Experience 065. I Saw the Sign. Wayfinding at Airports.

The Seat 1A Podcast

As seen in the Northern Hemisphere summer of 2022, many travellers have returned to travelling. However, quite often passengers check in their brains and don't bring their brain into the airport. This is why wayfinding and signage is so important.

Sometimes there is common signage across a country - the black and yellow UK signage, for example. Sometimes signage is difficult to read – Vinod shares an experience from a number of years ago in Salt Lake City. Often signs are unilingual, and often signs are unclear what a passenger needs to do (for example: does the sign mean straight ahead, or go up to the next floor level?) Looking through crowds to see signage can be difficult.

Understandably, the signage can define the passenger experience.

Many airports have a check-in zone with a big letter to show the aisle.

Vinod and Geoff share their love of the departure flipboard sign in Frankfurt.

Signage details starts right on your ticketing information. And if you need to deal with ticketing, it could be in multiple locations. Moving along to pre-board screening and security, are there other scanning locations that will get you through more quickly? Lavatories and eating – sometimes the signage intent is very unclear. Vinod shares a story of finding a Japanese breakfast in Tokyo.

Some airports don’t announce the gate until a short period before departure, which can lead to a mass rush of passengers. At the gate itself things can go sideways with signage. Vinod shares a story of changing a gate three times in Hanoi.

If you're liking this episode experience, you may also enjoy Experience 023. "Sometimes the situation just goes bad. Making the most of the experience." It's available wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Sometimes signage is a simple as something like lettering. The boarding card has to also correlate with the wayfinding.

A passenger gets to Customs and Immigration – are there restrictions on which citizens use which queues? And once you leave the airport, what is the signage for your transportation?

News Items:

• simpleflying.com article "Air France Will Cease Transportation Of Research Animals When Its Contract Expires"
• onemileatatime.com article "Ouch: Both Pilots Of Ethiopian Airlines 737 Fall Asleep, Miss Approach"

If you have a story about airport signage, or other experiences that you would like to share, please email us at stories(at)seat1a.org or find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. If you wish to support the show financially, we are on Patreon. Show notes are available online at http://podcast.seat1a.org/