In just about any airport in the world, you’re going to come across it. You’re rolling your luggage across the airport floor with no issue, and suddenly, BOOM! You have to roll it across the carpet.
Granted, the carpet is never super thick, but on the whole, it’s harder to roll your luggage on the carpet than it is on the tile.
Everyone knows
The thing is, anyone who’s ever rolled something on a carpet knows this. And I’m sure that’s why you don’t ever find carpet at places where you typically have to roll a cart, such as big box stores and supermarkets (although if you ever went to one of the Goodings supermarkets in Central FL when they were a thing in the 80s and into the 90s, yep, they inexplicably had carpet).
And yet, despite millions of people having to roll big, potentially heavy pieces of luggage on little, tiny wheels every day, a good portion of airports have carpeting. Airport designers know it’s annoying, and yet they do it anyway.
What’s up with that?
Turns out there are a couple of reasons.
Decreased sound
Big rooms with tiles tend to echo much more than those with carpets. And with big spaces with hundreds, if not thousands of people in them, all at the same time, every little bit helps when it comes to muffling sound.
Increased coziness and comfort
Studies have shown that carpeting under the feet helps to keep people feeling calmer and more relaxed. It’s also why people tend to have carpeting in their bedrooms and living rooms…because those are the more “calm” rooms of the house, where you want to feel relaxed. Until recently, most hotels have carpeting in the hallways and rooms to increase that feeling of rest and relaxation.
Anyway, to help maintain that “cozy” feeling, airports also tend to offer more natural lighting, and (although some people might disagree, depending on the airport) more comfortable seating at the gates (Well, that is, IF you can get a seat at the gates…).
Carpeting is also softer than tile flooring, which makes it more comfortable on our feet as we walk upwards to 2+ miles in an airport (you think I’m lying? I’m not – here are some of the longest airport walks in the U.S.).
So…comfort and coziness have been in, and ease of rolling luggage has been out.
The fringe benefits
Oh, and don’t think airports want us passengers feeling calmer and more relaxed just because it’s good for our blood pressure. Oh no, not at all!
Part of it is a way to help us not escalate as high when something goes wrong, like a delayed or cancelled flight. But most of it is because when people are calm and relaxed, they spend more money.
According to DKMA, an airport market research company, both happy and relaxed travelers are twice as likely to shop, and they tend to spend about 7% more money on retail and 10% more on duty-free.
So there ya go.
Feature Image: Maryamarce // Wikimedia // CC BY-SA 4.0
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