Would You Get Your Hair Done in an Airport?
Both of these photos were taken before 10 AM. Which girl would you rather sit next to on the plane? (Photo: Jo Piazza)
I’m not a particularly attractive flyer. I’m not one of those people who gets all done up for a flight. My fiancé does. He almost always wears a dapper sport coat and a big old smile. Not me. I’m in my pajamas with a scowl and a top knot.
A friend traveling with me once noted during takeoff, “you look homeless.”
I nodded.
For this reason, I’ve long advocated for airports to have hair salons where women can get quick and easy treatments, like a blowout. I’m typically traveling for business and not pleasure which means I should look presentable upon landing at my destination.
Related: Why I Get My Haircut Around the Globe
I firmly believe that for the business woman (heck for any woman) a great blowout is akin to a man’s shoe shine. It adds a little polish to our look, sets the tone for the entire day and provides an added boost of confidence.
Hair salon services in airports are rare. Earlier this year Warren-Tricomi salons introduced WT GO at XpresSpa in New York’s LaGuardia Airport in Delta’s Terminal C. It’s a small oasis of joy in an airport that typically provides a world of suffering. The mini salon of two stylist stations offers a customized menu of services and a roster of stylists trained by the master colorist and stylist duo, Joel Warren and Edward Tricomi. Among the offerings are a $45 blow dry and styling, an $89 Lady’s trim, a $65 sheer glaze application and a $30 deep conditioning treatment.
WTGO is one of a handful of in-airport salons in the country. (Photo: Jo Piazza)
I decided to give it a test drive this week for a flight from NYC to Chicago that left at 10 in the morning. As usual I rolled out of bed in my jammies and into a car, my hair in its signature top knot. I was drowsy and cranky.
I had just 40 minutes to spare before my plane boarded but I was assured by the salon staff I would be in and out in 20 minutes.
Unlike most people at the airport, the stylists at Warren Tricomi were not lying to me.
Related: The Top Ten Products That Leave Your Skin and Hair Flawless During a Flight
The entire blow dry takes just 20 minutes. (Photo: Jo Piazza)
They gave me a five minute shampoo that included an expert scalp massage and a 15 minute blowout that actually made me feel like a movie star. I was prepared to take Chicago by storm. I actually changed out of my pajamas before boarding the plane.
It was wondrous.
It’s also expensive.
Is it worth it?
Sometimes.
If you’re a business traveler heading straight to a meeting after a plane, getting the perfect blowout will certainly make you feel shiny and at the top of your game.
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