A Travel Dream – Show Up at the Airport and Go Anywhere.
This may have been our best trip to New York City. Ever.
As I write this we’re sitting in a coffee shop in midtown. We’re working, caffeinating, eavesdropping and hoping we can get back to Seattle at some point today.
We’re scrolling through our pictures on the camera’s screen. They are as random as the last several days have been. They include: a hand-sized tortilla chip, a drag queen, lots of blue sky, new friends, the stage at the Palace Theater, many buildings, delicious hot chocolate, awful cinnamon toast, a dive bar, old friends, beef jerky and lots of do-overs.
Last Friday – armed with ‘buddy passes” from our airline friends, a small bag and our mobile office (a backpack) – we showed up at the airport and decided to go to, um, anywhere. Every traveler’s fantasy.
In honor of five years of this NVR life, we decided to fill the year ahead with some bold things. This is one of those things.
The idea to do this kind of thing was born late last Wednesday and confirmed on Thursday night before going to bed. Wanting to take full advantage of all our flight options, we arrived at the airport early on Friday. We knew we wanted to aim big (east coast), despite how difficult that can be with passes. Going standby with passes gives you lowest-on-the-totem-pole priority, but it’s cheap – nearly free, actually.
We felt like we hit the jackpot by getting on a non-stop to New York City. We were lucky to have our own row but limited in our time to relax. An outstanding hotel deal was waiting; our mission was to find it. The goal: awesome accommodation, budget price. This sort of thing is right in our wheelhouse.
Somewhere over the Midwest, we reserved a four star hotel for under a hundred bucks per night. Even better, we saw that they were renovating so breakfast and happy hour and WiFi would all be included in the price. No cloud of add-on-fee-irritation casting a shadow on our loco getaway.
Then we landed, and everything started to move very quickly. We inaugurated Friday night with killer Mexican food (thus the tortilla chip picture) and we’re rounding it out today by people watching in a bustling Manhattan coffee shop.
Here are some shots from around the city.
Now, back to the business of figuring out how the hell we’re getting home. On the cheap.
Have you always wanted to show up at an airport and just go?
Have you ever done something similar? Where did you go?
What a great trip, and a fantastic example of finally doing all those things we say we want to do but never get around to. You guys continue to inspire me!
Good point – exactly the type of thing we. too, would think was “so cool” and then would likely never do. The pre-NVR us, that is.
Being as it’s the 5 year anniversary of this lifestyle, we want to push ourselves even further and cross some of these things off our list.
How would one do this? Go to the ticket counter and ask, what do ya got cheap?
These types of “buddy passes” work differently on all of the airlines. We’re actually able to do it all online (reserve, get a rough idea of flight loads, etc.). Because we wanted to go as big as we could, we wanted to be at the airport in order to get specifics from an agent.
Once at the airport, we were able to narrow it down to Chicago and New York. We learned from the agent that the NY flight we had our eyes on had 80 open seats and almost no one on standby (this kind of info you can’t get online). That’s how we ended up on a flight with our own row, etc.
It’s not perfect, but that sort of adds to the adventure. For instance, we had only the one small bag and a backpack (our office). We needed to be able to carry on because of the last minute nature of the decision. Being in NYC with, like, 2 shirts isn’t ideal… BUT, again, it’s part of the adventure.
Love this. Glad it was NYC; how could you go wrong? I must say, though, that this kind of trip wouldn’t be nearly as fun without a partner in crime. N
Right… how could you go wrong with NYC. And, really, it’s a great place in any situation but better with a partner in crime. Factoid: NYC is the first “real” trip we took as a couple. *collective ahhh*
Soooo fun!!!!! I would love a surprise trip to NYC. Bold move bragging about the last-minute deal to a four-star hotel in the city. You’re going to be inundated with questions… I will try to hold off lol
We lucked out, Abby. It wasn’t Vegas nice, but it was nice. We like the boutique-y hotels in places like NYC. This place – at the tail end of a renovation – offered the best of both worlds. For instance… charm and a shower with some actual water pressure. Woohoo! I mean, come on, how many times have we all stayed at a charming, old hotel with a crappy shower.
We’ll write about the hotel in a separate post.
Cool .. Should also try something like this . I would be great fun . Looks like you had nice time .
I love the idea of just getting up and going. I have always wanted to do it as a gift for my boyfriend….. get two roundtrip tickets with no destination and give them and say we are leaving tomorrow, wherever you would like to go. I will do it one day!!
I admire your spontaneity. I am sure New York was amazing, it always is!
Do it, Meg! Ah, the stories you and Mr. Bohemian will have
I’ve always wanted to show up at an airport and just pick a place on the destination board, just haven’t yet…
So bummed we didn’t get to meet you guys. Hopefully our paths will have the chance to cross soon
Don’t even get me started on not meeting you. It’ll happen.
How awesome! I too have always wanted to do that! I need to make some friends in the airline industry for a little help
or just score better deals on low cost airlines (in Europe). I have a week off coming up and I really want to find a steal to go somewhere for a few days! Excited! 
Awesome! So fun. Some day I will do this and fly anywhere in the world. Adding it to my life list now…
Anywhere in the world might be tough to pull off (packing, visa, etc.) but what a fun goal!
I love being spontaneous like that! I used to get buddy passes from an ex, which I miss. (The passes, not the ex. LOL) Great photos of NYC!
I seriously question you – as a traveler – breaking up with anyone who holds buddy passes. Is it too late to get back together. Kidding.
I used to do this all the time. Or a variation – on Thursday night we’d start looking at flight loads to decide where we could go the next day. Your post is a good reminder to get back into that habit.
I’ve definitely wanted to show up the airport and just go somewhere. And New York. That’s a fantastic place to end up at.
Such a crazy wonderful thing to be able to do. I love New York City, though not in the winter.
Ali and I have talked about doing something similar with the trains here. Go to the station and just buy a ticket to whatever is on the board that looks good. Unfortunately without buddy passes for trains, it will be more expensive.
How do you book a hotel over the midwest? Are they doing internet in the airplanes now?
A train version sounds like a blast. And, yes, we live for inflight wireless on planes these days. Ah, the luxuries we are fortunate to enjoy in the modern world.
I think this is going to be my new goal! Last minute trips are the best. Now I just need to find some buddy passes.
lol
I’ve always wanted to do this. Sounds like such a brilliant trip. Hope to try it one day!!
So cool! I really should do this sometime. I have a cousin who works at an airline, and has told me previously he could get me buddy passes… perhaps I should take him up on it sometime soon!
Time to get in touch with that cousin, Amanda!
How fun! Never done that before, but you may have inspired me to give it a go
Um, where is the picture of the giant tortilla chip?
I was totally going to mention our idea of going to the train station and spontaneously picking a destination, but I see Andy beat me to it. Sounds like a fun trip to NYC, buddy passes are cool. I used a buddy pass once to visit my friend in Alaska but I had to book a flight home because the flights were full.
lol – it’s an awful picture that was taken quickly on the iPhone. Maybe I’ll post it so you can see the size of those things. Our dream…. an unlimited supply of tortilla chips and salsa.
Oh… and the drag queen picture… another terrible photo taken too speedily (because we didn’t want to get beaten by the glamazon Manila Luzon).
Getting home on a buddy pass is always a worry. “Yay, I’m here… and now I might have to pay $1000 for a last minute flight home!”
This has been a fantasy of mine for as long as I can remember…counting down the hours at work thinking, how amazing it would be if tomorrow I just packed my backpack, went to the airport, and said “a ticket to anywhere please” Alright, you’ve talked me into it, I’ve popped it on the bucket list…now to find me a buddy in the aviation industry!
Looks like you had a great trip guys, and NYC, perfect!
Yes, find that airline friend FIRST!
All of the amazing travel I’ve so far experienced this year DOES NOT compare to FINALLY meeting you two in my city!!!!! So glad it worked out. Finally. So glad you got your spontaneous adventure too!!! xoxo
Thanks, Kirsten – and thanks to YOU for being a big part of our fun.
Off-topic, but excited to hear you’ll be heading to India soon!
Well, we’re going to try to swing it over the next year or so. You can be sure we’ll be asking you some more questions before finalizing plans.
Have always wanted to do this… great post guys
Do it! It’s a fun experience.
How fun! I’ve always wanted to do this, but haven’t yet, they have something called “Blind Booking” in Europe though that I want to try out since you can choose your price, but not your destination.
That sounds fun. But a little risky. What if you end up in a terrible place.
I haven’t done this but can’t wait to do it someday. I would force myself to go somewhere I haven’t been, so I’d probably end up in Topeka or Flagstaff. But I would also want to get the biggest bang for my buck, so I’d probably want to travel cross-country like you guys did.
Flagstaff is awesome
I have that travel dream often! Great trip for you guys in one of my favorite places. Loved seeing the pics – they remind me that it’s time to get back to NYC.
As you can see, we had incredible weather. It worked out pretty perfectly.
Oh we are so going to do this soon. Love it. Our problem with traveling light is all of Steven’s camera gear!
I have been traveling to NYC more and more – only 5 hours away for me. An easy drive. My 12 year old daughter has already decided she wants to live there some day, like once she turns 18. Acck!
I am determined to do this kind of thing soon. I am unclear on the whole buddy pass thing though so I need to find out more about that…
Become close friends with an airline employee, and you will quickly learn what buddy passes are.
Enjoy the remaining 6 years with your daughter
Hey, at least she’ll be close.
I will do this one day.
I’ve always wanted to do this, good on you!
Hmmm, this is a great idea I must say. Since I am living in Indonesia which stretches approximately the same length as from the US East to West coast so I guess it is worth trying for me to do the same here to go to different places and islands in the country.
Would it be easy to do in Indonesia?
booo, not even a tweet when yall were here in NYC!
No worries! I hear you on the showing up to an airport and then deciding, I wrote a blog about that last year, I LOVE the idea!
Hey… you were in Boston. Next time…
Sound great! In the UK we have a company called LastMinute. They often do mystery package deals of a flight and decent hotel, but you have to fly the next day.
Similar to your trip we had a remarkably good value few days in Rome
We would need to stay away from a site like that. Sounds too intriguing.
I’d like to show up to the airport, and be able to fly standby to say … ah, Tahiti? Haha. That’s awesome you guys traveled randomly. I hope to do the same!
Something tells me you will!
Awesome guys! That is a dream. I have always wanted to do just that. Remember Yes Man with Jim Carrey? I loved how they ended up somewhere in the Mid West and had a blast. You’ve inspired me to do that one day soon!
Yes! You two need to do this asap. You’re perfect candidates.
Love this! We need to find a way to get our hands on some buddy passes. This is something that we’ve always wanted to do. So glad you ended up in NYC. It’s an amazing city where the possibilities are endless. We missed you guys by a few weeks. It would’ve been incredible to explore the city with you!
how fun! i haven’t done that in over 10 years!! my friend & i were looking for an adventure, showed up at the airport one saturday evening and hopped over to Vegas to go clubbing [average prices were about $96 then...we paid $220. best money we ever spent] and flew back home on the first flight back.
We did a night like that once! Great memory but probably wouldn’t do it again.
Hey guys,
Fun topic!
I’m going to be traveling for one week leaving this Saturday, Oct 27th 2012 and I have not decided where yet. Likely Europe.
My last few trips have been in to Asia, esp. Japan and China.
Now I want something with less airtime.
Any ideas?
Europe is always good!Where are you departing from?
How awesome!!! This is actually on my bucket list after seeing the movie yes man, jim carey and meet at the airport for a spontaneous weekend excursion. Having decided to take the first plane out of town, regardless of its destination, they end up in Lincoln, Nebraska, so funny but so awesome and adventurous!!!
….my Fiance and I are definitely saving after the wedding to do this maybe for our first anniversary….=) excited
It was one of our best experiences yet!