Flying to a random destination because the flight is cheap
 

I am interested in finding out the interest of flyers in taking flights to random cities if frequent flyer miles are not offered. So, would you buy a deeply discounted last-minute weekend fare that does not offer frequent flyer miles and goes from your city to an unknown destination at least 700 miles from your current city? If so, at what price would the ticket need to be for you to actually buy the ticket to just get away to a random place (that is unknown to you until the flight is booked) for a couple days? $200, $100, $50, or what?

It would need to be cheap, because there would be no guarentee that accommodation would be, which is the other major cost in a weekend away.

Also, for me, it would need some additional parameters too. Tell me (it's 12°F outdoors in Boston right now) that the flight will be to a warm location with a beach, within three time zones of here either way, and I'm on the plane. Without that information, I might end up in Duluth - so fugheddaboutit.

Bottom line: Taking away FF miles removes the motivation for a mileage run, and a free flight doesn't mean a free trip (as posted), so there has to be some other attraction.

Hey, it's 17 degrees today here in DLH. There are a lot worse places you could end up.:p

I have done just that recently in Europe.


Flew to Milan and then nested a trip to Stockholm (in the middle of January) just because the flight was cheap and I have never been there.


It was fun, at both destinations.

Like Efrem, for me it really depends on weather. I love exploring new destinations, and I'm not picky about where I stay, but no way am I travelling to Outer Siberia in January (July, maybe).

Price point would depend on general region. I would not be happy about paying $200 for a random trip nearby (hello, Buffalo!), but I would for a trip to somewhere in >1500 miles.

It was about 20F in Milwaukee when I spent last Wednesday there on a mileage run. Had quite a good time anyway; their art museum is fantastic!

I'd be potentially interested in this if:

(a) you could select different distance brackets at different prices, e.g. $50 for <500 miles, $100 for 501-1500, $150 for 1501-2500,

(b) the itineraries are guaranteed to have zero or one stop with less than 2 hours layover in each direction, and

(c) established routing rules were followed (e.g. if AA has tons of extra seats between LAX and LAS to DFW, they couldn't put me on LAX-DFW-LAS-DFW-LAX and count that as a "long" trip).

Note that the OP seems to be excluding mileage runs in their question. Certainly there are plenty of folks on FT that do it IF they get miles, but I expect the criterion would be a lot stricter if there were no miles involved.

So I give you money, and you don't give me any clue where I'll be going until the ticket is bought and I don't have any choice in airline, times, or get any benefits?

I would say if the price was a dollar I still wouldn't do it, I think there's way more of a chance of me ending up someplace I don't want to be than there is me going someplace I want to be.

For this to work I really think people need to know where they are going first.

This is similar to priceline for hotels. I rarely use it because I want to know where I'm staying (and I want the points).

(although in some places you can game the system and figure out which hotel you're bidding for).

Some of the most fun you can have are at places you wouldn't think about going. It forces you out of your comfort zone, yes, but it also could mean meeting awesome new people or exploring activities or sites you would never otherwise have taken in.

That being said, if the price was right I would certainly do it.

I would definitely do it, if it weren't for the fact that I have a wife and a baby son. I can't just leave them without a lot of notice and preparation, and in truth, not without a good reason.

I once took advantage of a last-minute e-fare to Omaha during January. Not high on my list of places to visit (especially during winter), but I had a fantastic time. I still have fond memories of one of the best clubs I've ever been to! (Yes, in Omaha. Who would have thought?)

But the boatload of EQMs and RDMS that I picked up made the trip worth it. Otherwise, I would have stayed home (as a leisure FF, weekends at home are precious) or bought a mileage-earning ticket to someplace else.

I typically fly to Europe on such fares. Been to Amsterdam, Madrid, and Brussels for under $300, have tickets for Madrid and 2x Milan for this year. I enjoy Europe and usually go with friends.

Yes, I'd do this, even to cold destinations. If it's a quick trip, then the cost of accommodations is not too big a deal, either.