Why day-tripping via plane is totally worth it
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
I know this sounds totally odd, but hear me out: taking a day trip via plane is the newest, best way to do it. Ok, admittedly this isn't a one-size-fits-all solution -- no one is taking a day trip from San Francisco to New York -- but there are a lot of reasons why your next outing should be by plane. Let's explore why:
It gets you farther
This one is pretty easy to understand. Simply put, you can go a lot farther via plane than other modes of travel. So far I've successfully used air travel to do a day trip twice. Once I flew from Southern California to Northern California to visit my brother for his birthday, and another time my husband and I flew from Almaty, Kazakhstan, to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan for a day-long city tour.
In both cases these trips wouldn't have been possible if we had tried to travel via car or train, with trip times taking up to six hours vs just fifty minutes on a plane:
In places like California, early departure times and late return times mean that you can spend tons of time on the ground. For me, it meant spending a full day at a theme park celebrating a birthday before heading home (wiped out), happy that I got to spend that time with my family.
It's easy
While flying isn't stress-free for everyone (or anyone, really), those of us who fly frequently have developed travel habits that make airports pretty easy. And when you're just day-tripping? It gets even simpler. No checked bags means no need to head to the counter. It's similar to many business travelers. Not needing to drag a vacation's worth of clothing means you can waltz right in. For me? I check-in on my phone, head through TSA PreCheck, and make a beeline for the lounge to grab a few snacks before boarding. It's about as stressless as airline travel can be.
While traveling in other countries, it can actually make cross-border travel much simpler. Take, for example, my recent trip to Central Asia. I managed a day-trip to Kyrgyzstan from Kazakhstan, landing in Bishkek early in the day where heading through immigration was smooth and efficient. As the nation's capital, Bishkek Airport sees a lot of traffic. The land border, on the other hand? It's a convoluted affair in which you must depart from your Kazakh taxi, wait in lines through border, hope you get in, and hope you can find a Kyrgyz taxi on the other side.
Similarly, the land border crossing between countries with tensions is also difficult. A trip to Jordan from Israel is painful, with barbed wire, intense scrutiny and hours of waiting to get across the border. In contrast, a flight from Tel Aviv to Amman takes 45 minutes and Jordanian immigration happily sells you your visa when you land. It's simple.
It's cheap
Depending on where you're going, it can actually be cheaper to fly than drive. In the case of my above trip to Bishkek, a cab ride from Kazakhstan to Kyrgyzstan rang in at $250 round-trip, while a flight was only $130. And while I recognize that it's not cheap in either case, I definitely saved money flying instead of driving.
Even better, for those of us with points and miles, flying can mean that your day trip actually ends up being, well, free. This is especially true for international travel overseas, where you can take advantage of airline award charts to fly for cheap -even with miles. Take, for example, British Airways' partner flight with Royal Jordanian from Tel Aviv to Amman:
While $237 doesn't exactly look cheap for taxes and fees, it's much better than the cash cost of this notoriously expensive ticket:
This is especially valuable for time-strapped travelers wanting to maximize their vacations (I'm looking at you, American corporations who only give their workers two weeks of vacation per year).
It's rewarding
Similar to the above, using a plane vs a train or car can be much more rewarding. Why? Because massive, international airline alliances mean most airlines you fly are going to earn you miles. The same can't be said for your cab ride, unfortunately. Even better? If you hold certain cards, like the The Platinum Card® from American Express (which has a $695 annual fee. See rates and fees.), you can double-dip your earnings and score 5x rewards on your airline purchase (must be purchased directly with the airline and on up to $500,000 per calendar year) in addition to airline miles. As an elite on Star Alliance, I'm going to head for the plane ride every time.
Bottom line
Day-tripping via plane isn't for every occasion, or even every person. But there are so many circumstances where heading out for the day on a plane is a great idea- from speedier travel to free flights, it's time to consider a flight for your next adventure out.
For rates and fees of the Platinum Card, please click here.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.