Angela Atkinson from Middlesborough, was surprised as she checked in for the 13:05 easyJet flight, with her daughter Vicky Atkinson and her granddaughter Alissa Gately, to the popular Spanish resort.
easyJet crew members were on hand to congratulate Angela with a special boarding card entitling her to free flights up until May 2012.
Angela comments: “We were just checking in for our flight and I was shocked to find I was easyJet’s one millionth passenger to fly to Alicante.
“The surprise was a fantastic start to our family holiday, especially as it’s the first time eight year old Alissa has flown. Winning free flights for a year is so exciting and I can’t wait to explore many new destinations that I wouldn’t have had the chance to visit before.”
Hugh Aitken, UK commercial manager at easyJet, adds: “We’re proud of flying one million passengers on our Newcastle to Alicante route since we launched the service in 2003 and what better way to celebrate than rewarding the lucky passenger with free flights for a year.
“I’d like to pass on our congratulations from everyone at easyJet and hope that Angela enjoys selecting where to fly during the next year.
“Our commitment to providing both leisure and business passengers with a wide range of routes combined with exceptional service from our dedicated crew has allows us to reach a remarkable milestone like this. It’s also thanks to our loyal customer base who continue to choose us as their preferred airline which is why we wanted to thank them with the opportunity to win this fantastic price.”
Chris Sanders, Aviation Development Director at Newcastle International, added: "Alicante is an extremely popular holiday destination for North East travellers; it offers fantastic year-round holiday experiences for all ages. We are delighted easyJet is marking this milestone today with an extra special welcome for their one millionth passenger between Newcastle and Alicante."
With a choice of 13 destinations, easyJet has grown to become a year-round operator and the largest airline in the North East flying more than 12.4 million passengers since its arrival in November 2001.
This summer easyJet has more than 4,000 flights and 600,000 seats on sale to top destinations such as Faro, Malaga, Palma, Barcelona and Paris. For the business traveller easyJet operates key routes to Belfast and Bristol.