Oct 11, 2016

Hwk 1.2

Airport Behaviour Part Deux

Does it take you long to book a flight? Why?

Depends on which airline and their website. Prices whether I’m going alone or with other people. Multiple factors.
45min. depending on how many passwords I need to try to remember. Also depending on which website and airline.
Doesn’t take long.
No, I’ve done it many times and tend to go with the same airlines, although I do a quick check to see if there is anything new out there by going to expedia.
No. I’m pretty spontaneous when it comes to travel and book last minute using points and apps that let me know the best airlines/dates to fly.

Flight booked! An email confirmation has been sent to you.. date, time and flight number are quickly added to your diary.. do you record anything else at the same time?

No
I often book a hire car or other transport to final desination.
No
I always put down a phone number to call in case we run into unforeseen problems, and if we are going to a big airport I look for which terminal we are arriving and leaving from. I also check the weight allowance for hand luggage and luggage and write that down.
As long as I know what time I need to be there that’s all that matters.

You’ve been sent your standard 72 hour notice of departure, yippee time to fly soon! There are the usual terms and conditions that accompany this reminder, do you read them in depth, scan over them or not at all? Why?

Depends if i’ve flown with the airline before if I have I would just scan over incase anythings changed. If I haven’t flown with them before I would read it in depth.
I don’t usually read them. Terms and conditions are pretty standard and you have to sign them if you want to fly.
Don’t read in depth.
No, because I think I checked good enough before and know what they are saying.
Nope. I’m so last minute with flights I don’t even get reminders. I’ve flown so much I know all the regulations for every major airline.

Do you prefer to check-in online or to head to the airport first? Why?

Online, quicker and easier.
I prefer to check in on line.
Online. Saves time at airport.
If I have the option of checking in at home before we leave I always do it because then we just have to drop off our bags and go through. It’s much quicker. But most times we can’t book in on line because we taking onward flights or using different passport.
I generally just check in at one of the machines at the airport as I usually just have a carry on. I’m always last minute to pack so no time to go online before my flight.

You’ve arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare. If you haven’t checked-in online, would you opt forself check-in or would you prefer to check-in at the desk? Why?

Either it depends on the queue
I prefer to self check-in. It is quicker.
Self check-in, saves time.
I opt to check in myself, in some airports you have no choice but to use the machines, like Trondheim, and only if you run into problems will they help you at the desk. Again it is quicker to do it yourself at a machine.
I always do self check-in. It’s quick and easy and generally necessary before you could even see an agent.

The last time you went through security, what was your experience like?

Easy. The queue was short so it was really quick.
Usually it is not too bad if you have patience and are not late.
Frustrating
There is always lots of waiting. I was wearing a very small scarf around my neck which I was asked to remove. I thought that was a bit extreme.
It was fine. The staff was friendly, people were calm, and I know the drill. Was waiting quite a while in a line that wasn’t moving so switched to the next line and got through in a breeze.

Your memory has done an awesome job of reminding you of the security screening process. What are the top tipsyou remember to do before getting to the front of the security line-up?

Take off shoes, take off jacket/belt. Take out laptop if I have it.
Make sure you have no metal in pockets, on belts or other cloths. get rid of all fluids in containers of more than 100ml. Take all electronics out of cary-on bags and put in tray on conveyor. Jacket in tray and cary-on in another tray. Be ready to take shoes off and put in tray. Then double check pockets for any metal objects.
Empty pockets, remove belt, remove jacket, put lap-top in tray.
Get rid of the water bottle in you bag and get all the metal off your body. I had a hair clip giving me grief one time, and one pair of my boots has a metal strip in the sole so they always come off.
Drink or chuck beverages, take off metal accessories, take off shoes, remove electronics from bags.

Time for a trip through the inevitable duty free! How long would you like this experience to last until you get through to departures and why?

Depends on the airport and how many shops/good shops they have. If it’s a big airport I would like lots of time but a small amount in a little airport.
I never buy anything there and think that it should be illegal to sell scented things there. Many people have alergic reactiond to perfumes. There should always be a quick bypass to the so called dutyfree area.
I would prefer that the. Duty free area was optional.
It would be nice to be able to avoid duty free completely if you wanted to, like there should be a bypass. In my case you could then avoid all the perfume smells which make my eyes water and make me sneeze. Then if you choose to go to the duty free you could go directly to the chocolate or wine section and avoid the perfumes.
I generally skip duty free unless it’s in an airport of a country with unique cultural products. My main priorities before finding my gate is food and bathroom.

You’ve magically appeared in the departure lounge, ready for your flight. You go in search of the healthy food store but it looks like there’s only fast food, if only you’d known!What mighthave been a better scenario?

Eat before checking in.
Many people take food with them. Also I have noticed that some people take empty bottles through security check and are allowed to. They can then fill them with water into the washrooms before the flight.. Some airports do have health food outlets now. If enough people use them, they may spread to many other airports.
The departure lounge has more options.
I usually take an apple along and some nuts if I get hungry, but I don’t eat much when I’m travelling. I don’t mind fast food once in awhile just to remind me why I don’t eat it.
I generally have healthy snack bars and a reusable water bottle with me, but I’ve found tricks for customizing fast food options to meet my dietary standards. Some airports like Phoenix and San Fran have great healthy options, but I’ve definitely been disappointed at airports like San Antonio. I always appreciate airports that have quick healthy food to go, like smoothies, salad bars, and soups.

Assumptions on how I could improve an airport for my archetype:

Remove or re-locate duty free to a space where it is optional to walk through (some airports direct passengers through duty free with no other option).

Provide a list of food stores located at the particular airport the user is travelling through.

Create a seamless, continually moving security/screening experience.