Hospitality Career E-Mag: NEWS | Hilton Worldwide, Heineken reward consumers for spontaneity with far-flung trips

While not generally appreciated by bankers or crossing guards, impulsiveness is highly valued by marketers, who encourage spur-of-the moment purchases. And separate stunts this week by Heineken and Hilton Worldwide are rewarding consumers for spontaneity with farflung trips — but only if they depart with little or no forethought. On Tuesday, Heineken appeared in Terminal 8 of the Kennedy International Airport in New York for "Departure Roulette," and asked travelers to abandon itineraries and instead leave for free trips to unknown destinations.

Greg Vosits, a doctoral student in educational psychology at the University of Connecticut, arrived at JFK on Tuesday for a 5:15 p.m. flight to Vienna. But Heineken changed his mind. "I had no idea where in the world I would be traveling," Vosits said. "I was definitely on the fence, but decided to go with the flow." Vosits pushed the button on a game-show-worthy display and learned he would be headed to Cyprus on a 9:55 p.m. flight. Heineken booked him a hotel room for two nights and gave him $2,000 to cover expenses.

Although Heineken generally is awarding round-trip flights from JFK, for Vosits it arranged a flight from Cyprus to Vienna on Friday, and from Vienna back to New York on August 25, when he had planned to return.

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