Last weekend, I did a first for me. I took a flight and then flew back home less than 24 hours later. As a general rule, I don’t like super short trips. In fact, I rarely stay anywhere less than 3 nights if I’m flying there. On a few occasions, I’ve stayed 2 nights, but never just one.
But, this time I decided to go to a college reunion event and complete the trip within 24 hours. Why? I had to work on Friday and Monday, plus flights and hotel were less expensive on points if I timed my trip like I did.
Was it worth it?
I can unequivocally say that for me for this particular trip, yes, the 24-hour trip was worth it! I saw friends that I hadn’t seen in 20 years. I walked around my alma mater, and it still felt like home, even after all these years.
But, I had a lot of things go my way to make this very short trip go smoothly:
- I didn’t have any checked luggage
- I hopped on an Uber to my hotel instead of renting a car
- The flight was less than 90 minutes
- There was no bad weather or flight delays
All of those factors helped me save time at the airport and maximize my time at the location. If I’d experienced major issues, I’d probably be singing a different tune now.
So, will I book this type of trip again? Maybe. It depends on the location (how close), the season, my schedule and the costs involved. Even though I didn’t get a lot of sleep on this trip, I still felt energized when I got home, just from the contentment of seeing old friends.
Do you ever book flights for a 1-night trip? Why or why not?
Author: Nancy
Nancy lives near Dallas, Texas, with her husband and three kids. Her favorite vacations include the beach, cruising and everything Disney.
I’ve done it before for work only. Even 1 day trips fly out and back on the same day.
@Boonie I can’t imagine flying out and back in one day!
I’d be willing to do it. Flying out of Syracuse would go to either Boston or NYC.
@fit2ravels That doesn’t sound bad!
I’ve actually booked 1 day flights.. not even an overnight.
Currently live in the Boston metro, but there are shops in NYC that I frequented since I lived on Long Island years ago.
The flight isn’t available anymore, but when it was, I would book a 7am morning from Worcester regional to JFK, hop on the LIRR to Manhattan, take care of business and do some sightseeing, then return back to JFK for the 10pm flight back to ORH.
@Jinxed_K Glad you could make that timing work!