Last weekend, I stepped off a seven-hour international flight, passed through passport control, and stood in a loud, crowded baggage claim area in Terminal E to wait for my suitcase.
It seemed as if 30 other flights arrived simultaneously, and I struggled to hear announcements about which bags would be placed on which carousel over the commotion and din of people yelling into their phones. I had a headache, was tired, and felt like the infant nearby who was cranky and crying.
Now, take that scenario, and add live music. It sounds like a recipe for opening another circle of hell, but the folks at Massport think otherwise. They launched a pilot program this week, bringing professional and student musicians to play in the baggage claim areas of Terminals B and C through August, just in time for the chaotic summer travel season.
“Everyone enjoys live music, and if we can make the experience of waiting for your luggage a little better, that’s a win,” Massport CEO Rich Davey said at a press conference announcing the new program.
Let me add a quick disclaimer to Davey’s statement. Not everyone enjoys live music, especially if they’ve just gotten off a flight and want to get their suitcase and hightail it out of Logan with minimal obstacles. For some folks, the noise of the passengers and the carousel announcements is too much already. I have the utmost respect for musicians, but that respect erodes when I’m trying to listen to a podcast or catch up on reading, and a subway busker is drumming like it’s opening night at “Stomp.” The worst audience to be a part of is a captive audience.
I applaud the intention behind Logan’s new program. It offers exposure for up-and-coming artists and, in theory, enhances the passenger experience. Last year, 43 million passengers came through Logan. That’s a lot of ears for budding musical talents. However, I suspect that if you surveyed those 43 million passengers, a fair number would say they’d rather have less noise at the baggage carousels.
The airport experience is already stressful, no matter which airport you’re talking about. When passengers arrive, there’s the stress of transport, check-in, security, and making it to the gate on time. Once they land, there are new obstacles, such as “Will my suitcase be here?” and “Which major highways are closed this weekend?” Now, we’ll have “I hope I packed my earplugs in case that Berklee jazz-fusion harpsichordist is playing at the baggage carousel.”
If I were a more glib and uncaring person, I would suggest that the musicians perform on the tarmac to inspire the luggage handlers to move faster. Perhaps the musicians could even help out the baggage handlers with some of the labor. Getting luggage faster rather than listening to music while waiting for it would truly enhance the passenger experience.
My advice for the powers that be at Logan is that instead of adding sounds — no matter what they are — to the airport, they should try to eliminate them. A campaign to get people to use headphones or take calls off speakerphones would certainly help enhance the passenger experience. If passengers are looking for music, let them pop in their earbuds and enjoy a song of their choosing.
Christopher Muther can be reached at christopher.muther@globe.com. Follow him @Chris_Muther and Instagram @chris_muther.
