What would you pay an extra $10 for on a flight?

Its not unusual today to have extra charges for services on airlines – many of which used to be free with the standard ticket.

WestJet are being a little more scientific (and creative) than the average though and sent out a questionnaire to ask whether or not they’d pay an extra $10 charge for a number of additional “services”.

Options included sitting away from parents traveling with small babies or small children, priority boarding, priority disembarking, in-flight internet access, in-seat power, guaranteed overhead bin space – all good options – particularly avoiding the small children on a long flight.

Sillier ones included $10 for a freshly-laundered pillow and blanket set that you can take with you (excuse me, why!) or a premium meal service (assuming an airline actually comprehends the concept).

Its good though that they’re actually thinking in these terms and actually recognising that different things are important to different people and sometimes you’re more than prepared to pay for avoiding the risk.

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.