It’s not easy to find a travel experience that compares to the excitement and feeling of discovering a trip you once felt as a child.
Perhaps that’s why in less than a day, more than 6,000 people took a leap of faith and registered for the chance to get on a flight to an unknown destination.
And yes, even after takeoff, they still didn’t know where they were going. Fortunately, the pilots did.
“They made me say ‘join us in an unknown destination,'” Louise Hörnberg, an avid traveler, shared during the trip, a brilliantly creative trick by SAS (Scandinavian Airlines) That turned out to be much more than “just” a flight.
The experience culminated in a multi-night stay and some memorable activities.
SAS ‘Destiny Unknown’
More than 6,000 people signed up for the SAS airline’s ‘Unknown Destination’ offer, where members of its ‘EuroBonus’ loyalty program could get a trip for 30,000 points. The capture? The destination was a secret. Above is the April 5 mystery flight underway.
For this ‘Destination Unknown’ adventure, SAS offered members of its free ‘EuroBonus’ loyalty program the opportunity to get a trip for 30,000 points. The capture? Passengers knew when they were going, but not where.
The CEO didn’t know.
Those who got a place on the flight had the opportunity to add a stay of several nights in a hotel at a specially negotiated price – trusting that the airline would not book them a poor quality hotel – and upon arrival they discovered that the airline had many surprises in store, with all your vacations taken care of.
The Destination Unknown flight, which took off from Copenhagen on April 5, had no destination set even two hours after takeoff. At just 30,000 points for a round trip, it’s probably the points deal of the year.
Truly unknown
The Unknown Destination flight, which took off from Copenhagen, had no destination set even two hours after takeoff
On the day of the trip, the passengers and crew, as well as the pilots, had no idea where they were going. All pre-flight correspondence involved complicated technical work to ensure that the airline’s mobile app and all other customer touchpoints were specially encrypted so as not to reveal anything.
All the usual data sources that would reveal where a plane is headed were disabled.
Speaking exclusively to SAS CEO Anko van der Werff, it became clear that surprise, mystery and delight were truly the name of the game.
No detail was left unresolved.
All boarding passes were marked XXX, rather than the usual letter codes for a destination, and flight plans were removed from the instructions.
“Be alive, be innovative and push boundaries” is the message van der Werff sends to SAS and its customers.
Greece is the word
The destination turned out to be Athens. Above: Travelers on the Unknown Destination trip enjoying a drink on the rooftop
After a few hours of travel, those lucky enough to be on board discovered that they were heading to Athens. The airline had previously negotiated special rates at a hotel, but didn’t tell the lucky ones where.
Once in Athens, SAS, as part of the agreement, organized complimentary rooftop cocktails, farm-to-table dinners at the traditional Margi Farm on the outskirts of the capital, a trip to the thermal baths of Lake Vouliagmeni and tours VIP by the Acropolis.
After speaking exclusively with guests on the trip, it is clear that the company created unlikely bonds between the guests, who ranged in age from 19 to 81.
The only people on the trip who knew the destination were, luckily, the pilots.
Hörnberg said: ‘Not only am I a very curious person, but I also really like spontaneous adventures, and being offered the chance to join a trip organized by people traveling with other frequent travelers couldn’t be better. I was sure they would surprise me and create an experience that would be a memory for a lifetime. They had me at “join us to an unknown destination.”
I would do it again?
“Definitely yes,” he said. ‘The whole trip was a unique experience, SAS really managed to surprise me throughout the weekend. His attention to detail, the places he chose, and his ability to create a great community among all the travelers was incredible. “I didn’t expect to leave this experience with so many new friends and connections.”
Gilbert is a frequent traveler and founder of a travel site. godsavethepoints.com. He can be found tweeting at @godsavethepoint.