Positive Disruptors


Escape Pods: A solution to space challenges at airports

The technology-equipped private spaces turn underused space into revenue for airport operators. By Mark Lane.

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As travellers return to the skies, the drive to turn underused airport space into valuable real estate has become more acute as airport companies seek to replace 18 months of lost revenues. A new partnership between MAG USA and Jabbrrbox, just launched, provides one solution. The partners have introduced co-branded Escape Pods, technology-equipped private spaces. Some 50 Escape Pods will begin operations in airports across the US by Autumn 2021, with the first already launched at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport. The new pods will become part of the Jabbrrbox network, a ‘space-as-a-service’ platform that provides an ecosystem of technology-enabled micro-spaces to consumers for privacy, productivity and wellness. The company has an existing network of 16 pods across eight US airports.

The Jabbrrbox and MAG USA partnership allows the Escape Pods to become an extension of the latter’s well-known Escape Lounges brand. Each Escape Pod has a table and is fitted with a fast, private, encrypted wifi connection as well as a 24-inch screen where users can interact with the Jabbrrbox app to track their flight, adjust the comfort of their environment and take a business video call. MAG USA CEO Martin Jones said: “The timing couldn’t be better. As the industry recovers, it can be overwhelming for a lot of travellers to jump back in. The Escape Pods offer an accommodating space for privacy and rest amid the chaos of the airport.”

Jabbrrbox Co-Founder and Co-CEO Jeremy Jennings said: “In a post pandemic world, as passengers’ needs are constantly shifting, the demand for technology-enabled private space is at a premium. The fact that we can be a revenue generating amenity for an airport is a win-win for the passenger experience and the airport authority.” Official Escape Pods social media channels and a website, where the pods can be booked, go live in coming weeks. MAG USA said that other airports that will offer Escape Pods in the coming months include Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Las Vegas McCarran International Airport, New York John F. Kennedy International Airport Terminal 8 and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

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The Moodie Davitt eZine Issue 299 | 17 August 2021

The Moodie Davitt eZine is published 15 times per year by The Moodie Davitt Report (Moodie International Ltd). © All material is copyright and cannot be reproduced without the permission of the Publisher. To find out more visit www.moodiedavittreport.com and to subscribe, please e-mail sinead@moodiedavittreport.com

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