Wellness is all the rage with airlines, with everything from food and beverages to lighting and in-flight stretching and relaxation videos designed to help the long-haul passenger arrive at their destination ready to holiday or do business.

App developers are also getting in on the act. This month, the OneWorld airline alliance, which includes American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas and Qatar Airways, announced it has partnered with jet lag app Timeshifter to help its passengers.

Timeshifter’s solutions are already used by more than 1.7 million users around the world, helping travellers overcome jetlag, shift workers improve their sleep and quality of life, and even astronauts, US National Basketball Association players, Formula 1 drivers and Olympic athletes perform at their best.

Under the partnership, OneWorld customers purchasing round the world trips on oneworld.com will receive a complimentary Timeshifter subscription that covers their itinerary, including every flight and time zone change, from departure to return.

Timeshifter is based on the latest circadian science, with advice personalised to each passenger’s itinerary, typical sleep pattern, chronotype and personal preferences.

“Our partnership with Timeshifter will help round the world customers arrive ready to enjoy each new destination by supporting better sleep and faster adjustment to new time zones,” says Roger Blackburn, vice-president of loyalty and commercial, OneWorld.

Meanwhile, a new app is aiming to help anxious flyers. While courses are available on the ground to help ease the concerns of passengers, including BA’s Flying with Confidence course which is conducted around the world including in Australia, there is a gap in support in the air.

The recently released Fofly app is addressing this, providing a flight companion to ease passenger concerns. The app, designed by a former pilot and flight instructor in conjunction with psychologists, offers advice to passengers in-flight from a pilot and psychologist, along with breathing exercises. Passengers can enter their flight details to get the weather forecast for the flight, with the app highlighting when they are likely to encounter turbulence.

The company has been working with anxious flyers for the past 15 years, providing in-person courses, accompanied flights and an e-learning programme, with more than 1500 people trained, says Nicolas Coccolo, Fofly chief executive.

“And for 15 years, we have encountered the same limit. Everything we taught stopped at the aircraft door. At the exact moment people needed it most, seatbelt-fastened and engines running, they were on their own,” he says.

Nicolas says 30 per cent of passengers feel anxious when they fly – about 54 people on an 180-seat aircraft – with many avoiding flying altogether. Fofly is designed to replace the unknown, which is the source of the anxiety, with clear information.