- Airports are being renovated across the country and designers are making a point not to ignore their bathrooms.
- Larger cabins, offset doors that allow easier access for rolling bags, hands-free accessories, and artwork are some of the changes you might see the next time you’re on the road.
- For airport designers, the goal is to make the travel experience easier for everyone.
As someone who travels alone a lot and has a slightly sensitive tummy, I often find myself in airport bathrooms with my luggage.
Sometimes it takes a level of gymnastic flexibility, which doesn’t come naturally to me, to put all my stuff in the cabin and close the door. And I don’t even travel with that much stuff!
The good news is that many airports across the country, including my home airports, JFK and LGA in New York, are currently being renovated. Some of these projects are funded by a Federal Department of Transportation grant program, while others, including both projects in New York, are supported by public-private partnerships. Many renovations are financed through other investments or a combination of these options.
While restrooms may not be the first thing people think of when it comes to airport modernization, the designers of these projects are making a point not to mess up the bathroom talk.
“A key part of the passenger experience before or after a long flight is having access to attractive, clean, comfortable and spacious restrooms,” said Rick Cotton, executive director of the Port Authority, which manages New York City’s major airports. York. he told me in a written statement. “To meet passenger expectations, all of our new terminals are designed with restrooms that are significantly larger than the industry standard. Larger cabins, offset cabin doors that allow easier access for rolling bags, hands-free accessories and artwork – even in our bathrooms – contribute to the world-class passenger experience that has earned our new terminals top-of-the-line accolades. of the category.”
How airport bathrooms are changing
Before airport renovations began in earnest in my region, I often wondered why airport operators couldn’t just add facilities there.
Jamie Suasris, chief technical officer at LaGuardia Gateway Partners, which oversaw the airport’s Terminal B remodel and still maintains its operations and maintenance, told me it’s not that simple.
“You have to customize the tents. Tents are manufactured for commercial buildings, schools,” she said. “They’re not really designed for someone who brings carry-on luggage.”
Suasris said LaGuardia Gateway Partners worked closely with the project’s architects to figure out the best bathroom design, among other elements, to facilitate the travel experience.
“We wanted to leave your hands free and then we wanted to give the guest adequate space so that you can take your luggage, your coat, your backpack to a stall, you have space to put everything there and you can use the bathroom and close the door,” he said.
It’s not just cabin dimensions that are being updated as airports are redesigned. Here’s what you might see the next time you’re on the road:
- Large family bathrooms with single shower stall.
- Larger changing tables.
- More prominent pet relief areas.
- More shelves and other features to help you keep your items off the floor.
“We see that the traveler could be a single father with two children, a single mother with a couple of children, a pet,” said Suasri.
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What the changes mean for travelers
For airport designers, the goal is to make the travel experience easier for everyone.
“The focus has really shifted from transactional to what the true guest experience is,” Suasaris said. “The way airlines charge for things changes the dynamics of how you travel.”
He added that more people have carry-on luggage than ever before, thanks to ever-increasing fees for checked bags, and people are also spending more time at the airport than ever before.
Designers are working to accommodate these changes in traveler habits as airports, some with decades-old terminals, are updated.
Suasaris said the philosophy behind most of the changes to LaGuardia’s Terminal B was to make the airport experience as calm and peaceful as possible.
“The simple orchids that we place (in the bathrooms), or at Christmas, a peanut, are creating that spa-like environment, which puts the individual at ease,” he said.
I’m not sure I’d compare LaGuardia’s new bathrooms exactly to a spa, but they’re really nice!
Tips to make your airport experience easier
You may not have the advantage of using a newly designed airport terminal the next time you travel, but there are still things you can do to make your airport experience smoother.
- Pack light. Probably the best thing is to try to pack as light as possible so you don’t carry a million bags at the airport.
- Don’t leave your things alone. Remember, especially if you are traveling alone, you need to keep all of your things with you at all times. Unattended bags can be seen as a security risk and may be confiscated while you attend to other business.
- Give yourself time. Security lines can be long this summer, and you won’t want to rush navigating a potentially unfamiliar airport, especially if you don’t travel often.
- Be kind. People often get stressed when traveling, but that’s not an excuse to lash out.
With that in mind, though, you might see some crazy behavior at airports, even if the spaces themselves are quieter. As much as airports may increasingly be designed to promote a sense of calm, there’s not much architects can do about the behavior of their fellow travelers.
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY and lives in New York. You can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.
