PA SSENGER B E HAV IOUR
“I’m surprised how few airlines
make sure our physiological
state is taken care of”
them relax. Sound can be deployed more, which can
trigger system one behaviour whereby we are more
relaxed and not in such an energised moment. We are
more likely to chill and breathe. There are so many ways,
using sound, colours and images that airlines can help
people breathe better and relax more, which creates an
environment where you don’t see as much tension or
aggression or whatever it could be.”
Astrid Groenewegen, founder of the SUE Behavioural
Design Academy in Amsterdam, adds that the power of
suggestion – the subconscious planting of emotional cues
through language – can also be effective. She suggests
a focus on positive words, and positive framing.
“It really affects your judgement. So, if you want
people to behave politely on the airplane, you can also
prime them with words related to hospitality and
friendliness: think about ‘collaboration’, ‘respect’ or
‘patience’, for example. Our subconscious recognises those
words, and this affects our behaviour on board and can
diminish feelings of fear,” she says.
“The captain or purser can also have a very important
role in shaping how people feel. For example, if the
aircraft enters turbulence, this makes people who are
already afraid of flying feel very scared. With positive
framing you think about the context of a message. Instead
of saying, ‘Fasten your seatbelts, we have run into some
turbulence’ you could say, ‘We are entering some warm
cloud streams. This may cause some bumping. This is
quite normal. Look at it as if we are driving on a bumpy
road. So, do fasten your seatbelt.’ That makes turbulence
a normal thing, not a life-threatening thing.”
NUDGING FOR WELLNESS
Another important element of nudging design is to
consider the impact of the environment on the body.
Krakow says that negative behaviour in cabins can be
reduced and positive perception of the brand enhanced
by addressing the basic physiological needs of passengers,
especially on longer journeys.
“You can use nudging to make sure that people get
enough to drink, that people actually get to exercise
during long-distance flights and that we stay entertained,”
Krukow says. “If you keep the mind occupied with
something that creates value, people are going to have
a better perception of the trip and rate it more highly.”
Groenewegen recommends that airlines take
advantage of the impact of scent and warmth to ensure
aircraftinteriorsinternational.com
032 JUNE 2019
passenger wellness. “Airlines could really use smell to
make people feel more comfortable. There have been
loads of experiments with smell. For example, floral
smells in sneaker stores helped to sell more sneakers,”
she says. “Another sensory cue is warmth. If we hold
something warm, like a cup of coffee, we judge people
we meet afterwards more warmly. So, it might be a good
idea to hand out a free coffee or tea at the gate. People will
treat airline staff and each other more warmly. Colours
can have the same effect: warm colour can make us feel
more comfortable, which is good to remember when
doing an airline cabin design.”
CONNECTING MIND AND BODY
The mind and body are connected, therefore nudging
must address the needs of both. “There’s a lot to be done
and the low-hanging fruit involves passenger comfort
once in the air,” says Krukow. “I am really surprised how
few airline companies work to make sure that our
physiological state is taken care of – that we stay hydrated,
that we get to move our feet – all of these things that we
don’t pay much attention to really, really determine our
state of mind when we leave the airplane and, thus, how
we evaluate the journey. The most important factor that
influences our whole experience is the last experience in
that segment of the journey.”
But the real advantage of nudging design is that it
involves making small, manageable improvements.
“You don’t change everything. You don’t go out and
buy a new technological system. You don’t start with
that,” Krukow says. “It becomes super effective and it’s
a scalable solution that can change the way you look at
aviation… but the right way to start is with passenger
comfort, right here and now.”
Haptics can
subtly enhance
the passenger
experience – find out
how in the Features
section of our
website
/aircraftinteriorsinternational.com