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Abu Dhabi International Airport lets travelers rest up in cocoon-like GoSleep pods

By David Szondy
May 13, 2013
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Ten GoSleep pods have been installed at Abu Dhabi International Airport to give weary travelers a private place to rest up
Ten GoSleep pods have been installed at Abu Dhabi International Airport to give weary travelers a private place to rest up
The pods can be rented for about US$12.25

If you’re a claustrophobic insomniac, the GoSleep sleeping pods probably won’t be of much interest to you, but for international travelers fighting with jet lag and tight schedules, being able to rent a private place to kip for an hour can be godsend. Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) announced last week that it has installed ten of the Finnish-designed GoSleep pods at Abu Dhabi International Airport to provide passengers with individual sleeping quarters while waiting for flights.

Though billed as a “world first,” the GoSleep pods aren’t the first people lockers. Such mini-hotels have already been installed in airports and other places around the world, but the GoSleep opts for a highly compact design with a chair that converts into a flat bed and a roller blind to enclose it and cut off noise and light and provide a bit of privacy.

The pods can be rented for about US$12.25

Ten GoSleep pods have now been installed in Terminal Three and in the Al Dhabi Lounge in Terminal One at Abu Dhabi International Airport, with 35 more due for installation later this year. After a run-in period, the pods will be upgraded with internet access, secure storage for luggage and charging points of for laptops, mobile phones, and other electronic devices.

The pods can be rented by credit card for about US$12.25 an hour.

Source: ADAC via Daily Mail

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David Szondy
David Szondy is a playwright, author and journalist based in Seattle, Washington. A retired field archaeologist and university lecturer, he has a background in the history of science, technology, and medicine with a particular emphasis on aerospace, military, and cybernetic subjects. In addition, he is the author of four award-winning plays, a novel, reviews, and a plethora of scholarly works ranging from industrial archaeology to law. David has worked as a feature writer for many international magazines and has been a feature writer for New Atlas since 2011.
17 comments
Ozuzi
So where the hell does your carry-on luggage go
David Anderton
as long as these have adequate storage space for carry on i'm in.
Tommo
Brilliant idea!
GiolliJoker
Keep the bag between your feet... even if you sleep, nobody will take it here in Abu Dhabi.
João Martins
Abu Dhabi was really needing something like this, it could never be the hub Emirates wants it to be when it doesn't have enough seats or electrical plugs (which most are awkwardly placed in the middle of empty corridors).
I fear smells though.
Nantha
Good idea. Looks stylish. But claustrophobic. I don't understand why it could not have bee made with a higher Roof and dark tinted glass where you can see out but others can't see in.
There really was really no need to resemble an egg. The space could have been used for hand carry luggage, your own notebook, and a snack table. Even surround speakers..
Other airports are now going to outdo these, by simply being more functional without sacrificing style.
ezeflyer
Something similar should substitute uncomfortable airliner seating.
Mr E
If the pod's arockin don't come aknockin?
Jon A.
Seems like a fairly inefficient use of space, particularly valuable window space.
A Japanese-style "coffin motel" would give a little more space and privacy, while being far more space-efficient.
Doc Rock
My first thought was if you can make those water resistant, and have a well to do backer, then handing them out all over the world to homeless people would be a godsend to them. I betcha that the claustrophobia wouldn't bother *them*! I can just hear the protests now, though! ;-) "it's too good for them" or "they'll just sell them for drugs" or "it'll just contribute to their laziness" or.. hell, there's a million others that people that think they're better than the rest have used.. I, however, think it's a great idea.. and even for the better off segment of society,, I'd rather rent one of these than a hotel room just to sleep in.. no wasted space.. and heck, it's even got a TV.. looks like luxury to me ;-)
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