A TRAVEL agent will be taking members of her family and friends for a day out on Saturday after winning first prize in a national competition . . . a plane for the day.

Debbie Firkin, aged 27, will fly to Vienna with 39 friends after winning the star prize in the British Airways competition.

Debbie, who lives in Worsley, and is the assistant manager at the Lunn Poly shop on The Rock, Bury, was one of three lucky winners from thousands of entrants working across the travel industry in the UK.

The travel boss was flying high after learning she had won the competition.

Debbie said: "I can't believe it. When I was told I had won a plane for the day it was so hard to take in!

"I've now got friends and family from Scotland, Ireland, London, and Liverpool including my six-year-old niece and my 84-year-old gran coming with me. It's going to be an absolute ball."

Debbie won the prize by drawing the winning ticket after making a booking on a British Airways service from Manchester Airport to anywhere in the UK or Europe between 1 February and 28 February.

The plane will depart from Manchester airport at 9.30am and arrive back in Manchester 12 hours later. On arrival in Vienna the party will be taken on a guided coach tour around the city hosted by the Vienna Tourist Board with a special lunch included.

Debbie, who has never visited the Austrian capital before, said: "I've always wanted to visit Vienna -- I've read a lot about this cosmopolitan city and I am looking forward to seeing the architecture, museums and, of course, the great shops."