Over the weekend, we posted a piece about how airports are specifically designed to trick you into buying more. One email we got in response to the piece, from a reader named “Dom,” was:
Since you’re an airport design savant, please explain why airports, which facilitate a scheduled service, don’t have large clocks visible in the concourses?
We couldn’t print it as a response to the piece because it didn’t follow our requirements (specifically #3) for approving. That being said, the question itself is a good one: why DON’T airports have large clocks visible in the concourse?
Clocks in Train Stations vs. Airports
In thinking of our travels, I can picture several grand old clocks in train stations we’ve visited in Europe. Even NYC’s (relatively new) Moynihan Train Station has a huge clock in the middle of the waiting area, where it’s visible from all 4 corners of the room.
But airports? Few and far between.
I mean, sure, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol’s clock is legendary.
And some airports have smaller clocks on their wayfinding signs, in the arrivals or departure halls, or in their lounges such as this one in the Lufthansa lounge at Frankfurt Airport.
But “Dom” appears to be right – save for Schiphol (and probably a small handful of others), you rarely see a large clock visible in the concourses.
Why Don’t Airports Have Large Clocks?
I started doing some research and, not surprisingly, couldn’t find any quote from any airport that explains why this is the case. However, when others have asked the same question in the past, I found several potential reasons from passengers—most of which make sense:
- Because they don’t want people complaining about the clocks being wrong…It cost money to have synchronized clocks mounted everywhere (2004, SI_Aimgo, StraightDope)
- Probably because the current time is shown on the arrivals/departures board. (2013, plasticasio, Reddit)
- Airports like you to spend plenty of time in the shops. So they want you to sort of lose track of time more than they want you to keep track of it. (2010, philipy, Ask Metafiler)
- I think it’s because there is really no need for them since everyone has a watch/cellphone/ipod that can tell time. (2012, Name Deleted, Reddit)
Other Practical Considerations
I can also think of a few other reasons:
- The time is on the screen for every gate.
- Airport concourses can be exceedingly long (how long? This long). They can also have bends or, as in the case of MCO’s Terminal C, multiple curves. At an airport such as CLT, Terminal E alone, with all its twists and turns, would need to have a minimum of 5 large clocks in the concourse, just so people at all 38 gates will have a fighting chance to see one.
The Real Reason?
However, I think the main reason is that those large clocks of yesteryear were important when not everyone had a watch, phone, tablet, and/or laptop with them. Nowadays, with multiple electronic equipment, on top of departure/arrival boards, on top of the screens at the gates, large clocks for everyone to see would be an expense many airports don’t feel are needed anymore.
*** Many thanks to “Dom” for their question!
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