Jun 29, 2017, 2:01 pm
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?
Direct flights -- Why? What about Mileage Credit?
Apr 29, 2013, 7:58 am
#2
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: UA 1K, Hertz 5*, Emerald Executive, SPG Gold
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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."
Apr 29, 2013, 8:37 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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the same way southwest does. when i was doing SDC yesterday, .bomb was trying to offer me a two stop direct flight from xxx to yyy. no thanks.
Apr 29, 2013, 10:17 am
#4
Join Date: May 2005
Location: various cities in the USofA: NYC, BWI, IAH, ORD, CVG, NYC
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The Island Hopper is a direct flight between HNL and GUM with only 5 stops on the way.
I thought that WN's "direct" flights are generally on the same aircraft (i.e. no change of gauge).
I thought that WN's "direct" flights are generally on the same aircraft (i.e. no change of gauge).
Apr 29, 2013, 10:19 am
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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(and yes, I know they have different variants of 737's)
Apr 29, 2013, 10:35 am
#6
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Rio de Janeiro, Miami, Nice
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A Direct flight is sold as a single segment between origin and destination, despite changes of airplane(s), types or anything else. That can be important. On award travel DL LGA-GIG will count as one leg although you'll be on a 752 out of LGA and a 764 out of ATL. Normally that does work to consumer benefit but sometimes they do refuse that too.
There are a good number of long multisegement direct flights too, mostly holdovers from long-gone days (PanAm had flights #1 and #2, this is flight #1 itinerary from 1970's LAX-SFO-HND-HKG-BKK-DEL-KHI-(BEY or THR)-IST-FRA-LHR-JFK-PHL. Nobody since then has gone quite that far with direct flights. This one had no change of gauge, 747 throughout. UA ran #1 and #2 for some years with altered routing and downguaged equipment following their purchase of PanAm routes.
Apr 29, 2013, 10:42 am
#7
Join Date: Jan 2011
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And you have to be pretty careful, because sometimes the SDC options for "direct flights" don't even show that there are plane changes, so one could select it thinking that it is a non-stop but end up having to switch multiple times just because United can't figure out how to use new numbers.
Apr 29, 2013, 10:43 am
#8
Join Date: Dec 2010
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I thought that WN's "direct" flights are generally on the same aircraft (i.e. no change of gauge).
The last time I will fly WN again..
Apr 29, 2013, 10:54 am
#9
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,353
Side story -- one of our favorite family trips was a WN one-stop flight PIT-MDW-SMF. We landed at MDW early, and had a relaxing 45 minutes chatting with the FAs and the pilot on the mostly empty plane. The pilot invited my young kids to sit in the cockpit, which they loved. My son and I then decided to get off to go walk around the terminal a bit, and the GA took our names and old us to just be back 5 minutes before boarding would start, and she whisked us back on the plane first, no muss no fuss. Don't always like extra stops, but this time it was great.
Apr 29, 2013, 11:15 am
#10
Join Date: Jan 2008
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Direct- same flight number
Non-stop= without stops
Those are two definitions that have been clear and unambiguous since the 1950's. It is only during the last few years that people have been confused.
The larger the network the more direct flights they usually have. The more small airports served from a single large one, the more direct flights they will usually have.
Apr 29, 2013, 11:27 am
#11
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: gggrrrovvveee (ORD)
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It is not dishonest.
Direct- same flight number
Non-stop= without stops
Those are two definitions that have been clear and unambiguous since the 1950's. It is only during the last few years that people have been confused.
The larger the network the more direct flights they usually have. The more small airports served from a single large one, the more direct flights they will usually have.
Direct- same flight number
Non-stop= without stops
Those are two definitions that have been clear and unambiguous since the 1950's. It is only during the last few years that people have been confused.
The larger the network the more direct flights they usually have. The more small airports served from a single large one, the more direct flights they will usually have.
Apr 29, 2013, 12:01 pm
#12
Join Date: May 2001
Location: exUA1K, UA MM, lifetime UA1P, AA MM, HH Diamond, Marriott Gold
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I recall that the term "direct" was a carryover from the railroads. A direct routing may stop at numerous places enroute.
the airlines added that a plane change was also allowed on the same flight number. grrrrrrr
Sadly, many people think that direct = non-stop.
the airlines added that a plane change was also allowed on the same flight number. grrrrrrr
Sadly, many people think that direct = non-stop.
Apr 29, 2013, 1:13 pm
#13
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,353
It is not dishonest.
Direct- same flight number
Non-stop= without stops
Those are two definitions that have been clear and unambiguous since the 1950's. It is only during the last few years that people have been confused.
The larger the network the more direct flights they usually have. The more small airports served from a single large one, the more direct flights they will usually have.
Direct- same flight number
Non-stop= without stops
Those are two definitions that have been clear and unambiguous since the 1950's. It is only during the last few years that people have been confused.
The larger the network the more direct flights they usually have. The more small airports served from a single large one, the more direct flights they will usually have.
There's no functional benefit to the passenger for such a plane-changing "direct" flight over a connecting flight -- you have to get off one plane and find a different gate, wait in line to board again, the onward flight can (and often does) leave earlier than the inbound causing the same misconnects. In most cases, there are drawbacks for the passenger over a connecting itinerary -- counts as only one segment and miles may be shortchanged as AAA-CCC vs AAA-BBB-CCC, sometimes upgrades and seats are harder to deal with.
The airline benefits by faking search engines into showing the flight first; that's really all.
Apr 29, 2013, 1:17 pm
#14
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 8,634
This brings up the eternal question, to which I've been seeking the answer: if you were to further SDC in the middle of that "direct" flight, to a flight with a different flight number, what mileage credit would you get?