The confusion between a direct flight and a non-stop flight comes up all the time, so it’s worth a mention again.  It’s a key travel decision that you need to keep straight.

They are not the same thing, and if you don’t pay attention to the difference, you may find yourself on a direct flight from Miami to Seattle with all sorts of stops in between.

Here’s a simple explanation of the difference.

Non-Stop Flight:  You will travel from your Departure City to your Arrival City without any scheduled stops in between.  One take off, one landing, one airplane.  It’s the fastest way to get from one place to another, and often the most expensive.

Direct Flight:  You will travel from your Departure City to your Arrival City on the same flight, but there may be stops between the two.  There may even be a change of planes, although that is not typically the case.  Multiple takes offs, multiple landings, and potentially multiple aircraft.  This is a lengthier way to get from one place to another, and with every stop you increase the chances for delays, cancellations, weather problems, or mechanicals. 

And as a third option, you may be making a Connecting Flight.  You will travel from your Departure City to a Connecting City where you will go to another flight, sometimes another airlines, and get on connecting flight that will take you to your Destination City.  There are lots of factors that go into making a connection, so keep in mind minimum connection time.

Given a choice – I’d always recommend choosing take a direct flight.

 

Image credit:  SXC

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