The airport smoking lounge debate misses the real issue

I keep seeing people argue about whether airports should have smoking lounges. But what nobody talks about is how these lounges actually filter air better than most people think. I was stuck in Chicago O'Hare for 6 hours last month and walked past one. The ventilation system in there was pulling air through every 2 minutes, which is way better than the old days. So instead of fighting over them, why not ask why regular terminal air quality isn't held to the same standard?

2 comments

2 Comments

eric3593d ago

Idk maybe it's just me but I actually had the same thought last time I flew through Miami. I ducked into one of those lounges for a second to meet a friend and noticed the air felt cleaner than the main terminal somehow. The regular terminal had this stale recycled air that made my eyes dry and my throat scratchy after a few hours. It's weird that they can filter a tiny glass box that well but the big waiting areas everyone uses just get the bare minimum. Could you imagine if they put that same ventilation effort into the gates where people actually sit for hours?

robert_bennett292d ago

Man, @eric359 you're spot on with that. It's wild how they can make a little lounge feel like a different planet but leave the rest of us breathing plane fumes and recycled sneezes for hours. I had the same exact thought last time I was stuck at O'Hare, felt like my sinuses were staging a protest after 45 minutes in the main hall. Really makes you wonder if they just turn the fancy filters on for the VIP rooms and dial it back everywhere else to save a buck. It's like they think the regular passengers don't deserve to breathe easy while we wait.