Last edit by: WineCountryUA
'Direct' flights are not the same as non-stop flights.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_flight
"A direct flight in the aviation industry is any flight between two points by an airline with no change in flight numbers, which may include a stop over at an intermediate point."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_flight
"A direct flight in the aviation industry is any flight between two points by an airline with no change in flight numbers, which may include a stop over at an intermediate point."
Direct flight -- a flight booked as a flight between two airports BUT will involve a scheduled connection (landing/departure) at another airport. The same plane may or may not be used for each segment of the flight. {On UA, generally does not involve the same aircraft and may use a different type of airplane}
Why done
- So that the direct flight shows as a competitive option vs non-stops in third party online booking sites.
- Conservation of flight numbers, due to shortage of 4-digit flight numbers, this allows for more flights without using more flight numbers
With the change from credit being based on fare and not flight miles, there is no difference in earning method from direct flight vs non-stop
On PQFs, each segment counts as 1 PQF -- this is a change from how PQS was done
There can be seat assignment issues on direct flights especially if aircraft type is different.
Upgrades will not clear on direct flights in advance unless upgrade space is available on both flights. Gate upgrades will process based on the individual flights.
Related thread
Direct Flight Seat Selection Bug?
Selecting Seats/Upgrade Issues on Second Leg of "Direct" Flight Itinerary
Solution for seat assignment missing on direct flight
Upgrade Individual Flights on direct flight
Direct flights -- Why? What about Mileage Credit?
#16
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#17
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My co worker was on that flight and because the inbound BOS-ORD flight was delayed so much, they put everyone on a new plane and he got stranded in ORD without a flight.
#18
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Flight 4059 - IAD-AOO is one of those "direct" flights operated by United Express (Silver Airways) with a stop between at JST (15 minute stop, same aircraft; a Saab 340)
#19
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UA is running low on flight numbers, so they're using them to build rather unusual direct flights. Overheard at Fort Lauderdale: "Welcome to flight 1241 with service to Newark and ongoing service to Tampa." Perhaps this could have been an opportunity for a mini MR...
#20
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IIRC With direct flights you get the same mileage credit as the non-stop not the sum of the two segments. So in your example even if someone took 1241 from FLL to EWR and on to TPA they would only get the FLL-TPA credit.
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#22
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I've posted about this opportunity, but no one seems to be as much of a fare nerd as I am. There was one earlier this year that went JFK-LAX-EWR or something like that. If it's possible to SDC at the intermediate point, and if the SDC accomplishes the goal of obtaining full mileage, then they're great MR opportunities.
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#24
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I think the point was that on WN at least direct means "same plane", so you can stay onboard and generally won't miss a connection (though that's not guaranteed) -- other airlines (like UA) use the same flight number even when you must exit and connect to a completely different plane, which IMHO is just dishonest...
I understand the frustration people find with the terminology. I am not trying to defend the use either, but only point out that as was said upthread, the practice predates airplanes when it was used in railroads.
Thus, it seems a bit harsh to me to call that dishonest just because many people have forgotten what the words mean if they ever knew. It is sad that many airline employees and travel agents now don't know the difference themselves.
It would be easier if the two words could continue to be used in their original meanings. It seems useful to me to have the distinction, not least because of sector counts and direct vs segment mileage credit. For taht reason I rarely book direct flights when I can book connecting non-stops instead. Only if the direct is cheaper do I consider it.
Last edited by iluv2fly; Jul 2, 2013 at 11:18 am Reason: merge
#25
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I suspect not. The passenger car might have been coupled to another or additional locomotive.
It has been decades since on a direct flight I was able to stay on board during a scheduled stop. It has been years since on a direct flight I reboarded the same plane after a scheduled stop.
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#27
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In passenger rail, did direct trains ever entail pax changing to a different physical train? Or leaving their passenger car to reboard the same passenger car?
I suspect not. The passenger car might have been coupled to another or additional locomotive.
It has been decades since on a direct flight I was able to stay on board during a scheduled stop. It has been years since on a direct flight I reboarded the same plane after a scheduled stop.
I suspect not. The passenger car might have been coupled to another or additional locomotive.
It has been decades since on a direct flight I was able to stay on board during a scheduled stop. It has been years since on a direct flight I reboarded the same plane after a scheduled stop.
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I hope someone can answer this question definitively. I know in some cases it did happen, involving "change of gauge", hence the term. I do not know but I suspect that was fairly rare except when crossing national borders with different gauges. Now I am curious, so I will try to research it unless someone does know the correct answer.
#29
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I think in theory it does -- as intended in the schedule at least. There may be operational reasons to swap planes around; the one time that happened on a flight I was on (a few years ago, was boarding at the intermediate point), they announced that they were delaying boarding even though our plane was there, and when the inbound arrived, those through passengers would be allowed to board first, which seemed fair.
I know there are cases where a real same-plane direct flight has to be changed, sometimes with the outbound leaving before the inbound arrives, but I still call it dishonest to schedule it that way in the first place, making it no better than any other separate-flight connection (and sometimes worse, depending on mileage earning, upgrade ability, etc).
I know there are cases where a real same-plane direct flight has to be changed, sometimes with the outbound leaving before the inbound arrives, but I still call it dishonest to schedule it that way in the first place, making it no better than any other separate-flight connection (and sometimes worse, depending on mileage earning, upgrade ability, etc).
#30
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I hope someone can answer this question definitively. I know in some cases it did happen, involving "change of gauge", hence the term. I do not know but I suspect that was fairly rare except when crossing national borders with different gauges. Now I am curious, so I will try to research it unless someone does know the correct answer.