Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam.
Departure signage listing the departure time, flight numbers, destinations and gate numbers...sorted on ...uh....departure time.
Imagine trying to find out what time the delayed flight to Seattle leaves.
They might as well sort it on gate number, it will require a part table scan anyway...
**
Adding to my list of traveler's travails...
Delta airlines. Web check-in screen.
There are three ways to identify your itinerary : frequent flier, confirmation and e-Ticket number.
And I am asked to identify the identifier through the radio button. Unnecessarily. Each type has a unique pattern. In this example, the eTicket number always starts with 006, in other cases, say Alaska, confirmation number is 6 digit alphanumeric, eTicket number is 13 digit numeric. Etc.
Cummon, don't make me work. Make those programmers work :)
BTW, at an uber-level, web check in as a feature itself is great usability for the airline "users".
I was trying to book my ticket on Air India website (https://www.indian-airlines.org/internetbooking/ialform1.aspx) and realized the importance of the placement of buttons.
I filled up the flight details and subconsciously clicked on the Reset button instead of Continue button. Then I realized normally the button which is more likely to be used is placed first followed by the less likely one. E.g. Ok, Continue, Submit followed by Cancel, Reset.
On the second page the Continue button is followed by Reset button whereas on the first page Reset button is followed by Continue button. This even shows the consistency in the placement of the buttons on the website :)
Figure 1: To enter the journey details
Figure 2: Shows the flight information
How can a placard in an aircraft have a usability issue?
This plate was bolted to the bullhead in the front row of a 737-800 in an Alaska flight.
What jars the eye of the mind, once you come around to internalizing it, is the casual juxtaposition of
an important but seeming mundane act of keeping your seat belt fastened to keep you braced in the high probablity event of turbulence
with
the extreme rare scenario (hopefully) of an airplane "landing" on water and you ladies and gentleman - guzzling on free drinks - please
(1) wrap your arms around the seat cushion that you have been lazing around so far twiddling your thumbs
(2) step out of the cozy cabin and
(3) hope the damn thing floats.
No?
