ANN Smith came up with the idea of flying customers abroad for ivestar treatment at considerably less than five-star prices.

She put it into practice by setting up Flight 2 Beauty, offering eople the chance to shave thousands of pounds off cosmetic surgery and

dentistry bills and has been bowled over by its success.

The interest in her Birlingham based business was such that BBC Midlands Today filmed a two-part health feature about the her, which then generated even more interest from those who realised their ongcherished cosmetic surgery dreams might at last be affordable.

Unfortunately the BBC was unable to release contact details for Flight 2 Beauty or to the numerous callers who jammed phone lines after the pieces were broadcast and Mrs Smith was keen to address some of the issues raised.

"The camera crew flew out to Bratislava with me," said the former bank manager.

"It is such a beautiful city but they only seemed interested in finding some of the older, grey, Soviet Bloc-style architecture which is a bit misleading."

Indeed, one of the selling points of Mrs Smith's business is the VIP service enjoyed by customers who are guided through the process step-by-step and can choose to make their treatment part of a city break abroad, often with family or friends. Everything is taken care of from paperwork and insurance through to medical appointments, flights and hotel bookings. The business can even arrange finance.

"The benefits of the service are obvious," said Mrs Smit. "The particular operation concerned in the BBC piece would have meant our customers having to wait two years for treatment in the UK and, according to a quote given to the BBC, would have cost somewhere around £4,500 to £4,750 in the UK rather than the £1,064 it actually cost. The business offers a full range of cosmetic, beauty and dental treatments, including breast reduction and implants, liposuction, facelifts, eye-lifts, porcelain crowns, implants, dentures, fillings - and a lot more.

And all the procedures are carried out by reputable and experienced surgeons at selected clinics in the beautiful city of Bratislava.

"Even taking into account the cost of flights and hotel stays, we can save people thousands compared to the cost of similar procedures in the UK," added Mrs Smith.

"For example, a combined tummy tuck and liposuction costs a minimum of £2,500 less than it would here in the UK, including flights and up to seven nights in a hotel. Women who want breast implant surgery can save around £1,500."

The main cosmetic surgery and dental clinics are situated in the capital, with hotel accommodation just minutes away. Travel bookings are made through The Travel Centre, Evesham and flights, which take around two hours, are available from Luton, Birmingham, Manchester and Stanstead.

So a new you could be more affordable, and enjoyable, than you might think.

FACT FILE

Company

Flight 2 Beauty

Manager

Ann Smith

Business Type

Cosmetic and dental surgery

Telephone

01386 751660

Web Address

www.flight2beauty.net

Email

info@flight2beauty.net

Address

Cherry Trees,

Eckington Road,

Birlingham, Pershore,

Worcestershire WR10 3DA