A seat in the airport’s departure lounge is where the holiday begins!
Holidays start in the departure lounge, and it is at this highly anticipated stage of the holiday when waiting passengers want nothing more than a coffee, beer, or cocktail in the most appealing bar. Sinking into a comfortable armchair, clutching only a passport and a drink is where the relaxation and gloating social media posts begin – bliss!
Airport lounge seating – beyond the cold, grey benches
Because of the time we all spend in the lounge waiting to board, airport lounge seating should be carefully considered by the businesses within it. Not only should the seating be designed to maximise a customer’s comfort (airports can otherwise be stressful), it should also entice passers-by – despite the contained audience, competition in large airports can be fierce. To attract airport customers, furniture should be brightly coloured and stylish, complimentary of the bar or restaurant’s concept, comfortable, and clean.
An example of airport lounge seating at its best
The Windmill pub at Stansted Airport (a J D Wetherspoon) was awarded the “Airport Bar of the Year” at the Food and Beverage (FAB) Awards in Geneva in 2016 (but it still looks just as fabulous today). The award was designed to “recognise the most innovative projects in travel related food and beverage.” Importantly, the Windmill was presented with the award due to its great service and good looks; the furniture and décor achieved the perfect balance between comfort, style and practicality. Practicality is vital when furnishing airports as the tables and chairs are often used a lot more than in the outside world. There is no “normal time” to go to the pub.
A winning combination
UHS Group played a role in The Windmill’s success story – we were The Windmill’s airport lounge furniture supplier and kitted the entire site out with a range of seating solutions, such as the La Boca side chair and Sandro Winged Chair. We’ve furnished thousands of venues across the hospitality sector, and because of this, our collections are more than suitable for airport lounges. Resilience, practicality, and style is considered during the design and manufacture of each piece we supply.