Travelers checking into Terminal E in Dallas have seen a change from the way the terminal used to be, according to Frommers. The area was previously decorated in a way that appeared bleak and gray, but is now filled with music streaming from Pandora and redone with lavender mood lighting.
The old signs have been replaced with new signs directing travelers as to how long they will have to wait before being processed. The voice at the security line is now a smooth recorded voice. They have also added a "recompose" area after travelers get through security, where you can pause to collect yourself and your belongings before continuing on to your gate. The area contains couches, carpeting, bars to help ties your shoes and a mirror.
Only screening points are controlled by the Transportations Security Administration (TSA). The others unpleasant aspects of going through security are controlled by the airports. Dallas Forth Worth, along with Charlotte, are trying something new by taking advertising money from outside companies in an exchange where the companies improve the security experience inside the terminal.
Dallas is receiving $500,000 from Marriott's SpringHill Suites to have the branding opportunity. In exchange the hotel has put posters on the sides of plastic bins.
If passengers complete the TSA checkpoint in a better mood, then they are also more likely to spend money in the shops, according to officials from DFW and SpringHill Suites, who talked to the Wall Street Journal.
The program is being done as a three-month pilot program. If both passengers and the TSA like the changes, they could be extended to other terminals in the airport, and eventually, even to other airports, though it will be dependent on how much advertising space the airport is willing to provide in exchange for added comfort for travelers.
News coverage of the new terminal set-up.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
