A direct flight keeps one flight number and may still touch down on the way; a nonstop flight goes from origin to destination without landing.
A direct flight keeps one flight number and may still touch down on the way; a nonstop flight goes from origin to destination without landing.
Also called: Nonstop flight, Through flight.
How it works#
The difference regularly costs hours: on a direct flight with a stop, passengers stay on board or step off briefly while the aircraft and flight number stay the same. Booking engines label this as “direct” and do not mean “without a stop”. Anyone who genuinely wants no intermediate landing filters for nonstop.
Not to be confused with#
A direct flight is not the same as a connecting flight: a connection changes flight number and usually aircraft, with its own connection time and its own risk.
In German#
The German term is Direktflug. German version of this term
Related terms#
- Codeshare: A codeshare is a flight sold by one airline under its own flight number while a different airline actually operates it.
- Misconnection: A misconnection is missing an onward flight because the previous one ran late; the legal consequences depend on whether both flights sit on one ticket.
- Minimum connection time: Minimum connection time is the shortest connection a reservation system will sell at a given airport between two flights.
Articles that use this term#
TopicEvery article and term onBooking and flight search.