I'm curious...

[Rumrunner]

I noticed that a lot of boardies go on two trips per year (some even more) and would love to know what your reasons are. For myself it makes more sense to go on one longer trip (at least 2 weeks) because the airfare is the same whether you stay for 4 days, one week or one month. If you make two short trips you double what you pay in airfare. Does it have to do with your jobs? I would really like to know.

[Yvonne]

Work dictated when I could go. I usually make one trip in the summer for a long stay (5-7 weeks). That's when I had off work (& needed the R&R from work) so staying as long as I could made the most sense. Some years, when I had a long enough break over New Years, I'd go again as long as I had a full 8-9 days on the beach, not counting travel days. Shorter stay too if I went then due to the expense. Now that I'm retired I'm trying a 2 week trip in Feb because I've never been at that time plus I have friends who will be there the same time I am. Finances & family will dictate how often I go now beyond my annual summer trip. I have timeshares in the summer so that makes a longer stay doable financially.

[captaind]

In the last 18 months I've made five trips. Two ten day and 3 long weekends.

I'm retired and used to live in Jamaica. I have family and property so my long weekends are just visits home.

I live in Florida so the airfare from Orlando is very reasonable and only an hour's drive. I stay at Seastar.

I travel for the USCG and do weekend seminars for the DOD and a three day weekend in D.C. at the Marriott is actually more costly.

No reason not to pop on down for a few days.

[Clarity]

Work plays a big part in it, If I left for 2 weeks.. I would be returning to a mess and be possibly putting my job on the line. It's not a risk I'm willing to take. No one in my office has ever taken a vacation more than 7 work days. I could only manage to accrue 5 vacation days off for my last trip.

I agree that saving up for a big long vacation is so much more practical than little ones, as far as airfare is concerned. I wish I could do that, and I haven't given up hope at the possibility of one day having a long trip.

The only way we managed to take 2 short trips in one year was by setting up airfare alerts with every airline that exists and every flight search website. I also had to be really flexible regarding the days, fly out mid-week red eye and return flight home on another mid-week day.I saved over $400 that way. Saturday is a good day to fly too. I've also never booked a flight more than 3 months in advance. There is this weird sweet spot at about one month and a half before when the flight prices dip down real low. That's the time we try to grab it. If you wait too long, it shoots back up.

[rastagal]

I used to go for longer trips before I had kids. Work is also an issue because if I took 2 weeks off from work I would NEVER get caught up. Since no one else can do my job, my work just piles up until I get back. I can barely leave the kids for a week let alone 2. As much as I need time away, 5 or 6 days is more than enough.

Now, before I had all these grown up responsibilities, I was there every 3-4 months or so. Mainly just because I could, and it is more fun in Jamaica than it is at home. lol.

[Weathermon & Mi Lady]

I like keeping the airlines in business, so I reach as ofter as I can.

[Lola]

I am re-reading your question over and over, and still not understanding what you are asking? A lot of ppl would go as often or stay as long as they wanted to, if they could...

[jeannieb]

We try to go once a year for about 10-12 days. We try to plan it so we have 2 full weekends in JA. Our work, vacation days, and co-workers vacation days dictate when we can go. My husband has to work his vacation schedule around 2 other people. They have it worked out that they rotate the holiday seasons, so every third year we will get to squeeze in an extra trip over Christmas/New Years. We were there Feb 2011. In 2012 we will be visiting Jamaica in Jan, then again in Dec/Jan 2012/13 (holiday season). To be able to go over the holiday season we will be "borrowing" a few vacation days from 2013 which means we won't be able to make it back until Jan/Feb. 2014. Does that make sense? lol. It's crazy that we plan our vacations that will be 2-3 years from now.

[Rumrunner]

Lola, I was asking because the airfare has gone up so much and it would cost twice as much if you go on two short trips. That's why I wanted to know if it was because of job responsibilities. And from the replies I see that it is the reason for shorter trips. I consider myself very lucky that we've always been able to go for two weeks and once even three!
And of course if you live in Florida and get fantastic deals you can go more often. We fly out of Chicago and the most we ever paid was $435.00. This time around we're looking at almost $600 pp. That's quite a jump, don't you agree? I'm watching the fares very closely and know that the airlines don't discount tickets until approx. 6 weeks prior departure. Even if the prices don't drop we'll go. The Midwest Winters are too long and harsh.

[fargoman]

If you lived in Fargo..you would want to get out of here in the winter time multiple times too..lol