CommunityBuzz! - Can You Keep a Trip a Secret?

This is my very first post here, so let me first say that FT has proven to be one of the friendliest and most useful bulletin boards I have ever used. I've lurked here for weeks just soaking in all the information and experiences of other flyers, and I never cease to be amazed at the power of the Internet to bring people together.

As for the 20/20, it's nice to know I'm not the only one who can't decide whether this is the most fun I've had in a long time or the worst hobby I've ever acquired. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Anyway, here's my actual question.... I am taking my girlfriend on an international trip over New Year's that I would like to remain a surprise as long as possible. She knows that we're going, and she'll play along with the secret. I feel confident that I can achieve surprise until the point we check in at the airport. At that point, however, how far can I go?

I realize that once we're on the plane, the crew will announce where we're going. But can I make it past all the ticket and gate agents and signs without giving away our destination?

Thanks again for the wonderful community everyone here has created.

Once I took my wife on a surprise trip. It was GREAT. First I told her we were going to the airport only to pick up a rental fo our drive to 'the country.'

Once it was clear we were gettin on a flight, I told the check in agent not to mention where we were going as she checked us in nd told ehre why. She was happy to comply. As luck would have it, we ended up boarding at a gate at IAD where you cant see the counter from the door C-28, I think.

So we are sitting there in first class and the FA says, "this is flight xyz to Chicago." My wife is pleased! Except at Chicago I admit that this is not our final destination.

I had fun walking down the C terminal at ORD stopping at various gates that read 'miami', then 'San Jose, ' etc, etc until we finally got to 'New Orleans'.

It was only then that the cat was out of the bag. It was really fun!

Enjoy giving the surprise!!!

Except there is usually a sign at the gate...

Of course you could go the blindfold route. That could be romantic.

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"I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own."

Don't they announce the destination several times at the gate during boarding? "This is the final boarding call for flight 123 service to xyz"

You could get some of the noise cancelling headphones to go with the blindfold http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Sounds like a wonderful trip..good luck!

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Have a great day!!
~~Missy~~

Ok, this is my first post and I can't tell you how excited I am to become the newest member of your group!!!!!!!!! You are such a fun bunch! Here're my thoughts: sounds like the most tasteful/romantic use of a blindfold I've ever heard! "Bonne chance" sp? to a very lucky lady and gentleman!

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Aly

Make sure you (or she) have her passport with you.

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Have passport, will travel...
LAX, LHR, CDG, et.al.

Throw her off by getting a visa for a country that you don't actually plan on visiting...

... as well as some foreign currency http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/cool.gif

I've done this before with my husband and it was a lot of fun. So he didn't have to walk around the airport in a blindfold, I took a pair of wraparound sunglasses and attached dark paper to the inside of the lenses so they were blacked out. Then I had him listening through headphones to a Walkman so that he couldn't hear boarding announcements. The tough part I thought was the packing ... will you pack for her? Or do you give her some clue as to where you're going by telling her what the weather will be? I would hate to think what I would look like if my husband ever packed for me ... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Have fun!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by letiole:
the packing ... will you pack for her? I would hate to think what I would look like if my husband ever packed for me ... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
Have fun!</font>


Oh, my gosh!! That would be horrible! That is why American Express was invented. A little power shopping just might be in order when you get there.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by letiole:
The tough part I thought was the packing ... will you pack for her? Or do you give her some clue as to where you're going by telling her what the weather will be? I would hate to think what I would look like if my husband ever packed for me ... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Have fun!</font>

No, I have enough trouble dressing myself presentably. She already knows the dates, and I'm just going to give her the forecast the week before we go. We're not going anywhere with very extreme weather, so it shouldn't be a problem.

I can even keep a trip a secret from myself! In fact, I have no stress about travel since I don't think about it (no anticipation) til about 2 or 3 hours before the flight. Then I pack and head off.

But I do like the surprise idea. As long as you tell your significant other enough details to pack the right clothes. This is very important for women (based on my experience!).

Uh, half of my trips are secret trips. I keep them a secret from everyone at work. Cuts down the questions of why, where and how. Especially the WHY?

I say, why not?

I do like that idea of surprising someone, though.

a long time ago hubby went to Paris and scolded by a rude Parisian because hubby did not speak french
since then he swore he was never going back to Paris

well, before he knew it, he had been back to Paris thrice http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif because each time i had kept a secret until the last minute (like, already at the airport)

now he does not mind anymore because the Parisians have become friendlier, could also because i speak french a little fluenter

one more secret, for every trip hubby never knows what he will be wearing until he gets there! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Aly,

Welcome aboard!

Studley

This is a really great idea, particularly if you're a hapless, helpless, hopeless romantic!

:-)

I agree with the earlier posts - there are many cues which have to be blocked out in order to prevent the surprise from being revealed until the crew announces the destination.

And that's if you take a direct flight - imagine changing planes. Time to start the process over again. A nice challenge!

;-)

Studley

[This message has been edited by studley (edited 09-06-2001).]

Last spring break, I wanted to surprise my wife & kids with a trip to Hawaii. That was sooooo tough to hide, but here was how it was done:

I first set my wife up by telling her we were going to Orlando, but that we were going to tell the kids we were going to Los Angeles (we live near San Francisco). That helped since packing clothes was essentially the same. When we were checking in at SFO, I had my wife pull the kids off to the side, so the kids wouldn't hear where we were actually going. Plus, my wife assumed I was telling the CSR we were going to Orlando but that it was a surprise for the kids. The CSR was great and played along, when I called my wife over so the CSR could confirm her ID. The CSR told her it was a great idea to surprise the kids. The hard part was keeping them away from the gate, because of the posting at the gate, as well as the announcements. But since I already duped my wife into thinking we were going somewhere else, she helped keep the kids occupied at the various shops. When the plane was ready to load, I ushered the family through, without much trouble (except some of the other passengers were wearing hawaiian shirts!!!). But my wife just thought it was tropical wear for Orlando. After we settled into our seats, the announcement finally came, and I pretended we were on the wrong plane, and tried to convince the kids we needed to get off. It was hilarious. My wife didn't know what to think, and my kids didn't want to leave. My youngest suggested that if we didn't say anything, we could go to Hawaii instead. Finally my wife figured out she was fooled even worse than the kids. It was great! It was the best fa,ily vacation we had ever taken.

BIG SECRET: we are leaving for Warsaw tomorrow (continuing to Budapest, Vienna and Prague) and hubby still does not know where he will be going to and what he will be wearing for the next two weeks....
(he does not even know what time the flight leaves!)
what fun! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

belle, the controller http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif