Most airports smell fairly average. Nothing too bad but certainly nothing inviting or memorable. Despite how much airports are focussing on the traveller experience, few airports have even considered looking to scent. Only one I’m aware of doing it for revenue benefit (amongst other things of couse) is a little UK airport – East Midlands.
In a way it started by accident. It was Christmas and there was no space for decorations. So the idea came to create a sense of Christmas through smell which was redolant of cinnamon, open hearths & egg nogg.
Using special scent-diffusers (which cost $100 or so a month each), the airport starting pumping out Christmas. For Spring/Summer they adjusted their scent pallette to coconut, almond & suntan oil (in the East Midlands!!).
Basically the aim was to get travellers in a good frame of mind, de-stress them and get them into a position where they start to feel like their holiday actually begins at the airport.
In arrivals they’re using the smell of chocolate chip cookies being baked through the baggage claim area. Its aimed at making people feel welcome & at home but also a bit thirsty & hungry – just right for the adjacent coffee shop.
The results at that airport, total sales have held this year despite a fairly significant drop in pax numbers.
There are a few airlines who use scents in their departure lounges and also a couple of small terminals catering more to private jets. There are rumours however that other airports in the US are considering it or are in the process of exploring creating signature scents for their terminals.
