'Destination Unknown': Major airline launches flight where you don't know where you're going

Would you get onto a plane without knowing where it's going? The idea of flying away without an end destination in mind continues to capture imaginations as something exciting and even a little romantic.

There have been multiple movies with such a plot while several flight aggregators have a "fly anywhere" feature that lets travelers see suggested destinations after entering the dates they want to travel and how much they want to spend.

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While this also occasionally occurs when a flight runs into some kind of unexpected situation aboard and has to derail to another destination, one airline is purposefully launching a flight to "destination unknown." Scandinavian Airlines, which is more commonly known as SAS, launched a promotion in which its loyalty members could pay 30,000 points (the approximate cost of a ticket from Europe to North America) to fly from Copenhagen Airport (CPH) to an unknown destination and back on the weekend between April 5 and 8.

'A lot of travelers are excited by the idea of an unknown destination'

According to the airline, the promotion proved so popular that 1,000 people signed up for the "mystery flight" with minutes of SAS opening it up on Feb. 12. Registration closed in 24 hours and those selected sweepstakes-style had another 24 hours to confirm their spot and make the payment (a waitlist will allow those signed up but did not get a spot to be moved up if someone bails at the last minute.)

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"I am thrilled about this innovative concept, and I am confident that, just like me, a lot of travelers are excited by the idea of an unknown destination," SAS Executive Vice President And Chief Commercial Officer Paul Verhagen said in a statement. "The prospect of embarking on an adventurous and mysterious journey with fellow enthusiasts, finding new connections and friendships along the way, is truly exciting."

As the date of the mystery flight approaches, those with confirmed spots will get information from the airline about what to pack and how to prepare for the weekend away but most of the information (including the length of the flight) will be kept secret until the moment the plane lands.

The promotion saw sky-high demand – Will other airlines follow?

"The allure of the unknown destination will keep travelers on the edge throughout the flight until the destination is revealed," SAS said of the "Destination Unknown" flight.

This particular promotion was available exclusively to those who are part of the airline's EuroBonus loyalty program. SAS marketed it as a "special treat" for its members and purposefully only made it possible to pay with points although those who did not have enough but were selected for the flight can pay to purchase the points they need to make up the difference before April.

The viral popularity of such a promotion could push other airlines, both in Europe and North America, to try something similar. 

In February 2023, Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air  (WZZAF)  launched a similar competition to participate in a "mystery flight" from Venice that later ended up taking a plane full of passengers to Abu Dhabi for a weekend.

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