{"id":1896,"date":"2019-12-01T11:08:12","date_gmt":"2019-12-01T15:08:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beingbobblog.com\/?p=1896"},"modified":"2020-01-18T11:22:46","modified_gmt":"2020-01-18T15:22:46","slug":"are-airports-secretly-manipulating-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beingbobblog.com\/happy-holidays\/are-airports-secretly-manipulating-you\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Airports Secretly Manipulating You?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Next time you fly, pay close attention to the airports. Their design may be more intentional than you think.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by DANIEL BOCKWOLDT\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the years, airports have evolved from bare-bones transportation hubs for select travelers to bustling retail centers for millions. They\u2019re being designed to both complement and influence human behavior. Everything from the architecture and lighting to the trinkets on sale in the gift shops is strategic. Here are a few tricks airports use to help travelers relax, get to their gates safely and on time, and hopefully spend some money along the way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. They make sure you can see the tarmac.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

One key to a successful airport is easy navigation. Travelers should be able to get from security to their gate without getting lost, with help from subtle design cues nudging them in the right direction. In design lingo, this process is called wayfinding<\/a>. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I tell my staff that signage is an admission of failure,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d says Stanis Smith<\/a>, executive vice president and leader of the airports sector at consulting firm Stantec. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Obviously one needs signs, but the best thing for designers to do is look for ways you can assist with wayfinding that are subtle.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, in many new airports, passengers can see through to the tarmac immediately after they leave security, or sooner. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153More important than anything is a view directly out to airside and you see the tails of all the aircraft,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d says Robert Chicas<\/a>, Director of Aviation and Transportation at HOK<\/a>, the architectural firm that helped redesign the Indianapolis International Airport<\/a>. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Does it matter whether it\u2019s your aircraft? Probably not. It gives you an orientation so you know generally that\u2019s the direction you need to head in.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. The signs send subliminal messages.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Very, very little in the style of an airport sign is arbitrary,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d writes<\/a> David Zweig, author of Invisibles: The Power of Anonymous Work in an Age of Relentless Self-Promotion<\/a><\/em>. Take the font, for example. In 75% of all airports, you\u2019ll find one of three typefaces: Helvetica<\/a>, Frutiger<\/a>, and Clearview<\/a>. All three are sans serif because it\u2019s easier to read at a distance. The unofficial rule for size, according to the Transportation Research Board\u2019s guide to wayfinding<\/a>, is that every inch of letter height adds 40 feet of viewing distance (so a \u00e2\u20ac\u01533 inch tall letter would be legible from 120 feet\u00e2\u20ac\u009d). Sometimes different terminals will have their own distinct signature sign design<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u201dlike rounded edges or a specific color. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153If you are ever in an airport or campus or hospital or other complex environment and suddenly something feels off, you sense you are going the wrong way, there\u2019s a good chance it\u2019s not just magic or some brilliant internal directional sense,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Zweig writes<\/a>, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153but rather you may be responding to a subconscious cue like the change of shape from one sign system to another.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. They lighten the mood.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Newer airports incorporate as many windows as possible, even in stores. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153There\u2019s a trend that the shops face the tarmac. Passengers tend to walk more into shops that have direct access to the sunlight,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d says Julian Lukaszewicz<\/a>, lecturer in aviation management at Buckinghamshire New University. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153If they\u2019re closed off with artificial light passengers feel they are too dark and avoid them.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. They herd you with art.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

That big sculpture in your terminal isn\u2019t just there to look pretty. It\u2019s another tool to help travelers navigate. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We like to use things like artwork as kind of placemakers that create points of reference through an airport terminal,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d says Smith. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153For example, in Vancouver International Airport<\/a> we have a spectacular 16-foot high sculpture at the center of the pre-security retail area. People say, \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcMeet you at the sculpture.\u2019 It acts as a point of orientation.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Art also serves to create a sense of place, transforming the airport from a sterile people-mover to a unique atmosphere where people want to spend time (and money!). In one survey, 56 percent of participants said \u00e2\u20ac\u0153a more culturally sensitive and authentic experience tied to the location\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is something they\u2019d like to see more in airports by 2025. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. They use carpeting. <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In many airports, the long walk from check-in to gate is paved in linoleum (or some other hard surface). But you\u2019ll notice that the gate waiting area is carpeted. This is an attempt to make holding areas more relaxing by giving them a soft, cozy feeling, like you might find in your own living room. Happy, relaxed travelers spend 7 percent more money on average on retail and 10 percent more on Duty Free items<\/a>. And it doesn\u2019t stop with a layer of carpeting. Yoga rooms<\/a>, spas, and even airport therapy dogs<\/a> are becoming more common as airports look for new ways to relax travelers and encourage spending. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. The \u00e2\u20ac\u0153golden hour\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is key for profit.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In airport manager lingo, the time between when a passenger clears security and boards their plane is called \u00e2\u20ac\u0153dwell time.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d This is when, as the Telegraph<\/em> puts it<\/a>, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153passengers are at a loose end and most likely to spend.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Especially crucial is the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153golden hour,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d the first 60 minutes spent beyond security, when passengers are \u00e2\u20ac\u0153in a self-indulgent mood<\/a>.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Display boards listing flight information are there in part to keep you updated on your flight, but also to reassure you that you still have plenty of time to wander and shop. Similarly, some airports are installing \u00e2\u20ac\u0153time to gate\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/a> signs that display how far you are from your destination. And because 40 percent of us would prefer to avoid human interaction<\/a> when we shop, self-service kiosks are becoming more common in airport terminals. According to the Airports Council International<\/a>, 50 percent of American airports now have robo-retailers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Cate Gillon\/Getty Images<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. They\u2019re increasing dwell time.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The \u00e2\u20ac\u0153golden hour\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is great, but two golden hours are even better. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153One hour more at an airport is around $7 more spent per passenger,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d says Lukaszewicz.Anything that\u2019s automated, from check-in to bag drop, is meant to speed things up. And it works. Research suggests automated check-in kiosks are 25 percent faster<\/a> than humans. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153A lot of airports, especially in Japan and New Zealand, are now doing this, where you don\u2019t actually get any assistance from any staff member from check-in,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d says Lukaszewicz. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153You print your own baggage tag. You put it on the bag on the belt. You go through auto-security and immigration where there is no one. At the boarding gate you just touch your barcode and they open a gate and you walk onto the plane without any interaction.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d One study<\/a> found that for every 10 minutes a passenger spends in the security line, they spend 30 percent less money on retail items. Last year, the TSA announced<\/a> it would give $15,000 to the person who comes up with the best idea for speeding up security. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Shops are strategically placed.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Most airport spending is done on impulse<\/a> (no one really needs<\/em> a giant pack of Toblerone), so the key is getting the goods out where they can be seen by as many people as possible. Shops are located where airport footfall is highest. Some airports force passengers to wander through Duty Free to get to the gates. And the more twists and turns, the better. According to one report<\/a> from consulting company Intervistas<\/a>, Duty-Free shops with \u00e2\u20ac\u0153serpentine walk-through\u00e2\u20ac\u009d designs have 60 percent more sales \u00e2\u20ac\u0153because 100% of customers are exposed.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shops and restaurants are often clustered to evoke a Main Street feel, because people tend to shop in bustling environments. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It\u2019s no different than if you\u2019re in a town in Europe or in Manhattan,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Smith says. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Retail succeeds when it has a critical mass.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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9. They go local.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Airport shops are packed with souvenirs and trinkets that reflect the local culture because that\u2019s what travelers want to buy. For example, more than 20 years after its release, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Sleepless in Seattle\u00e2\u20ac\u009d shirts<\/a> are still a top-selling item at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. In the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, shoppers go wild<\/a> for potted cactus plants. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Local brands, local services, reinforce this idea of place, and that you are in a special place on your way to the rest of the world,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d says Ripley Rasmus<\/a>, senior design principal at HOK. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. Walkways curve to the left.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The majority of humans are right-handed, and according to Intervistas<\/a>, this influences airport design. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153More sales are generated if a walkway curves from right to left with more merchandise and space on the right side because passengers are looking right while (perhaps unconsciously) walking left,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d says one report<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

11. A single queue puts us at ease.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

While the line for check-in and security may seem absurdly long, a single queue actually lowers stress levels by increasing the perceived sense of fairness, according to Lukaszewicz. No one worries the other line is going faster than theirs, because there is no other line. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153If you implement a one-queue system for check-in, or for security, so one long line and then you go just to the next available counter, passengers perceive it as more fair because each person is standing in the same line,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he says. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It\u2019s strange but true because you always think the queue next to you moves quicker.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Spencer Platt\/Getty Images<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

12. The security officers get conversational.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Since 2007, the TSA has been pouring $200 million a year<\/a> into agents trained to spot suspicious behavior in passengers. The program, called Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques (SPOT), was developed by a psychology professor at the University of California Medical School in San Francisco named Paul Ekman. It involves a list of 94 signs of anxiety and fear, like lack of eye contact or sweating. But one report<\/a> found that SPOT is ineffective because “the human ability to accurately identify deceptive behavior based on behavioral indicators is the same as or slightly better than chance.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another method of screening passengers is simply to talk to them. A 2014 study<\/a> found that asking open-ended questions\u00e2\u20ac\u201dknown as the Controlled Cognitive Engagement method (CCE)\u00e2\u20ac\u201dis 20 times more effective than trying to monitor based on behavior. For example, an agent might ask a passenger where they\u2019re traveling before prodding them with a random question like where they went to college and what they majored in, then watch for signs of panic. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153If you\u2019re a regular passenger, you\u2019re just chatting about the thing you know the best\u00e2\u20ac\u201dyourself,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d says<\/a> researcher Thomas Ormerod, PhD, head of the School of Psychology at the University of Sussex in England. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It shouldn\u2019t feel like an interrogation.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d In the study, officers using conversation-based screening caught 66 percent of deceptive passengers, compared to just 3 percent who used behavior-based screening. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jessica Hullinger is a freelance journalist living in Brooklyn. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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