Health

XpresSpa adds a stretching service to its menu

We all know travel can be stressful.

And XpresSpa, which offers massage, nail care and rejuvenation services in airports around the world, is now offering a stretching service at 15 of its U.S. airport locations.

Sessions range from 15 to 30 minutes and target travelers who deal with long flights and/or extensive delays. To combat those travel woes, the new stretching service focuses on enhanced blood circulation and reduced muscle fatigue.

For this service, XpresSpa is partnering with a company called Hyperice and makes use of that company’s Hypervolts 2 massage gun and a new heated attachment.

“As air travel enthusiasts and jet-setters prepare to embark on their next adventure, they often focus on packing their bags, checking flight itineraries, and ensuring all necessary documents are in order,” said XWELL CEO Scott Milford. “However, they often overlook the benefits of incorporating relaxing stretch into their travel routine to provide additional peace of mind as they make their way through the world.”

The new stretching sessions are offered in increments of 15 minutes, 20 minutes, and 30 minutes. And the sessions cost $45, $55, and $75 respectively.

Or you can try a do-it-yourself stretching and singing session with this vintage Romper Room song:

If you try the modern XpresSpa version, let us know if you recommend the service.

Don’t worry be happy with this Finnish Masterclass in Happiness

Finland, which ranked as the happiest country by the World Happiness Report for six consecutive years, is happy to share some of their happiness secrets in a new free online course that leads to a “Masterclass of Happiness.”

The masterclass is available now and consists of video lessons from five Finnish happiness coaches under its four core themes: nature and lifestyle; health and balance; design and everyday; food and well-being.

Complete the course and you’ll get a Master of Happiness certificate and will, of course, be happy.

The Stuck at the Airport team visited Finland a while back and, as you suspect, found happiness immediately at Helsinki Airport (HEL), thanks to all the art, calming patches of live plants, and a charming Christmas cabin.

Santa’s home is in Finland, Finns and others will tell you. So it makes sense that Helsinki Airport has a year-round Christmas Cabin right there in the terminal.

Inside is a faux sauna, a storybook, Scandinavian-style furniture and decorations, and a Book of Names so that Santa knows who has been good or bad.

Read more about how to find happiness at Helsinki Airport in “5 Things We Love About Helsinki Airport.”

XpresSpa company adds another brand: Treat

The company that offers airport passengers XpresSpa, now with massage and manicure service in 26 locations in 13 airports globally, and ExpresCheck for airport COVID testing, is rolling out a new brand.

This one is called Treat. And it is an upscale airport spa and wellness concept with medical services, state-of-the-art testing, “and a holistic approach to physical and mental well-being.”

The menu of services includes:

  • Relaxation services such as manual massage and hydro massage
  • Self-guided wellness services such as visual decompressions with VR goggles, meditation room, workouts
  • Health services such as IV drips, injections, consultations with providers for acute illnesses, mental health coaching
  • Wellness products to help combat fatigue, relieve stress, boost stamina and promote healthy systems such as adaptogenic herbs and supplements, teas, and tinctures
  • Women’s health products that support reproductive health, pregnancy, and intimacy
  • Beauty and hygiene products such as hydrating masks and lotions, soaps, shampoos, and hand sanitizer
  • Travel products such as compression socks, eye masks, pillows, and blankets.

To schedule an appointment or to see what specific health services are offered and what the charges are, you’ll need to sign up for a free membership on the Treat website or the Treat app.

We took a look at the price list for medical services and found $50 for a flu vaccine or a vitamin injection and $175 to be seen for a wide range of other issues, including eye problems, cold/flu symptoms, sinus infections, wound care, allergic reactions, and pregnancy or STD testing.

The fee for IV therapy or a COVID test is $250.

Under the Wellness Services tab, you’ll find showers (30 minutes for $35), yoga ($30-60), as well fees for meditation time, and a wide variety of fitness programs.

Current Treat locations are Terminal 4 at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Terminal 4 at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), and Concourse B at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC).

If you try it out before we do, let us know what your experience is like.

Don’t ditch your masks just yet

On Wednesday, the U.S. Justice Department appealed a judge’s ruling ending a mask mandate on public transportation and airplanes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the measure was still needed.

This comes after a U.S. district judge ruled that mandates, which apply to planes, trains, and other public transportation, were unlawful.

The CDC said it asked the Justice Department to proceed with the appeal and that “an order requiring masking in the indoor transportation corridor remains necessary for the public health.”

Airlines and airports, bus lines, and Amtrak dropped the mandate Monday evening within hours of the TSA announcing that it would no longer enforce the mandate, which was set to expire on May 3.

Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration released the latest unruly passenger numbers. It also announced that the agency’s zero-tolerance policy against unruly passengers would now be permanent.

Mask mandate off. For now.

On Monday a federal judge in Florida struck down the Biden administration’s mandate requiring masks to be worn in airports, on airplanes, trains, buses, and on other forms of public transportation.

The ruling is being reviewed. But late Monday, the Transportation Security Administration issued a statement informing the public that:

Due to today’s court ruling, effective immediately, TSA will no longer enforce its Security Directives and Emergency Amendment requiring mask use on public transportation and transportation hubs. TSA will also rescind the new Security Directives that were scheduled to take effect tomorrow. CDC continues to recommend that people wear masks in indoor public transportation settings at this time.

TSA’s announcement was followed by messages from airports and airlines saying they too would no longer enforce the mask mandate.

Here are a couple of airport tweets on the subject. Note the tweet from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) where masks are still required.

Airlines were pretty quick to declare that they would no longer be requiring passengers to wear masks on board either.

American Airlines, Alaska Airines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue, Southwest Airlines, Sun Country, United Airlines and most every other airline issued a statement and/or sent out a social media post.

You may – and maybe should – still wear a mask when you travel

While masks may no longer be required when traveling, it may still be a good idea to wear a mask in busy airports and on airplanes and on public transporation to and from the airport.

Coronavirus infections are on the rise in many communities and you, or someone around you, may be immunocompromised and easily susceptible to the current COVID variant, the flu, or whatever else may be going around.

There are also still a lot of unvaccinated people out there. So wearing a mask is an easy way to protect yourself and those around you.

If you decide to no longer wear a mask when traveling, please be respectful of those who continue to wear them.