On Saturday 25 August, one 99-year-old kicked off her 100th birthday celebrations early after British Airways surprised her with a very special trip.

Mary Parsons from Malvern in Worcestershire turns 100 years old on January 1, 2019, the same year that the airline also celebrates its centenary.

British Airways ambassador, Derek Tennant, surprised Mary at her ‘Friends of the Elderly’ care home in Davenham and revealed that he was taking her to Belfast to see her family.

Born just 51 days after World War I ended, Mary grew up in Monaghan, 70 miles south of Belfast, yet left when she was 18-years-old to move to England and become a nurse.

Given VIP treatment by Derek, Mary was met at the airport by her nephew Ciaran and his wife Noelle, and niece Margaret and her husband Anthony, before spending the weekend in Belfast.

On Saturday, August 25, other customers celebrating their birthday and their travel companions were invited to use the airline’s First lounge, accessed through the First Wing.

British Airways also gave customers ‘99 ice creams’ to mark the occasion, while a marching band performed for onlookers. BA staff also wore uniforms from across the airline's history.

Founded in 1905, Friends of the Elderly is a registered charity supporting older people. The organisation aspires to a society where older people have the opportunity to live fulfilled lives.