Skift Take

European airports are ahead of their American peers in making wait times more enjoyable for flyers, especially with design aspects that represent the cities where the hubs are located.

Airports are taking steps to make the wait experience more enjoyable for flyers. The most recent iteration of the trend is rest areas where flyers without loyalty lounges can escape airport chaos.

In September, Finland’s Helsinki Airport introduced a new ‘Relaxation Area’ where flyers are able to rest or sleep between flights for free.

There are ‘silence chairs’ and sleeping pods available, but travelers can also use the space to do work or make phone calls.

The area is designed to reflect Finnish culture and highlight elements of Finnish nature such as ice and northern lights. The Relaxation Area was designed by Vantaa Innovation Institute as part of its new Airport Concepts project.

This isn’t the first time that Helsinki Airport brought its unique sense of design into the airport. Last year, the national airport authority Finavia created an exhibition area and design camp where passengers could relax before their flight.

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Tags: helsinki

Photo credit: Flyers at Helsinki Airport can access the Relaxation Area for free and sit in a silence chair or rest in a sleeping tube. Vantaa Innovation Insitute

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