Carry On: Airports are offering passengers ways to find calm before boarding

Barcelona is the gloriously buzzy, chaotic jewel of Catalonia, yet busy Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN) is mercifully quiet. That’s because it has joined the ranks of travel hubs that are dialing back on the stream of constant, stress-inducing announcements.

IATA’s 2024 Air Passenger Survey found that 60 percent of passengers appreciate quieter airport environments. More than 150 airports, including Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS), Cancun International (CUN), Dubai International (DXB), San Francisco International (SFO) and Singapore Changi (SIN) have since embraced the ethos of the so-called silent or quiet airports.

Mobile apps, interactive kiosks, Bluetooth and beacon technology and prominent visual displays are replacing noisy squawk boxes, with announcements made only in the immediate vicinity of gates.

Some, like Helsinki Airport (HEL), also have spaces like the Maja Living Room, with beanbag chairs and quiet areas for yoga, prayer or meditation. Several airports, including Seattle-Tacoma International (SEA), have sensory rooms, with low lighting, tactile furnishings and other amenities that also cater to neurodiverse passengers who need some peace and quiet.

Fine Dining on the Fly

The Swiss First Lounge in Terminal E at Zurich Airport (ZRH) is the World’s Best Airline Lounge for Dining, as named by the 2024 World Culinary Awards. Freshly prepared à la carte dishes from burgers to Thai curry are a far cry from the industrial soups, soggy salads and leaden rolls common to most lounges.

Jet Setter

Finding a quiet spot to think, take a call or hold a virtual meeting can be challenging  on the road—or even in your own office. Canadian workers reportedly lose two and a half hours a day in an open office due to distractions, says Inbox Booths founder Scot Sustad. The serial entrepreneur launched the Vancouver company to provide modular, soundproof structures that create oases within busy, noisy spaces. “Clients tell us our booths have changed the way they work,” he says. “People aren’t scrambling to find quiet spots, and they feel less frustrated in their daily work.”

He recognizes that for leaders, especially those who travel frequently, quiet time is essential to regroup, think strategically and make sound decisions. “Carving out those moments of quiet… helps you stay sharp and productive, even in the midst of a busy travel schedule,” he says.

Sustad’s own sound travel advice includes using noise-cancelling tech for virtual meetings, getting fresh air and scheduling important work for quiet mornings or pre-boarding airport time.

“I focus on changing my mindset,” he adds. “Sometimes a 10-minute meditation or reading a few pages of a book does the trick. Activities that reset my brain—like going for a walk, grabbing a quiet meal or even sketching out ideas on paper—change the pace and can make a world of difference when you’re constantly on the go.”