According to Associated Press, several airports have come up with a novel way to help passengers. It involves a pilot program offering friendly dogs trained to snuggle and soothe people as the nervous humans wait for flights and try to endure other airport inconveniences that seem to get more stressful every day.

The service is called PUP: Pets Unstressing Passengers. On leashes held by trained volunteers, and wearing jackets identifying their tasks, the dogs wander through the passenger areas offering friendly paws, bellies and noses to pat.

The dogs are particularly popular with kids, who are often frightened, confused and impatient when being forced to wait for hours in busy, noisy airports. A friendly dog's gentle eyes, muzzle and wagging tail are perfect solutions to calming them down.

So far, PUP is available at airports in San Jose, Los Angeles and Miami, with more expected to offer the doggone good services soon. Considering the growing tensions in just about every airport from flight delays, security lines, ever increasing fare prices and other stresses, the friendly canines are welcome presences.  

Editorial opinion: We like dogs very much, but as cat lovers, we feel they are just as qualified to be airport therapists, and should also be enlisted to provide the same soothing services. We’d call them FRIENDS: Felines Really Into Easing Numbingly Disturbing Situations.

The British-based cruise line now joins others in honoring those who serve with financial incentives. When active-duty members of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard and Reserves book sailings, they can receive up to $250 in on-board spending credits.

That top amount is for cruises of over two weeks. For shorter sailings, the credit may be from $50 to $100. If you’re planning to sail on Cunard with your kids or grandkids who are currently in uniform, now is the time to take advantage of the special offer.

To explain that Freudian headline, check a recent article in psychcentral.com. It insists that travel can actually improve your mental health. As examples, it offers colorful word pictures of various upbeat world spots in Italy, France and New England.

Just arriving at a fun destination and being there, the article continues, gives the traveler a sense of excitement, comfort and self-satisfaction. We heartily agree, because the old saying that travel is (mentally) broadening always rings true.

While on the go, we learn new things, meet new people, see new sights and, maybe the best benefit, we tend to forget our everyday troubles lurking back home. That, in the case of most seniors, includes the always present specter of growing old.

Therefore, there’s no better time than now to get up off that couch and into your car, up in the air, aboard a cruise ship and/or into the surf at the nearest beach!

The seaside vacation mecca is know for its buffets, those all-you-can-eateries that go with casinos. Now, a different kind of buffet has just opened in this venerable sand and surf New Jersey town, Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville.

The new Buffet establishment includes its own casino, outdoor dining overlooking the Boardwalk, Landshark Bar & Grill, specialty drinks, extensive dining menu and retail store.

As many of we seasoned citizens can remember, the name of Jimmy’s resort-within-a-resort operation is based on his hit song of the 1970s. Actually, the singing star has already parlayed that theme and his fantastic business acumen into 27 Margaritavilles around the world. Branches abound in such exotic places as Las Vegas, Orlando, Nashville, New Orleans, Jamaica, Grand Turk, Cozumel and a dozen other locations.

If you'll be in Atlantic City, give Jimmy's new place a visit. For more information, go to .margaritavilleatlanticcity.com