JetBlue goes orange

JetBlue just opened a brand new terminal at JFK International Airport, called T5. It's a massive 635,000 square feet and sits on 72 acres, vs. 28 acres for JetBlue's previous home at Terminal 6.

JetBlue's motto is a promise to return humanity to air travel, in the hopes of removing some of the stress involved in dealing with flying. So how did they do?

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Check out these funky Moroso lounge pieces. Not to worry, they still offer traditional seating. I love that the airline places an emphasis on traveler's comfort, giving thought to color for visual stimulation and way-finding, lots of natural light and a visual paging system for a quieter terminal that is less reliant on constant audio paging. All to make flying a more pleasant experience. Imagine that!

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Some fun facts about the 55,000 sf central "Marketplace", located at the nexus of the three concourses and through-ways to and from security and baggage claim:
  • inspired by iconic sites in NYC like Metropolitan Museum of Art and Yankee Stadium
  • features a 4-foot-tall grandstand and a 2-foot-tall platform for seating or performances and exhibitions
  • 40-foot-diameter signage ring of LCD monitors suspended by stainless steel cables, visible from all concourses
  • The exterior of each retail store in the Marketplace features a glowing portal that can contain both brand imagery and signage (source)
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In the Marketplace, even the food vendors are on board with JetBlue's approach to hospitality. The designer of one restaurant, Oasis in the Desert, talked about their last successful airport model, La Tapenade, a Mediterranean café. In order to create an atmosphere that didn't make diners feel as thought they were in an airport, they hung photos of olive groves and Mediterranean seaside scenes, chosen tile work inspired by France or Italy, and used a subdued green-and-salmon color palette to create a soothing atmosphere.

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Ah, so that's where the orange comes into play!

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The designers opted for orange-covered carousel tops, to add a punch of color. The director of brand management for the airline explains that the bright decor is all about maintaining passengers' mental health. "People go to baggage claim expecting a dark, dingy basement, and instead find themselves in a gorgeous space...It's so unexpected to be standing in this warm glow of color," she says of the orange rug covered luggage carousels. "It makes people happy." They also installed backlit blue panels on the walls, although I'm not sure of the purpose for the panels. (source)

I'm delighted that airlines are considering the value of a traveler's experience and how color and lighting effects people. In what are traditionally gray, rather dark space lit by irritating fluorescents, it's refreshing to see some infusing of color. Have you been to any airports that embrace natural light and some stimulating color? Were your travels more enjoyable because of that?