It doesn’t take a math genius to recognize this formula: stressed travelers + rocking chairs = ahhhhh. I can think of four airports that have done this math with rocking chairs, and I’m guessing there are lots more. Those in the south come by it naturally, where rocking chairs symbolize the slower-paced culture. CLT (Charlotte) and CAE (Columbia, SC) come to mind and have banks of them. But rocking chairs have also appeared elsewhere of late—e.g. in BOS (Boston), painted/decorated by local groups, and SEA (Seattle-Tacoma), perfectly placed in front of the glass wall window of the Pacific Marketplace.

There’s only one airport chair more pleasing than the rocker. It’s the mod red swivel chair that graces T2 in SFO (San Francisco) and soon, its orange-hued cousin in United’s renovated and refreshed boarding area in T3. The soothe-factor here comes from a slightly different formula: motion + novelty = a smile. Really, one can’t help but giggle when spinning in a bright red ball of upholstery.

Whether you prefer rocking back-and-forth or around-and-around, the right chair can provoke a grin—even when traveling.