By Ferdinand Mwongela

Many a romantic movie ends with one partner, almost always the man, springing a surprise ticket to some luxurious getaway, and the woman cooing in delight.

Well, this might actually not be the brightest thing to do in real life as a study has shown that springing a surprise getaway for a partner might just backfire.

The research, commissioned by British Airways, found women require more than 12 hours of crucial preparation to buy everything they need, clear their social diary and gear up to enjoy the perfect break away.

So, the woman who just drops everything to ride away to fantasy lands might just be that, fantasy.

A study of 2,000 British women found that planning makes perfect when it comes to couples jet-setting away for a few days with more than half, six in ten, hating surprises.

Notice

Abigail Comber, head of brands at British Airways, says:  “The results emphasise the level of importance women place on getting the preparation before a trip exactly right. The element of surprise is clearly a dividing issue amongst British women but what has emerged is that the enjoyment of going away is enhanced if they feel they’ve been given enough time to get excited and can leave knowing things will be okay while they’re gone.”

According to the study, the average woman would like almost eight days’ notice to prepare properly, from planning her outfits and packing to sorting out work and cancelling prior arrangements.

And this is for a good reason, probably lending credence to the popular notion of the woman going for a weekend break laden with suitcases, especially as the research showed that having at least nine outfits is deemed essential for any short break.

The study found that the average woman needs at least three shopping trips ahead of even the smallest short-haul trip and dedicates more than 12 hours to prepare.

Of course, the four out of ten left out had other reasons for their ambivalence, most being that their partners wouldn’t even think about it.

These said a romantic trip away just wouldn’t cross their partner’s minds while many said that, to their partner, “being spontaneous meant deciding to have a takeaway.”  “There are a number of things people feel they have to achieve in order to fully enjoy a trip away and eight days’ notice is deemed just about right,” said Comber.

She added: “From researching places to eat and things to do, as well as last minute beauty appointments and shopping trips, women have lots to do before they go on holiday.”