In Transit Blog: Latest Airport Amenity? Old-Fashioned Rocking Chairs

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 06 September 2013 | 17.36

Updated, 5:33 p.m. | High tech is the mantra at many airports, but some airports are taking a more retro approach to improve the travel experience: Old-fashioned rocking chairs were recently introduced at four airports in Finland.

"Each and every passenger has time waiting at the airport before flights, and it can sometimes be very boring," said Johanna Metsala, customer experience manager at Finavia, which manages 22 commercial airports in Finland. Rocking chairs are a great way for customers to be comfortable, relax, and have a little "me" time, she said.

Four or five traditional rocking chairs, handmade by a small family business in Finland, are clustered in the boarding areas of airports in Vaasa, Turku, Oulu and Kittila, where passengers can view planes taking off and landing. They can be moved if more privacy is desired.

Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina lays claim to being the first airport to provide rocking chairs. Introduced in 1997 to accompany a photography exhibit about traditional southern front porches, the white wooden rocker became so popular among travelers that it became a permanent fixture.

In Finland, rocking chairs were temporarily placed at the Helsinki airport for several weeks last year when it (along with several neighboring cities) was designated as the World Design Capital for 2012, an initiative of the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design.

"This is a lovely idea. Why not continue?" Ms. Metsälä recalled thinking. Design is not just about the furniture, but also the experience of its users, she said.

The effort is in a pilot phase until the end of the year. If customer response is good, the chairs will become permanent and will probably expand to Helsinki Airport and several others, she said.

The only negative feedback so far has been about the hard tile flooring under the chairs, which prevents the smoothest rock. Customers have asked for carpet to be installed in the rocking chair area. "It's a wish we will implement immediately," Ms. Metsala said, adding that the airport in Oulu is testing carpets woven by local women.

But overall the reaction has been positive. "It's given passengers some nice moments before flying," Ms. Metsala said. "It feels like people are getting in a better mood."


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