Rates at Moscow-area hotels and guest houses are soaring, and authorities want to discourage fans from contemplating sleeping at the airport. Thus, “using the airport for accommodation” is now banned at the Domodedovo,  Sheremetyevo and Zhukovsky Airports. Other behaviour covered by the new rules includes sitting on floors, placing baggage on seats, riding airport trolleys, inappropriate usage of lifts or escalators, and listening to music without headphones. Oh, and make sure that your clothes are fresh and clean, as “people in stained or foul-smelling clothing” can also be fined. And if you accidentally spill something on your clothes while at the airport, you might find yourself in double jeopardy as it is illegal to wash one’s self in the public toilets (we’re not sure if the Duma means the entire bathroom facility or the toilets themselves).

If you do happen to get caught running afoul of the these new rules, don’t get overly worried, as the maximum fine is 500 rubles, which equals about $8 US dollars.

On the bright side, the Duma also passed new rules to curb “illegal taxi touts” and other scammers who prey on newly arrived passengers. The new rules have not yet been applied to Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport, and there’s no word from the Duma whether these will be temporary or permanent measures.

The post Moscow Bans Sleeping in Airports appeared first on Sleeping in Airports.

AIR MARSHAL LEAVES MORE THAN A STINK IN BATHROOM

Thanks to one crap Hollywood movie, most of us think Air Marshals are all different versions of Liam Neeson: rugged, not-to-be-messed-with individuals with a drinking problem and reckless disregard for authority. In reality, they look like an average passenger (which is rather the point if you think about it), and will probably see out their career dealing with nothing more than drunk idiots. They’re supposed to keep a low profile and, above all, not let anyone know they are armed. One marshal on a Delta flight from MAN — JFK clearly forgot this little nugget, because she went for a pee and neglected to pick up her service pistol afterwards. Luckily, the next person in the bathroom was a concerned citizen and not a would-be terrorist, so the weapon was returned to its rightful owner.

TSA FORGETS ABOUT ONLINE SECURITY

Aviation security relies on an element of mystery to keep Johnny Terror guessing. Agencies go to great lengths to conceal their procedures, often changing them with little or no notice to counter perceived threats. It’s not perfect, but it does act as a deterrent to all but the most dedicated, or most stupid, bad guys. So, when someone in the TSA accidentally published their entire training manual online, that element of mystery disappeared faster than a politician’s promise. Luckily, the mistake was quickly noticed and the information taken down before any potential terrorist could learn how to be incredibly rude to the public.

BAGGAGE HANDLER’S UNUSUAL TAKE ON AIRBNB

What’s the worst that could happen to an employee who grabs 40 winks on the job? Maybe the boss catches them and issues a written warning. Or perhaps stoner kids steal all the Doritos from their convenience store. Then again, as was the case with this baggage handler, they could wake up in the cargo compartment of an Alaskan Airlines 737 doing 150mph down the runway.

The noise levels on the tarmac are horrendous, and protection is mandatory. This guy’s ear defenders must have been top of the range because he slept through the closing of the cargo door, the engines starting up, and even the takeoff! It was only once airborne that he started banging to attract attention, forcing the crew to return to Seattle. Luckily for the worker, the hold was temperature-controlled, so he made it back without being turned into a block of ice. With the diversion costing thousands, though, he would have received a frosty reception from the airline.

ENGINEERS MAKE $10M MISTAKE

The jet engine is a wonder of modern engineering, with literally thousands of precision crafted parts assembled by perfectionists. Every component has to function perfectly in tune with the rest, or something like this happens…

Naturally, jet engines are subject to incredible forces during normal operations, and they are designed to withstand those. It’s abnormal forces that are the problem, as these Hong Kong Airlines engineers found out the hard way. For reasons still unknown, during a routine engine change, something went wrong, and they ended up with what scientists might refer to as a ‘rapid, vertical, accelerate-stop situation’. In other words, they managed to drop the damn thing onto the tarmac.

ACCIDENTAL PORNO

Like many a parent, Lisbon airport was caught out by the liberal attitudes which exist in parts of Europe. In 2015, a television in the baggage reclaim hall went from showing some awful Mediterranean soap opera to screening soft porn. The acting and production values were just as bad, but people noticed because there were definitely more naked breasts involved. Now, anything that brightens up the long wait for a suitcase is to be applauded, but the airport authorities felt this was a step too far. They pulled the plug and issued an apology straight away.

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME TO…UH, WHERE ARE WE?”

Despite their years of training and experience, professionals still make mistakes: doctors leave medical instruments inside patients during surgery, dentists pull the wrong teeth, airline pilots land at the wrong airport…wait, what? Incredibly, this is indeed a thing, and most events occur when the pilots confuse a nearby military airfield with their destination. They see a runway in front of them and go for it. While it may sound like plain incompetence, this is a known issue with the human brain called ‘confirmation bias’. In simple terms, once the mind is made up, it will ignore any evidence — no matter how blindingly obvious — that proves it wrong. It’s basically like having Donald Trump as your captain.

PILOTS SLEEPING TOGETHER

No, not like that.

Believe it or not, aircrew are human beings too and suffer the same issues with their body clock as passengers. This includes jet lag, lack of appetite, and the irresistible urge to fall asleep. Unfortunately, this urge can occasionally strike a pilot at the controls. To combat this potentially dangerous fatigue, it is common industry practice for one pilot to take a nap during the cruise. The problem is, you’ve guessed it, that sometimes the other guy falls asleep as well. In most cases, this situation only lasts for a brief time before one or the other wakes up. Occasionally, however, something is missed, like a call from ATC, or even the destination airport. This is what allegedly took place on a go! Airlines flight between Honolulu and Hilo, Hawaii. Air traffic controllers were unable to raise the pilots for an incredible 17 minutes, during which time the aircraft overshot Hilo airport by 15 miles, as the autopilot carried on happily out to sea. Eventually, contact was re-established and the airplane turned once more to Hilo where it landed safely. It was lucky they didn’t sleep through much more of their fuel, else they would have been gliding back.

The post 7 Incredible Airport Worker Oops Moments appeared first on Sleeping in Airports.

Air France’s new “Joon” carrier will begin operating medium-haul flights out of Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport on December 1, serving four European cities, and then plans to expand the service next summer with flights to Brazil and the Seychelles.

Air France’s original announcement stated that the “new airline is “especially aimed at a young working clientele, the Millennials (18 to 35 year-olds), whose lifestyles revolve around digital technology.” In its latest announcement, Air France notes that the new airline “has been designed to meet the expectations of a new generation of travelers,” and will provide “flexibility” and “a personalized and tailor-made travel experience.”

Details regarding “flexibility” were noticeably lacking from Air France’s latest announcement, but with regard to the “personalized and tailor-made travel experience,” the new airline is a “fashion brand, a rooftop bar, an entertainment channel, a personal assistant … and Joon does flying too!”

As a “fashion brand” Joon points specifically to the chic, electric blue uniforms that will be worn by its flight attendants. Perhaps chic means “retro” because one reviewer pointed out that the uniforms look like the same ones worn by 1960s-era PanAm flight stewardesses (that’s what they were called way back when).

Perhaps something got lost in the translation, or maybe “rooftop bar” means something else to Millennials, but Air France describes it as “a free catering offer in the Business cabin and a new paid option in Economy.” This catering includes about “sixty tasty treats,” of which 20% will be organic…which begs the question of who is going to eat the other 80%, given that Millennials are reputedly responsible for making “organic” mainstream.

As an “entertainment channel,” Joon will offer its Millennial customers access to in-flight streaming on their own smartphones or other portable devices. So much for the seat-backrest video player, but each passenger will have their own USB port. And on the two long-haul routes next summer Joon will provide its Business Millennials with an AlloSky Virtual Reality Headset. We suppose that Air France believes that “real” reality just doesn’t work for Millennials. Because VR is a nascent technology and some users reportedly experience nausea while using it, we trust that Joon will still include air-sickness bags in the seatback pockets. Or maybe they’re developing an App for that.

The “personal assistant” component includes an auto service that will take care of your car for you while you are away by renting it out to other private individuals, and several amorphous tour experiences that we suppose could represent the “flexibility” component Joon mentioned.

The “personal assistant” will also include a soon-to-be-launched “fund-me” campaign—“Paper Plane”—for Millennial travellers who cannot afford their airfares.  Little doubt that those Millennials still living in their parent’s basements will take advantage of this particular service.

As for Joon itself, who knows whether Millennials—basement dwelling or not—will flock to it? If nothing else, marketers are certainly finding them to be unpredictable.

The post New Airline Offers Millennials Fashion, Entertainment, Personal Assistants and a “Rooftop Bar” appeared first on Sleeping in Airports.

HEL spokesperson Katja Siberg says “The entire airport personnel is waiting for Ryan Zhu’s arrival,” and looks forward to giving “him an unforgettable experience.”

This sounds to us like Ryan is going to have a better airport sleeping experience than most. Of course, Ryan is a noted Chinese actor and television personality, and his sleeping in airport experience is part of a “disruptive content marketing campaign” by the airport’s operator, Finavia.

The campaign—#LIFEINHEL—is a mix of reality TV, game shows and social media, and was designed to showcase Helsinki Airport as the “best airport in the world,” with the fastest connections between Asia and Europe. To its credit HEL has been receiving numerous accolades in recent years, including being named 5th best airport “for sleeping” in Sleeping in Airports’ 2016 survey.

(Stay tuned for our 2017 results to be published on October 15, 2017)

Ryan’s experiences will be broadcast daily on social media, and you can view the official #LIFEINHEL promotional video below. Sleeping in Airports looks forward to following Ryan’s adventures; however, we’d like to see a follow up in which Ryan tries living in one of our ranked “worst airports for overall experience.” We kid!

#LIFEINHEL web site

The post Man With 624-Hour Layover Plans to Sleep In HEL for Almost a Month appeared first on Sleeping in Airports.

Enter the izZzsleep Capsule Hotel inside Mexico City’s Benito Juarez International Airport, the first capsule hotel in Mexico.

If you’ve spent any time in the Mexico City Airport, you probably know that it functions well enough, with plenty of shops and restaurants. But the major airport offers little privacy and few, if any, creature comforts – especially for travellers spending a long time on a layover. Terminal 1’s international departure area is comprised of two brightly-lit seating areas with metal seats and a few cafes, all of which overfill when several flights take off at the same time.

Located in the busy Terminal 1, the izZzsleep Hotel looks to offer an affordable in-terminal option for those who just want some quiet time. The hotel offers true sleep capsules that average $30 USD per night. The single-person sleeping pods are stacked in two rows, one on top of another, with three easy steps to climb to the top bunks. Each pod has a drop-down flat-screen TV, a safe, WiFi, and charging stations.

Guests have access to the bathrooms, with several showers and individual lockers for luggage.

The izZzSleep Hotel also makes capsules available by the hour daily from 6AM – 6PM, with a 2-hour minimum. A shower-only package is available for those looking for a quick freshen-up.

While the hotel company says the pods are roomier than they seem, they might not be for everyone. Still, their budget-friendly bunks provide a good night’s sleep and an experience a lot of travellers may be willing to pay for.

If you get a chance to try them out, let us know what you think about them in the comments below.

Article by Christina Kidd

The post izZzsleep capsule hotel offers comfort, amenities at Mexico City Airport appeared first on Sleeping in Airports.

As a major international airport, long-haul flights take off for and land from several continents at all hours of the day. That means that many travellers at Schiphol spend significant time here, between connections. And while super-efficient public transit makes it easy to reach Amsterdam for a half-day or overnight excursion, sometimes you don’t feel like going anywhere. Still, you may want to escape the airport vibes for bit.

The space is decked out with floor-to-ceiling windows to let in natural light, breaking up some of the airport lighting. The space is intended to help travellers discover parts of Dutch culture in a relaxing manner.

Here are the highlights:

• The Rijksmuseum Annex is an extension of the world-famous Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The airport annex provides an overview of 17th century Dutch paintings. Perhaps more importantly, the space truly feels like a proper museum, which means you may forget you’re in an airport for a bit.
• The Airport Library features hundreds of books by Dutch authors, translated into more than 40 languages. There’s comfortable seating and touchscreens that show off Dutch culture
• The NEMO Science Museum features interactive exhibits on science and technology. A couple oversized stuffed animals are perfect for kids who just need to run off some energy.

Open 24-hours, the space is located after security, between Departure Lounges 2 and 3. Holland Boulevard also has some things you’d expect from an airport: a transfers desk, a few shops and dining options, and a spa.

Have you spent time at Holland Boulevard? Let us know what you think.

Article by Christina Kidd

The post Dutch culture on display at Schiphol Airport’s renovated Holland Boulevard appeared first on Sleeping in Airports.

Tagged as a “lifestyle brand and state of mind,” the Air France announcement does not offer much in the way of specifics with regard to routes, fares, or services. As a “brand” the new airline is “especially aimed at a young working clientele, the millennials (18 to 35 year-olds), whose lifestyles revolve around digital technology.” Light on further details in this regard, the announcement suggests that millennials will be presented “an authentic and connected offering that stands out in the world of air transport.”

Apparently “standing out” will be achieved in part by the chic electric blue uniforms that have been designed for the crew, as there seems to be more information about the uniforms than anything else. No word on whether the crew wearing these chic uniforms will have to be millennial, but we here at SleepingInAirports imagine that such a requirement may present age discrimination liability issues.

Likewise, we wonder if Joon plans to prohibit or discourage older folks from flying in their chic, younger generation-themed skies. And speaking of the customer base from older generations, why weren’t they ever feted with their own distinctive airline, you know, like “Boomer Air,” or “Gen. X Express?”

The post Air France Launching Carrier Devoted to Millennials appeared first on Sleeping in Airports.

Located at the southern part of Terminal 2, the new south pier is an expansion of what we already love about Finnish design: bright, natural light, tall ceilings, and comfortable relaxation.

Travellers consistently rank Helsinki Airport as one of Europe’s best for its variety of traveller-friendly facilities. The new expansion only enhances the airport’s offerings. Travellers can expect several types of comfortable seating, including recliners and rocking chairs, all by Finnish designers. As for the natural light, the glass surfaces throughout the south pier total 4,500 square meters!

The extension adds 8,300 new square meters of space for passengers. Large information boards in the south pier offer flight details in many languages, depending on the destination country.

The pier also takes into account one particular group of travellers: Asian passengers are the fastest-growing segment of travellers to and from Helsinki Airport. The airport added new dispensers that offer both cold and hot water for free. While cold water is pretty common in modern airports, the addition of hot water reflects an essential part of daily life for many Asian travellers.

The south pier is the first part of a larger expansion at Helsinki Airport. The next piece is the central plaza, set to open in early 2019. The plaza will become the main area for all long-haul passenger flights. Later that year, the west pier will expand on many of the same amenities in the south pier, including more moving walkways. When completed, the overall expansion plan will add 103,000 square meters to the airport.

Looking at the photos, we spy a few nice new beds and comfortable recliners- perfect for a nap on your layover. What do you think about this expansion?

Article by Christina Kidd

The post Helsinki Airport gets even better with new expansion appeared first on Sleeping in Airports.

Troika, a life-sized robot who stands about 4.5-feet tall, is happy to help you get to your next flight. Designed and built by South Korea’s LG Electronics, Troika responds to its name and can speak Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and English. So when you see the black and white Airport Guide Robot roaming around freely, feel free to stop and ask for help. The screen on Troika shows blinking eyes and a smiling mouth.

Troika is happy (or at least not unhappy) to point you in the right direction, share the weather in your destination city, or even walk you to your boarding gate. Don’t be slow, though, as the robot will ask you to “please stay closer so I can see you.”

Another robot isn’t designed to chat with guests, but rather to keep the airport clean. Assisting maintenance staff, you may see the Cleaning Robot vacuuming up trash on its rounds. This robot is equipped with light sensors, several cameras, and sensored bumpers to avoid obstacles.

Incheon International Airport says these robots provide extra assistance during busy times or overnight shifts, but aren’t going to replace human beings. Deploying the robots now means they can be tested with plenty of time to help the airport support the influx of visitors arriving for the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Looking for a place to sleep at Incheon Airport? Look out for Troika – maybe the robot can point you towards a quiet rest area to get some shut eye.

Article by Christina Kidd
Photo courtesy of LG Electronics

The post Two robots help to improve experience at Seoul’s Incheon Airport appeared first on Sleeping in Airports.

If you can relate to any of these situations, Heathrow Airport (LHR) has you in mind.

The busiest airport in the UK, Heathrow recently announced a partnership with FlyFit, a brand new wellness and fitness studio. FlyFit will operate an in-airport fitness center, slated to open in autumn 2017. The studio will provide on-demand strength, cardio, and restorative yoga sessions as well as instructor-led classes, a world first for airport facilities.

While we don’t know what entry fees look like yet, Heathrow and FlyFit say the studio will be a “premium, yet accessible, reality for travelers”.

Workout clothing will be available for rent, which is great, especially if you packed lightly or checked your own workout gear. The fitness center will also offer shower facilities and health food options.

The FlyFit studio will be located in Terminal 2: the Queen’s Terminal, rounding out the modern conveniences and innovations of the airport’s newest terminal. Its location after security means it may not be accessible to travellers in Heathrow’s other three terminals.

Article by Christina Kidd
Photo Credit: expressiovisual / fotolia

The post New fitness center, with instructor-led classes, to open in Heathrow Airport appeared first on Sleeping in Airports.