http://www.flickr.com/photos/laurabell/2590631334/Except when travelling internationally, I’ve taken to travelling only with carry-on luggage wherever possible. Even when flying international I’ve learnt the benefit of having a well stocked carry-on bag after having experienced the debarkle which was the Heathrow T5 opening.

Some people have called me paranoid but it seems that the Air Transport Users Council supports my fear. Their latest report indicated that more than 42 million bags were “mishandled” (ie sent to the wrong place) in 2007 and one million of those were never found.

The AUC study also indicated that passengers were often not fairly compensated for lost luggage. Complaints showed travellers were sometimes asked for receipts for each item in lost luggage and in other cases the airlines were taking into account the depreciating value of items.

Image :LauraBell

The Cost of Performing Rest

The Cost of Performing Rest

Modern systems have turned rest into something we perform rather than something that restores us. This essay explores why holidays often fail to renew people, how work and the holiday industry reinforce the problem, and what real restoration actually requires.

The New Luxury Signal: Emotional Stability

The New Luxury Signal: Emotional Stability

Luxury resorts used to sell status and spectacle. Now they sell something quieter: relief. Guests arrive overloaded, and the best resorts are redesigning around sensory calm, reduced friction, and emotional steadiness. Modern luxury is less about what you add, and more about what you remove.

When You Can’t Leave: Designing for the Flight Reflex in Airports, Venues, and Hospitals

When You Can’t Leave: Designing for the Flight Reflex in Airports, Venues, and Hospitals

In high-stimulus public spaces, our bodies do more than react – they strategise.
Airports, hospitals, and stadiums all evoke subtle “Flight” responses: scanning, pacing, early exits.
Understanding how threat appraisal drives behaviour can help architects and planners design calmer spaces – and reveal why relaxation, not excitement, predicts dwell, spend, and satisfaction.