Was waiting to board a plane at Ben Gurion Airport. Boarding was by zones, which is a sensible idea but usually involves some confusion as to which zone is up… PA announcements can get drowned in the general hubbub. So this time, they had a young lady announce the zones at the top of her … Read more
Was trying to get to my plane at Dulles International airport in Washington, DC. There are a number of terminals, and a train connecting them. So we got on the train, expecting it to do the usual thing – run in a (topological) circle, or maybe back and forth along a line, between the terminals … Read more
Was on a United flight enjoying my coffee (such as it was), when I noticed the text on the paper cup. Nice cup: Makes them feel very ecological, no doubt… someone in Marketing must’ve though it a good point to brag about. Except that it’s completely meaningless, of course. This statement remains true even if … Read more
Here is a bit of outstandingly smart design I saw in Terminal Five at London Heathrow airport. To fully appreciate the ingenuity, you should know that there are two security inspection areas (you know, where they check your shoes and X-Ray your hand luggage): Security North and Security South. Both serve the same function, and … Read more
Every seasoned traveler knows the drill: you go to baggage claim, everyone’s bags arrive except yours, and you start running around to try and locate it. If you’re lucky, you end up finding your suitcase standing, forlorn and confused, with a few other bags in some corner or another. How it got there nobody can … Read more
We veteran road warriors know the drill: go thru security, then hunt for a power outlet to recharge our computer at as we wait for our flight. This often involves scouting the terminal halls hoping to find the occasional wall socket intended for the janitor’s vacuum cleaner, hoping there would be a vacant chair near … Read more
There is no place quite like Israel, and this is reflected in many design decisions made in this country. For instance, consider the Arrivals Hall at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport, which is designed around our family-centric cultural attitude. While in many airports arriving passengers just go out into the street to pick a … Read more
Here is a screenshot from the form you fill to join the El Al Frequent Flier club. The form has the usual fields (take my word for it, you to whom Hebrew is Greek), but the one that drew my attention is the Title field preceding the first name. This uses a drop-down box, which … Read more
We saw that Newark Liberty International airport has some serious problems keeping its electronic signs straight… here, and here. Well, here’s a third and (for now) last installment. This is the baggage claim area at the Continental domestic terminal where I landed coming in from San Francisco. See the nice colorful sign identifying this baggage … Read more
We saw how the electronic boards at Newark Liberty airport made the ridiculous omission of adjusting for the Daylight Savings move. Evidently this is not an exception: something is very wrong with that airport’s electronic signage. These guys have an “Airtrain”, an internal elevated light rail system for moving between terminals. The train has two … Read more
