Five travel agents drove off in their very own Minis courtesy after making bookings from Manchester Airport over the last year.
The MAG-nificent campaign has been running for four years but became the UK’s third largest airport’s biggest ever trade incentive for its 80th birthday.
Agents who booked holidays with flights from Manchester were entered into prize draws. Bottles of champagne were given out in five areas – Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, Northern England and Southern England – each week of 2018.
Now, one from each area has bagged the top prize of a Mini after they were plucked from 13,000 entries. The agents, who were presented with their cars under the wings of a retired Concorde at Manchester’s Runway Visitor Park, were: Ann Jones, of Teithiau Menai Travel, Llanrug, Gwynedd; Alana Stewart, of Jigsaw Travel, Glasgow; Shelley Cully, of Selective Travel, Donaghcloney, County Armagh; Deborah Little, a Travel Counsellor based in Huddersfield; and Joanne Evershed, of Loveholidays in London.
Ann Jones said: “I keep having to pinch myself – I cannot believe I have won. I have never won anything like this before, only prizes like champagne. I am so happy with winning and cannot wait to drive the Mini back to North Wales, all of my family want a ride.”
Alana Stewart said: “I cannot think of the words to describe how I feel – it is absolutely amazing to have won. I won’t believe it until I drive it. It’s the best thing that’s ever happened, I won flights before but never a car. It’ll sink in on the four-hour drive back to Glasgow from Manchester Airport.”
Shelley Cully said: “It is so amazing I really can’t believe it, I am never this lucky. It’s great timing too as my car is due for renewal. None of my family can believe it. I can’t wait to get it on the boat home to Northern Ireland.”
Deborah Little said: “I still cannot believe it. You enter things like this but never think you’re going to win. I’ve won flights and vouchers before but never anything like a car. My daughter is 17 on Friday so when I arrive back in Huddersfield she will probably thing this is for her!”
Joanne Evershed said: “Winning this car means everything – I cannot believe I have won a Mini. I’ve won champagne before but never anything like this. I thought it was a joke when I was told and then jumped up and down with joy.”
Patrick Alexander, head of marketing at Manchester Airport, said: “To mark our 80th birthday we wanted to do something very special which is why we launched our biggest ever trade incentive to mark the occasion.
“Travel agents are hugely important to the airport and we appreciate every booking they make for travel through the airport.
“What better way to celebrate our eightieth birthday and to reward all of the hardworking agents that sell Manchester Airport.
“It was my pleasure to meet all the winners and hand over the keys to their brand-new Minis.”
Manchester Airport is the UK’s third largest airport, with 28 million passengers to more than 210 destinations served by more than 70 airlines. It was officially opened on Saturday June 25, 1938, by an air display from the Royal Air Force by the command of Sir Kingsley Wood, who was then his Majesty’s Secretary of State for Air. Operations began two days later and in the first 12 months, the airport handled 7,600 passengers.
Now, Manchester has a catchment area spanning as north as Scotland, south to the West Midlands, west to Wales and east to Yorkshire. Direct routes to destinations such as Mumbai, Seattle, Beijing, Houston, Los Angeles, Boston, Muscat and San Francisco have been added in recent years.