November 26, 2024 06:22 AM

Economy Class gets the VIP treatment: IKEA's Pop-up Lounge at Charles de Gaulle Airport

A Swedish visitor has arrived in Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport in the form of a pop-up-lounge. The prolific furniture retailer ,IKEA, has designed and furnished a temporary lounge with the coach class in mind. The Swedish powerhouse's lounge will be located in Terminal three from July 13 to August 5 and open to all passengers of the Parisian airport.

Once entering the 2,238 square foot space, guests will be greeted by a hostess and can do everything from taking their shoes off and watching TV on a comfortable sofa or napping in one of its 9 make-shift bedrooms. The area will be set up in a cozy, home-like atmosphere, much like their colorful warehouse stores. For families traveling with kids, there will even be a supervised 50-square meter kid's play area.

For the masses stuck in economy class, this is a welcome alternative to sitting in uncomfortable waiting areas or wasting away in overpriced airport restaurants and bars sipping $10 beers. With coach travelers in mind who aren't privy to first class airport lounges, IKEA has created this respite. "Holiday departures are often a source of stress and because the waiting time in the departure lounge is an average of 1 hour and 43 minutes, IKEA wanted to use its expertise in interior design to serve the economy class," said IKEA's press release.

Temporary, pop-up shops have become increasingly mainstream and a popular way for companies, like IKEA, to advertise their brand. The Swedish retailer is ahead of the curve with this one-of-a kind airport creation.

See more photos here.

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