Jetting off to sunnier climes can be stressful.

It's all very well knowing you can relax on a beach once you reach your destination, but for those who fear flying or suffer aches and pains which can be exacerbated by sitting in the same seat for a few hours, embarking on a plane journey can be stressful. Some people fear the prospect, even if it's just a short flight.

Dorothy Birchall is used to jetting off either on holidays with her husband or long weekends away with her sister.

When I call Dorothy she's packing for her latest trip to her favourite destination, the historic city of Prague in the Czech Republic, where she and her sister were looking forward to visiting a Christmas market.

It is thanks to a new airport massage service that Dorothy's plane journeys have become more enjoyable.

Two years ago she spotted the massage service while waiting with her husband for a flight to Tenerife. Dariel Pitt was just launching Relax Me Now, what was then a relatively unique service at Leeds Bradford International Airport. Dorothy was her first customer and she has been going back ever since.

"We'd just gone through passport control and were having a wander around when I saw Dariel setting up. There was a notice on the counter about massage. I said: Can I book this now?' I booked there and then and had it done. It was absolutely wonderful."

Dorothy, 62, from Knaresborough found the massage particularly beneficial to easing the aches and pains she suffers from arthritis. "I have arthritis in my back, my hips, my knees and feet and it does help," she says.

Dorothy, who spent her working life as an ophthalmic nurse and in retail, explains that the massage technique involves her leaning forward on a special chair with her head on a cushion. "You are fully clothed and the masseur starts around the neck and shoulders and works down to the base of your back and arms," she says.

Other than making her feel relaxed, Dorothy says the 30-minute massage helps her cope with the plane journey.

"Normally when I get up out of my seat after a journey I'm bent for a little while and I straighten up gradually, but after the massage I had no problem at all. It's lovely," she says.

Dorothy believes it could ease anxiety for those who may be nervous of flying. "I am sure if anybody was nervous it would help," she says. "I'd certainly recommend it to anybody else. It's a wonderful start to the holiday!"

Dariel agrees. "The great thing about the treatments is they hit the point quickly," she says. "They are also adaptable; we do 10, 15, 20 and 30 minutes so it can be fitted in to the passenger's itinerary.

"It's a little TLC for those who may be flying off on their own or maybe want a bit of help. We've had American footballers with stiff shoulders, some other top sports people, bankers, barristers, property developers, even a helicopter pilot," adds Dariel. "It is reaching so many."

The service is little known within the British airline industry. "It's not that common in the UK but it's very common in the States, the Far East and Japan," says Dariel. "People here haven't seen it. I think it's partly familiarity and partly the British reserve, but that is changing because I've had lots of clients from the local area. You can reach a lot of people just by touch."

She firmly believes easing folks' stresses and strains and encouraging them to take time out away from the modern technology which dominates our lives promotes good health and well-being.

Coming from a corporate background, Dariel can empathise with workplace pressures. She spent the early part of her working life as a computer trainer working in management. Studying reflexology and on-site massage prompted her switch to alternative therapy and, ultimately, led to her setting up Ki4health in 1994.

Energy is the ethos - the Japanese word her business takes its name from. "I am a very energetic person and I'm usually upbeat. It's all about positive energy," says Dariel.

As well as caring for passengers departing from Leeds Bradford Airport, Dariel and her team of six massage therapists also work in the corporate sector, mainly with staff employed in the IT and insurance industry.

She hopes her service will alter people's perceptions of massage being oily and a bit awkward.' "It's definitely not that," she assures. "People are getting quick results from a 10 or 20 minute treatment and the energy going through the office is fantastic."

And she's confident it can reduce staff absences through back problems! "It can make a difference," says Dariel.

The idea to introduce a service within Leeds Bradford's departure lounge was prompted by her husband who spotted a beauty business while travelling through the airport. Dariel approached the airport with the idea and the service was launched in May, 2005.

Since then she has treated many passengers, the most high profile being former Olympic athlete Roger Black. For many, like Dorothy who is among Dariel's regulars, it's a relaxing start to a holiday but Dariel believes the treatment can also benefit those with a fear of flying.

"It can relieve tension and anxieties because you're relaxing the muscles. It's great for improving circulation, which is good for flying, and it's good for producing alert relaxation which means you are relaxed but you feel fresher," she says. "It's like having a power nap. It's good for letting go in terms of what is on your mind."

I ask whether spending her childhood growing up on her family's farm at Whitby influenced her interest in the alternative.' Her mum ran a beauty salon in the historic seaside town so there may be an inherited yearning to make people feel good.

"I enjoy people and I enjoy making people feel better," says Dariel. "I've always had an empathy with people and I discovered when I went into massage on a whim that it was interesting and quite complex but I became good at it."

  • For more information visit www.ki4health.co.uk