These new airport lounges are designed to fight jet lag
Astretching studio. Guided meditation sessions. Shower suites with light therapy. They sound like the features of a new age spa. But all are elements of Qantas Airways’ new international transit lounge at the Perth Airport. And they’re all designed with one purpose in mind: helping you combat jet lag.
It’s an especially relevant proposition for the Australian carrier that in March launched a non-stop PerthLondon route which — at 17 hours and 20 minutes on the outbound — is among the longest in the world. Qantas isn’t alone: Singapore Airlines just debuted a recordsetting route that hops 12 time zones, from its namesake hub to Newark, N.J., in 18 hours and 45 minutes.
As cities increasingly become connected by direct flights, more airlines are stocking their lounges with wellness-related features. And they’re promoting one consistent message: If it’s sleep you’re after, skip the Champagne.
“Customers travelling on our Perth to London service are in the air for approximately 17 hours, so it was important to improve the experience not just on board, but also pre- and post-flight,” said Phil Capps, Qantas’s head of customer experience.
The airline’s new, purposebuilt transit lounge is open only to travellers flying business class on flights between Perth and London. (Qantas Gold, Platinum, and Platinum One elites on the flight can also enter.) It was designed in collaboration with scientists at the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre, an interdisciplinary research institute that studies well-being and chronic conditions, many of which share the symptoms of jet lag.
Like most high-end airline lounges, it includes the requisite spa treatments and gourmet dining. More notable are the details that assist passengers with “flight recovery.” An airy patio area, for instance, has ceiling shades that can be opened to let in natural light and boost passengers’ vitamin D, which promotes healthier sleep patterns.
The lounge’s 15 shower suites — essentially private bathrooms with vanities but no toilets — have special light settings. Push the one labelled “Light therapy/Body clock intervention,” and the vanity mirror will glow with a bright, blue frequency of around 480 nanometres. That wavelength promotes wakefulness and alertness, according to Yu Sun Bin, an epidemiologist at the Charles Perkins Centre.
“The outbound flight leaves from Perth to London at 6 p.m.,” Bin said, “so most passengers will have body clocks that are starting to wind down for the day.”
The blue light can trick the body into believing that it’s earlier in the day, closer to London time — a small way to nudge the circadian rhythm toward the destination time zone a little faster.
Qantas has also partnered with a Perth spa brand called Bodhi J Wellness Spa Retreats to create a studio space within the lounge where passengers can participate in 15-minute guided stretching, breathing, and meditation sessions. According to Bin, participating in light physical activity might improve passengers’ chances of sleeping on the flight, lessening their jet lag on arrival.
Even the dinner menu is strategic. Alongside sausages from an artisanal butcher in Perth are waterrich crudité platters, and while there’s plenty of Western Australian wine, guests will also find sugar-free water infusions such as lemon myrtle and parsley, along with a make-your-own tisane station stocked with local herbs and teas.
“Flying long-haul means passengers are exposed to lower levels of humidity for extended periods of time, which can lead to dehydration,” said Monica Nour, a dietitian and PhD candidate at the Charles Perkins Centre. These drink options are caffeine-free, she said.
“In designing the lounge, we worked with some of Australia’s best minds in design, science and nutrition to help set our customers up to feel better throughout their journey,” Qantas’s Capps said.
Qantas is ahead of the pack when it comes to jet-lag science, but other airlines have started to join its ranks.
At three of Delta Air Lines’ U.S. hubs — New York’s John F. Kennedy International, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, and SeattleTacoma International — the airline partnered with Asanda Spa to offer jet lagbusting foot and leg massages or anti-fatigue eye treatments. The spa’s signature experience, the Deepak Chopra Dream Weaver session, involves sitting in a zerogravity chair with special glasses and headphones, for an audio-guided meditation. “Though it’s not specifically designed for jet lag, feedback from guests is that it helps relieve some of the symptoms, including poor sleep,” said Gene Frisco, managing director of Asanda Spa.
Air France made wellness a centrepiece of its newly expanded flagship business class lounge in Hall L at Paris Charles de Gaulle. “Our new business lounge includes 550 square meters (5,920 square feet) of wellness space, the most of any Air France lounge,” said Anne Rigail, Air France’s executive vice president of customer experience.
Included are two private saunas, large shower suites and a Clarins spa with two treatment rooms for complimentary services. There is also a dedicated relaxation area with loungers for quick naps; overhead, special light fixtures twinkle to resemble the night sky.
Most of these wellness-oriented lounges will likely have lighter food and beverage costs because tea, rather than Champagne, is being put in the spotlight.
Air France’s flagship lounge has a detox bar, with blends by Palais des Thés and Evian water infused with raspberry and verbena. “Both the water and the teas we serve are hydrating, revitalizing, and are a rich source of antioxidants that can help minimize some of the effects of jet lag,” Rigail said. You’ll still find Champagne and fine wine at the lounge’s Mathieu Lehanneur-designed bar when it opens in July.
In June 2016, Cathay Pacific Airways’ premium passengers gained access to a new space called the Tea House, set in a quiet corner of Hong Kong International’s Pier Business-Class Lounge.
Created in partnership with Jing Teas, the Tea House is adjacent to a relaxation area with 14 semiprivate daybeds and includes a sniffable library of nearly a dozen loose-leaf choices. Descriptions highlight each tea’s flavour notes and health benefits — which range from digestion support (chamomile) to energy boosts (silver needle jasmine) — and can be brewed to order by a dedicated specialist.
And there’s Qantas, with its signature Rockpool tisane of rosella, lemon myrtle, and orange tea. It might not have the sparkle of Champagne, but it might just be the trick to surviving your next 17-hour flight.
IN DESIGNING THE LOUNGE, WE WORKED WITH SOME OF AUSTRALIA’S BEST MINDS IN DESIGN, SCIENCE AND NUTRITION TO HELP SET OUR CUSTOMERS UP TO FEEL BETTER THROUGHOUT THEIR JOURNEY. — PHIL CAPPS, HEAD OF CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE, Q ANTAS AIRWAYS