10% or 15%, then the'll go and sit in the cafes and buy stuff.
Save construction and maintenance money on:-
How do we save money? Reduce the seating by 10% or 15%, then the'll go and sit in the cafes and buy stuff.
Save construction and maintenance money on:-
- seating.
- small information screens (oft discussed in here)
- toilet facilites that are insufficient and with poor ventilation.
- fewer windows as we've lined the place with shops (When they announce a new terminal they usually talk about how they want to show the a/c and give inspiration and other PR rubbish but when it comes to it - it's shops. Primary example is the changes at STN since it was started.
- public address system that cannot be heard because there are not enough speakers CLOSE to the listener as it's cheaper to have fewer at high level.
- don't provide power points as the pax will steal electricity to charge their laptops and phones whilst their waiting for the fog to clear.
- < suggestions welcome >
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 130
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From: Surrey, UK
Airports are not interested in SLF
One of the members of the Professional Body that I belong to did a survey some years ago. It involved working with some airports; they did not view SLF as their "customers" so really couldn't care much about them. They saw their customers as the shopkeepers and airlines.
Says it all, really
Says it all, really
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 175
Likes: 0
From: Ireland
One of the members of the Professional Body that I belong to did a survey some years ago. It involved working with some airports; they did not view SLF as their "customers" so really couldn't care much about them. They saw their customers as the shopkeepers and airlines.
Says it all, really
Says it all, really
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,909
Likes: 129
From: Here
Agreed but the next seating problem is that, increasingly, there area decreasing numbers of seats.
How do we save money? Reduce the seating by 10% or 15%, then the'll go and sit in the cafes and buy stuff.
Save construction and maintenance money on:-
How do we save money? Reduce the seating by 10% or 15%, then the'll go and sit in the cafes and buy stuff.
Save construction and maintenance money on:-
- seating.
- small information screens (oft discussed in here)
- toilet facilites that are insufficient and with poor ventilation.
- fewer windows as we've lined the place with shops (When they announce a new terminal they usually talk about how they want to show the a/c and give inspiration and other PR rubbish but when it comes to it - it's shops. Primary example is the changes at STN since it was started.
- public address system that cannot be heard because there are not enough speakers CLOSE to the listener as it's cheaper to have fewer at high level.
- don't provide power points as the pax will steal electricity to charge their laptops and phones whilst their waiting for the fog to clear.
- < suggestions welcome >
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,165
Likes: 164
From: U.K.
Personally, I think people should stop whinging. Long delays are still fairly rare and the 'tat' sold in the airport is actually quite high end stuff. Further more, there are a whole swaithe of the air travelling public who judge an airport on its retailing offering.
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 423
Likes: 1
From: Malvern, UK
Personally, I think people should stop whinging.
Long delays are still fairly rare
and the 'tat' sold in the airport is actually quite high end stuff.
Further more, there are a whole swaithe of the air travelling public who judge an airport on its retailing offering.
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,909
Likes: 129
From: Here
Yeah, I can't say anyone has ever said 'great shops' about an airport departure lounge to me
(re delays, my personal record last year was 6 hours at Gatwick, which was outwith the ATC delays that happened)
Paxing All Over The World
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 10,842
Likes: 328
From: Hertfordshire, UK.
I used to enjoy shopping at airports because the items were novel and, often, reasonably priced. But then, I've been paxing for over 48 years... 
Now, unless there is some urgent item I've forgotten, I just head for the lounge. If there's no lounge, straight to the gate and read until boarding.
Now, unless there is some urgent item I've forgotten, I just head for the lounge. If there's no lounge, straight to the gate and read until boarding.
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 1,488
Likes: 35
From: Hong Kong
Changi is a good airport. There are plenty of things to do, its clean, comfortable - never seems to be anywhere near full; there are things to eat, do & buy more or less whatever your budget. Plenty of seats & places to rest.
Most air ports are
They are purely passenger processing facilities.
Some are truly awful.
My local - Hong Kong regularly wins awards but for what I'm not sure. Yes you can reasonably expect your bags to be delivered within 30 minutes & you can take a train, bus or car / taxi to / from quite easily.
But it is dull. The shops are OK if you want to spend HK$16000 or more on a Tatty Handbag. It is now regularly rammed (as it processes mainland tour groups etc). If you are not a HK ID card holder it can take ages to pass immigration and going through security is hardly fast (but nowhere is these days).
I used to enjoy travelling...& airports but now it is mostly boring, dull and painful.
The terrible seating & lack of clean toilets in most airports adds a further insult.
Most air ports are
They are purely passenger processing facilities.Some are truly awful.
My local - Hong Kong regularly wins awards but for what I'm not sure. Yes you can reasonably expect your bags to be delivered within 30 minutes & you can take a train, bus or car / taxi to / from quite easily.
But it is dull. The shops are OK if you want to spend HK$16000 or more on a Tatty Handbag. It is now regularly rammed (as it processes mainland tour groups etc). If you are not a HK ID card holder it can take ages to pass immigration and going through security is hardly fast (but nowhere is these days).
I used to enjoy travelling...& airports but now it is mostly boring, dull and painful.
The terrible seating & lack of clean toilets in most airports adds a further insult.