Direct vs non-stop
 

It seems like people nowadays often say direct when they mean non-stop?

I’m going SFO-PHX, and it would appear from looking up the gates that I’ll be on the same flight for PHX-ORD with a layover of less than an hour. Could it be that I might not get off in PHX?

I remember going ANC-OTZ-OME on AS once and don’t think I had to get off and back on.

That's actually been going on for decades.

Looking at the AA website, I don't see any direct flights operating SFO-PHX-ORD. (Although, maybe I missed it.)

If you're basing the "direct" concept solely on the gate and not the flight number, that's not actually a direct flight. If it's two different flight numbers, I would bet a significant amount of cash that you will be required to deplane.

Yep, direct flights involve two flights that share the same flight number, not simply the same aircraft. Further, a direct flight can involve a change of aircraft (this is almost always the case for direct flights that involve both domestic and international segments).

Yea... I get the 'brush-off" from family when they boast about a "direct" fight that's actually nonstop and vice versa. It's been so long in my travels that I can't recall being on a true direct flight in ages... Even when I recall taking an SFO-LAX-SAN-LAX-SFO flight just to keep my account active years ago... I don't think it was "direct" flights. But I could be entirely wrong... In fact, it's been so long that I can't recall requiring being required to get off a plane only to board it again to continue to the next stop. Yea... guess I'm just that old... LOL

To the best of my knowledge, these days, there aren't really that many "direct" flights in the traditional sense, with one or more stops at hubs while keping the same flight number (like LGA-DFW-SFO or something like that). That concept of the "direct/through" flight seems to have gone away in the past decade or so. (Incidentally, I remember we used to complain on this forum back in the early 2000s that if you happened to book your ticket as a "direct" flight such as LGA-DFW-SFO with a single ticket number, you would earn miles as if it were a nonstop LGA-SFO instead of for each segment.)

Nowadays, each unique flight segment has its own number. So you could still book LGA-DFW-SFO, but LGA-DFW would be one flight number, and DFW-SFO would be another. I suspect it is because everyone has to deplane after a flight anyway for aircraft cleaning/catering/security checks. Even if, by chance, one's connecting flight happened to be operated on the same equipment as the inbound flight to the hub (which is highly unlikely at a massive station such as DFW), you could not remain on board in between segments like in the old days.

The one exception to what I wrote about is rather interesting. AA has started using the same flight numbers for quick turns to smaller outstations, such as in the Caribbean (and possibly Midwest too), where an aircraft goes out and back on the same day. (MIA-BGI-MIA is all the same flight number, MIA-AUA-MIA, etc.)

CLT-RDU-CLT also has the same flight number on some rotations.

It's not just short-hauls.

AA1585 flies PHL-LAS-PHL. AA 1551 flies MIA-LAS-MIA. AA315 flies MIA-PHL-MIA.

The practical effect is zero. If you were on a flight with a single number that went, say, CLT-GSP-RDU, you would probably not get the 500-mile minimum for each segment. Years ago, before the advent of loyalty programs, I would frequently fly from DCA to BUF with a stop in SYR or ROC, and not even get off the plane. That was on Allegheny Airlines, which tells you how long ago it was.

I am pretty sure OP is talking about AAA-BBB-CCC. AAA-BBB-AAA with the same flight number is very common (not just on AA) - merely a B2B (back-to-back) with the same flight number.

On the flight crediting on direct flights (AAA-BBB-CCC), not non-stops, depending on the program, you may only get credit for AAA-CCC if you are flying the entire way.

OP, AA will deplane passengers at PHX.

If we're going to be pedantic, I would note that all nonstops are direct, but not all direct flights are nonstop. Agree that AA (along with UA and DL) seem to have very few direct flights with a stop, so much so that many people use the terms synonymously. However, WN still runs direct flights with stops regularly - they are modestly better than a connecting flight for a few reasons (don't have to deplane, short connection that you can't miss, etc).

UA operates the Island Hopper, UA 154, which flies HNL-MAJ-KWA-KSA-PNI-TKK-GUM (UA 155 is the return).

DL also recently scrapped their plan to fly JHB-CPT-ATL as a direct flight.

Not aware of any direct with a stop flights on AA, although you'd think they'd be of some use for routes to/from DCA and LGA given the perimeter restrictions.

I don't think this can be considered a direct flight because AA will not let you book it on the same itinerary.

AFAIK I don't think there's any more "direct flights." I remember back in the day AA had a few direct flights out on LGA on Saturdays. I remember a LGA/ORD/SNA flight where I stayed on the a/c at ORD in F. The lead FA was complaining because at that time FAs were required to take over some of the cleaning duties.

Southwest has some of those, I was once on a BOS-MDW flight and they said those continuing on to Dallas Love could stay onboard. They announced the flight as "Southwest 1234 from BOS to MDW with continuing service to DAL"

I remember as a kid going on family vacation to FL, we would take ATA from MDW to RSW with a stop in St Petersburg FL where we could stay onboard the B727 or go into the terminal for a bit. Very Pre-9/11...

The last direct flight on AA that I'm familiar with ended a year or so ago when the EAS contracts for MEI and PIB transferred from AA to UA. Previously, AA flew DFW-PIB-MEI-ORD as a direct flight (and I think the same thing back). I know for sure that you didn't have to get off the plane when I did it in December 2018.

Yes, they do seem pretty rare these days. About the only legacy (UA/AA/DL) ones I can find right now are DL and UA flights to/from PVG which currently have stops in ICN to avoid China quarantine requirements. Flights which have same flight number for outbound and return are not really direct flights. You will earn mileage credit in both directions on these, while direct flights earn mileage based on great circle distance and only count as one segment credit. They are also taxed like a single segment.