Source: New York Times
As airlines continue to shrink the size of their in-flight bathrooms, to make room for more seats in economy, making them all but unusable for tall and overweight passengers, more fliers may increasingly be seeking comfort in places they once avoided at all costs: airport restrooms.
Those dingy, unappealing spaces — often with broken door latches, paper towel dispensers that have long ago run out of towels, and floors that look they like they are in dire need of cleaning — have often been the option of last resort for many frequent travelers.
But, now, increasing numbers of airports seem to have recognized that clean bathrooms are an important aspect of travel and have begun to take steps to improve both the conditions and the monitoring of their facilities.
“Bathroom cleanliness is a big driver of satisfaction at airports, and if you want a pleasant experience, clean bathrooms are a must,” said Dimitri Coll, the associate director for the Airports Council International, the official association for the world’s airports, which recently conducted a survey of travelers that emphasized the importance of airport cleanliness.
According to the ACI’s “Airport Service Quality: Airport Cleanliness,” report, published earlier this year, washroom cleanliness, combined with terminal cleanliness, affects overall passenger satisfaction more than any other infrastructure factor.
There are signs travelers may be closer to getting what they want.
Improved Technology
Seven airports around the country, including Los Angeles International Airport, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport, in Houston, have invested in a new software system called TRAX SmartRestroom, which aims to keep bathrooms cleaner and helps move the lines to use stalls more efficiently (several more airports will introduce the system before the end of the year).
Tracy Davis, the vice president of sales and business development for Infax, one of the three companies that collaborated to develop the software (Avius and Tooshlights are the others), said that it involves…
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