Problem
I just wrote some suggestions for how to design Cardiff Airport. Some of my ideas were specific to the history and culture of Wales.
I have many more ideas which could be applied to airports worldwide.
DEPARTURE
DELIGHTFUL DESIGN
Beautiful Buildings
Design buildings with restful curves, arches, and domes instead of ugly oblongs. Don't have points or arrowhead ends to buildings which look like alarming knife ends, and which the Chinese consider bad Fung Shui.
Incorporate designs specific to the country. If you cannot tell which country you are in by looking at the building, the design has not been thought out. If the terminal could equally well be in another city, you have not thought it through.
Restful And Lively Colours
Add restful colours. Add lovely and lively colours.
Co-ordinate with any greenery in the landscape.
Add flowers and trees.
Light But Not Windy
Add natural light or skylights to all areas, including corridors. In busty windy weather, add protection to open-sided buildings. (Heathrow can get very chilly. People arrrive from hot countries and leave for hote coutnries and walk through a gale to the entrance or the car park.)
Central Statue Or Sculpture
Have a pleasing design reflecting the coutnry of departure, or aviation.
CHECK IN
Give a numbered tags for each item checked in, so you don't leave one behind, nor take somebody else's identical black suitcase.
Give away rainbow ribbons to identify suitcases. Or origami tags and animal stickers. You can use sponsors for free tags.
AIRPORT PRICES
Sell four-wheel luggage in carry-on sizes at prices competing with budget shops, not only the
high-priced lines.
TOILETS
Make sure toilets are in the middle or both ends and not just at one end. At Gatwick you have to walk from the far and to the toilets at the opposite end and back which adds 10-20 minutes waiting time.
Keep male and female toilets nearby or funneling into a common seating area so you are not chasing around looking for your partner.
STAIRS AND LIFTS (ELEVATORS)
If you have stairs, let the trolleys go up the stairs. The Swiss have trolleys which go on escalators.
Any flight of stairs with no lifts in sight needs a help point intercom.
AT SECURITY
At security luggage inspection, have numbered and variously coloured trays so you can find your items trays and keep them together.
Allow more room for offloading items into trays so you don't get a long queue behind one person.
Allow people at security before boarding to drink their bottled water or throw it away. The official at Madeira said I wasn't allowed to eat my yogurt.
Don't chuck plastic bottles in the bin but ask people to re-use plastic bottles - or the airport should get plastic recycled.
LOST PROPERTY
Have a lost and found area on each floor in the centre - not some office hidden miles away (as at Heathrow).
In the USA, I had my passprot around my neck in a pouch, so as not to lose it. At the last minute I was asked to go back and put it in a tray. Of course, I collected everything else. On board, I realised I'd left my passport at security.
I raced back.
Security had closed down and taken my passport to lost property upstairs. (Why did they not not call me on the tannoy, or go to the flight and find me, or send an announcement to all departing aircraft. They had my name.)
I ran all the way to lost property. I tried to jump the queue. The man serving said, "You have to wait."
I said, "If you make me wait, the whole plane has to wait, because you've got my passport and I jsut ran off the plane to get it."
He asked me if I had any proof of identity. I retorted, "No. You've got my passport. Look at the picture. Does it look like me?"
Yes, But before he gave it to me, he made me tick boxes on a form and sign in two places, and write name in capitals.
I ran all the way back to the aircraft.
A flight nearly had to be delayed because I had got off the flight after my luggage was on board.
ARRIVAL
SUITCASE LABELS
Make sure the luggage carousel has a gradual descent, instead of dropping suitcases with an alarming jolt and thud at the end.
Then we and our luggage will all have a safe and happy trip.
What is my favourite airport? Changi, no question about it.
Useful Websites
wikipedia. changi
changi.com
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
I just wrote some suggestions for how to design Cardiff Airport. Some of my ideas were specific to the history and culture of Wales.
I have many more ideas which could be applied to airports worldwide.
DEPARTURE
DELIGHTFUL DESIGN
Beautiful Buildings
Design buildings with restful curves, arches, and domes instead of ugly oblongs. Don't have points or arrowhead ends to buildings which look like alarming knife ends, and which the Chinese consider bad Fung Shui.
Incorporate designs specific to the country. If you cannot tell which country you are in by looking at the building, the design has not been thought out. If the terminal could equally well be in another city, you have not thought it through.
Restful And Lively Colours
Add restful colours. Add lovely and lively colours.
Co-ordinate with any greenery in the landscape.
Add flowers and trees.
Light But Not Windy
Add natural light or skylights to all areas, including corridors. In busty windy weather, add protection to open-sided buildings. (Heathrow can get very chilly. People arrrive from hot countries and leave for hote coutnries and walk through a gale to the entrance or the car park.)
Central Statue Or Sculpture
Have a pleasing design reflecting the coutnry of departure, or aviation.
CHECK IN
Give a numbered tags for each item checked in, so you don't leave one behind, nor take somebody else's identical black suitcase.
Give away rainbow ribbons to identify suitcases. Or origami tags and animal stickers. You can use sponsors for free tags.
Sell four-wheel luggage in carry-on sizes at prices competing with budget shops, not only the
high-priced lines.
Make sure toilets are in the middle or both ends and not just at one end. At Gatwick you have to walk from the far and to the toilets at the opposite end and back which adds 10-20 minutes waiting time.
Keep male and female toilets nearby or funneling into a common seating area so you are not chasing around looking for your partner.
STAIRS AND LIFTS (ELEVATORS)
If you have stairs, let the trolleys go up the stairs. The Swiss have trolleys which go on escalators.
Any flight of stairs with no lifts in sight needs a help point intercom.
At security luggage inspection, have numbered and variously coloured trays so you can find your items trays and keep them together.
Allow more room for offloading items into trays so you don't get a long queue behind one person.
Allow people at security before boarding to drink their bottled water or throw it away. The official at Madeira said I wasn't allowed to eat my yogurt.
Don't chuck plastic bottles in the bin but ask people to re-use plastic bottles - or the airport should get plastic recycled.
LOST PROPERTY
Have a lost and found area on each floor in the centre - not some office hidden miles away (as at Heathrow).
In the USA, I had my passprot around my neck in a pouch, so as not to lose it. At the last minute I was asked to go back and put it in a tray. Of course, I collected everything else. On board, I realised I'd left my passport at security.
I raced back.
Security had closed down and taken my passport to lost property upstairs. (Why did they not not call me on the tannoy, or go to the flight and find me, or send an announcement to all departing aircraft. They had my name.)
I ran all the way to lost property. I tried to jump the queue. The man serving said, "You have to wait."
I said, "If you make me wait, the whole plane has to wait, because you've got my passport and I jsut ran off the plane to get it."
He asked me if I had any proof of identity. I retorted, "No. You've got my passport. Look at the picture. Does it look like me?"
Yes, But before he gave it to me, he made me tick boxes on a form and sign in two places, and write name in capitals.
I ran all the way back to the aircraft.
A flight nearly had to be delayed because I had got off the flight after my luggage was on board.
ARRIVAL
SUITCASE LABELS
Make sure the luggage carousel has a gradual descent, instead of dropping suitcases with an alarming jolt and thud at the end.
Then we and our luggage will all have a safe and happy trip.
What is my favourite airport? Changi, no question about it.
Useful Websites
wikipedia. changi
changi.com
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
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