People traveling through several major international airports aren’t able to make the most efficient use of their time spent in airports because of a lack of space, privacy and quiet.
Two years ago, my husband and I went to Paris. (He wasn’t my husband yet, we got engaged on that trip.) Our flight traveled through the evening, and arrived in Paris at 6am, which was midnight “our time”. I usually sleep at midnight, so I didn’t sleep on the plane, but as soon as we arrived I started to drag bigtime. We could not check into the hotel until noon, so we ended up sitting in a cafe for several hours, very grumpy and exhausted.
This was not the first time I wished I could have a quiet place to take a nap in the airport. It is also an issue with long layovers. Other times when a flight gets delayed, hours get wasted. It is a particular disturbance on short trips, where you do not have the buffer to adjust to the time / sleep difference.
I discussed this challenge with 5 people:
Interview #1
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Interview #5
This is not a problem for all travelers. There are a handful of airports in the USA and internationally with napping pods, and airport hotels with day use rooms. First class lounges in some hotels contain nap rooms. Some travelers “can sleep anywhere”, and do not have trouble sleeping in the airport or on the plane as needed.
In Orlando International Airport, however, in the top 20 busiest airports in the USA, and top 35 in the world, there is no such amenity.
The biggest issue seems to be with losing sleep, but also there is a need to get work done. Multitasking is trending in our culture, and the loss of time is becoming increasingly frustrating, as we are getting increasingly accustomed to doing many things at once.
I 100% agree with you that a lot of time is wasted during travel when we could be doing other things. The us of technology has increased our ability to multitask but having other amenities to relax / get work done and even sleep would be very beneficial. Logistically it may be hard though and require a lot of construction in airports which is never a great thing. Not sure if the benefits out weigh the time and money it would take to create new areas but this is a big issue that any traveler can relate to. Great job!
ReplyDeleteAs my career requires me to travel all over, I can DEFINITELY relate to this opportunity! I feel that many layovers can be long or between flights you just want a nice place to sit down without being crowded and having to hover over your bags. I think that thought cost and money could be a huge impact here, the satisfaction brought to the different travelers would outweigh the costs associated. Nice job!
ReplyDeleteI travel a lot and I know that not only would I be on board but other people that travel a lot and overseas as well. one thing that could be addressed is if people would be willing to pay more for this opportunity and how much. in your situation I'm sure you would've payed a decent amount just to get some rest.Sometimes you just want to get away for all the people in an airport and this is a good way to do it.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love this idea, and I’ve been saying for years that something like this needs to be put into place. My dad is a pilot and we travel all the time, and I am all too familiar with the struggle that comes with missing a flight or being delayed and having to spend the night in an airport, It’s horrible, uncomfortable, and unsanitary. I love this idea, but would be interested how it would be executed, would you charge people? Is there a time limit? There are a lot of questions that come with this, but it’s a great idea.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really great idea that I can definitely relate to. I find myself traveling a lot for one reason or another, and I often find myself struggling to sleep, whether it be in the airport, on the train, the plane, etc. I think that developing some new product or service to help cope with the issues that arise from sleep deprivation, in these situations, would be something that would resonate well with consumers. I feel that there are many different ways that this idea could be implemented, and the one that would be decided upon will have to be up to you.
ReplyDeleteAdding napping areas to airports are a great idea. A lot of people have to kill some hours between layovers, or like in your circumstance, waiting for a hotel check-in. This idea of napping areas could be expanded into other buildings like hospitals, colleges, etc. It's exciting to see where you'll take this opportunity!
ReplyDeleteIt would be great if we could have that everywhere. I have that problem sometimes when I am flying and I feel like I want to get a small room just for sleeping or relaxation. I used to think about this a lot when I was younger. Now, I am becoming more patient about it, but it would be awesome to have rooms that you could use for few hours.
ReplyDeleteI love this idea! Whether people are traveling for leisure or for business, time is an important factor that people struggle with. When time is lost or people could be using their time more efficiently than people can instantly become more frustrated. We live in a very fast paced world and I agree that it is important for people to have the appropriate resources when traveling especially when the solution could be as simple as sleeping pods or airport hotels. Great idea! I also appreciate that you found people who don't necessarily need this type of service. There are many people who can sleep literally anywhere, which helps prove that as great of an idea as you have, it isn't necessarily for everyone.
ReplyDeleteAmira, this is a great idea! I can't count the many times that I have been stuck at the airport with delays or sometimes because of my own fault. This would make a great impact on the consumer satisfaction side of business. I believe it would be hard to implement since airports would have to expand and accommodate for everyone that has to nap. It's still a major step in the right direction for everyone that has dealt with this issue. I can say that I would take advantage of this every time. Just need to make sure you keep any belongings in a safe place while they're in a nap pod. Great job!
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