In a travel industry first, London's Heathrow Airport now has an e-cigarette smoking lounge - indoors.
Whereas traditional cigarette-smoking travelers are required to exit the terminal - and therefore come back in through security - this indoors lounge will give a much easier means of inhalation for e-cigarette smokers.
The 322 square foot 'Vaping Lounge' in T4 also offers a non-traditional means for expanding amenities in airpots: it was sponsored in full by e-cigarette maker Gamucci, who will clearly benefit from the lounge for brand positioning, and in-terminal sales of the product.
The new lounge is a giant boost for e-cigarettes in the travel industry, as smokers may be more likely to transition to vapor if they can do so while traveling.
Gamucci co-founders Taz and Umer Sheikh:
"We are frequent travellers, and identify with the frustrations of smokers when they are through security. Our vaping zone offers a comfortable and relaxing environment in which to satisfy their cravings. All of our products are non-combustible and allow smokers to enjoy nicotine without any of the by-products of combustible tobacco.”
On the travel technology front, this is a noteworthy development. The ultimately portable cigarette has entered into a new, technology-fueled phase that is changing the recently-smoke-free face of travel.
Southwest Airlines is also participating in a non-traditional, amenity-enhancing partnership this month: Nintendo Wii's are being deployed in six airports this month for travelers to enjoy.
Both of these developments indicate the current trend in airports: vastly increased amenity selection made possible through cross-industry partnerships that enhance the traveler experience and offer a brand halo for all involved - or in the case of Gamucci, a shining halo of floating vapor above happily nicotine-fixed travelers.