Scandinavian Airways (SAS) has at present operated its second thriller journey for members of its EuroBonus frequent flyer program. I can’t assist however be impressed by this initiative, but concurrently (form of) shocked by the extent of curiosity.
The fundamentals of SAS’ “Vacation spot Unknown” journeys
Through the years, we’ve seen airways function some flights solely for loyalty program members, the place the one approach to guide a seat on a flight is utilizing factors. Nevertheless, SAS has actually taken that idea to the subsequent stage, with its “Vacation spot Unknown” journeys. It’s not simply that sure flights can solely be booked with factors, however on prime of that, loyalty program members don’t even know the place they’re touring (aside from that it’s inside the Schengen zone).
The primary of those journeys occurred in April 2024, the place EuroBonus members may redeem factors for a roundtrip flight to a vacation spot that remained a thriller till after takeoff. This journey ended up working from Copenhagen (CPH) to Athens (ATH), the place EuroBonus members spent three nights. The journey had members ranging in age from 19 to 81, touring from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, the UK, and the US.
We’re at the moment seeing the second journey working, April 4 via April 7, 2025. Tickets price 60,000 EuroBonus factors per particular person, and the airline actually goes nice lengths to hide the vacation spot. Even Flightradar24 didn’t present the plane’s vacation spot, to maintain it a secret.
It will seem that this journey in the end operated to Seville (SVQ), in order that’s the thriller vacation spot for 2025.
Be aware that these journeys don’t embody lodge lodging. As a substitute, vacationers are basically given classes of accommodations they will reserve prematurely, with out truly figuring out what they’re reserving.
For each the 2024 and 2025 flights, tickets bought out inside 4 minutes, in order that exhibits you the way nice the curiosity has been. 96% of those that took the journey in 2024 say that they’d take such a visit once more. Right here’s how Aron Backström, SAS’ VP of Product & Loyalty, describes this:
“Journey is about discovery, and ‘Vacation spot Unknown’ is designed to rekindle the joy of exploring new and sudden locations. There’s one thing magical about stepping onto a airplane with out figuring out the place you’ll land. It strips away all the standard choices and planning, permitting vacationers to completely immerse themselves within the expertise.”
“One of the exceptional issues in regards to the first ‘Vacation spot Unknown’ journey was seeing how rapidly full strangers shaped connections. Whenever you take away all expectations and share an journey like this, it creates a particular bond amongst vacationers. The thrill, the curiosity, and the sense of being a part of one thing distinctive made it an unforgettable expertise for everybody on board.”
I can’t determine whether or not this sounds superior or not
SAS’ “Vacation spot Unknown” idea is ridiculously cool and inventive. Clearly that’s how lots of people really feel, because the journeys promote out inside minutes, and the primary journey had a overwhelming majority of individuals saying they’d do it once more.
I feel the curiosity on this actually will get at folks wanting new sorts of journey experiences, and the enjoyment of anticipating a thriller, and actually not figuring out what you’re going to get. Or I suppose given the period we stay in, it’s maybe additionally a approach that individuals really feel they will inform a cool story about their travels on social media.
If SAS disclosed the vacation spot prematurely, I think about curiosity could be lots decrease, because it’s not like there’s a lot distinction between reserving considered one of these flights, and reserving any recurrently schedule flight with award availability. However if you don’t inform folks the place you’re going, that’s what out of the blue makes it fascinating.
Perhaps I’m simply too introverted, however no less than for me, I’m unsure I’d have a lot curiosity in taking considered one of these journeys:
- It’s not like that is truly a terrific worth; you will get journeys for fewer factors than this, so if something, you’re paying a premium for the privilege of the thriller
- This appears closely geared at extroverted folks, the place a part of the run is that this can be a shared and social expertise that’s about assembly new folks
- I perceive the logistics of needing to journey inside the Schengen zone, however I can’t assist however suppose that I’d be a bit disenchanted if I used to be hyping up a thriller journey in my head, solely to finish up spending a number of days in Athens; to be clear, nothing towards Athens, it’s a terrific metropolis in some methods, however I think about that it’s a spot many individuals have visited earlier than, and it’s not precisely off the overwhelmed observe
Anyway, it’s superior that SAS places the hassle into creating these experiences, and folks actually appear to benefit from the journeys. It simply in all probability isn’t for me. I do love the thought of thriller journeys, although. Each time I take my dad on a birthday journey, I don’t inform him the place we’re going, so I assume it’s an analogous idea, no less than for him. It’s simply not as social, and I can nonetheless plan the journey the way in which I need. 😉
Backside line
SAS is at the moment working a “Vacation spot Unknown” journey. Whereas final 12 months’s journey was from Copenhagen to Athens, this 12 months’s journey is to Seville. It’s a singular idea — EuroBonus members redeem factors, and haven’t any clue the place they’re going till after their flight departs.
As an introvert, this all appears a bit too social for me. However the airline is clearly tapping into peoples’ needs for brand new sorts of journey experiences, and evidently individuals who take these journeys have a tremendous time.
What do you make of those SAS “Vacation spot Unknown” journeys? Would you are taking one?
