I thought we had a "direct flight" ???
By reinydawn
@reinydawn (11642)
United States
September 1, 2008 9:27am CST
I guess "direct flight" doesn't mean what I thought it did. I thought it meant that you got on the plane and the next stop was where you were planning on going. Well, we had 2 "direct flights" on our trip this past month. The first one was from BWI to Las Vegas. Well, we were scheduled to stop in St. Louis to let some people off and pick up some others. I was kinda confused because when I got the flight it didn't say anything about a stop before we got to Las Vegas. Then on the way home, we did that again fron Las Vegas to BWI, we stopped in Phoenix to let people off and more on. I think that's somewhat confusing and they should tell you that it's not a "direct flight" when in fact you are going to stop at a different city.
I guess I thought that if you didn't have a layover then you didn't stop in the middle. They shouldn't tell you that it's non-stop if you are going to stop. The airline must consider it a stop if you have to get off the plane and get on a new one. This was my first experience with this and it felt kinda strange not knowing if we had to keep landing and taking off to get more people or if we were just going to keep flying to our real stop.
1 person likes this
5 responses
@maximax8 (31042)
• United Kingdom
1 Sep 08
A non stop flight is exactly that it might go from New York to Rome without stopping. A direct flight will be on the same aircraft like it might fly from Los Angeles and stop off in Panama before it reaches Lima.
I flew from London to Mombasa and that was a non-stop flight. On the way home that flight refueled in Cairo so it was a direct flight. When I flew to the Seychelles I flew to Nairobi then changed planes there and then flew to Victoria. So that wasn't a direct flight because I had a change of aircraft.
I always check so I know exactly how long the flight will be. I like to take non-stop flights most of all. I wouldn't like to go on a flight like yours stopping off at different destinations. Some airlines are better than others at providing information. Perhaps next time you could look at the airline's website. It would say a flight number and list its destination or destinations.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (169585)
• United States
2 Sep 08
They may have been trying to hide it. I do not think they are always honest with you. Especially now as the competition for passengers is increasing. I think you would have seen it when you looked.
1 person likes this
@reinydawn (11642)
• United States
2 Sep 08
When I booked it and checked in online, it was still the same. It said non-stop and direct. I really felt like they were trying to hid it for some reason. Or maybe I just didn't read it right, but I think I would have caught that we were stopping one of the times I checked on it??? Of course I don't travel alot, so I might have just missed that, but I remember checking that so I'd know how long the flights were and what to expect.
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@teapotmommommerced (10359)
• United States
7 Sep 08
I have never head of that. I would have thought the same as you. How weird to sit on a plane in an airport and not get off. You just sat there while they let people off and new people on. strange. I am IMing my sister right now who works for American airlines. I asked her what direct flight means. She will answer our question.
MY SISTERS ANSWER:
A direct flight stops somewhere... a non stop meas... you don't stop. Our direct flight to MIA stops in DFW...
1 person likes this
@reinydawn (11642)
• United States
8 Sep 08
Hmmm... I wish they could clarify that on the reservation. Thanks for checking it out for me though. I guess we learn something new every day!
@teapotmommommerced (10359)
• United States
8 Sep 08
Yes we did learn something new. I will read carefully when booking my flights next time. If it says direct or non stop.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169585)
• United States
1 Sep 08
I have not flown in at least five years, maybe more. I guess you were expecting a non-stop direct flight. You instead had a direct flight, because you did not change planes, but it was not non stop, because obviously, you did stop. I think the rules keep changing, as well. At least you did not lose anything or have to disembark a lot.
@reinydawn (11642)
• United States
2 Sep 08
Well, we did loose at least an hour because our "direct" flight from Las Vegas to BWI had to stop in Phoenix to let people off and pick up others. No big deal normally, but the weather that delayed our plane from landing as Las Vegas and subsequently taking off, also delayed our landing in Phoenix. It was over a 3 hour delay all together, an hour of it being the weather that moved to Pheonix. Had we not needed to go there we could have just flown straight home.
I know they have to fill the planes and all that, but I just wish we'd have known that from the beginning. When I booked the flight it said it was straight through, and that never changed - even when I checked in. It's almost like they were hiding it from us for some stupid reason.
1 person likes this
@James72 (26790)
• Australia
1 Sep 08
I fly a lot for work and "direct flight" as far as I am concerned has always meant that there are no stopovers? Maybe for domestic purposes it means something different? But then again it doesn't make any sense to call it a direct flight if there is even the slightest layover on the way?? Hmm. Just because you don't actually have to get off the plane doesn;t really justify calling it direct! Not a very nice play on words really is it?
1 person likes this
@reinydawn (11642)
• United States
2 Sep 08
That's what I thought too, but I figured maybe it was just me, not knowing a whole lot about traveling and all. I've flown quite a bit, but I'm by no means an expert!
@casinocat (284)
• United States
7 Sep 08
So I guess technically "direct" just means you WILL get to your destination... eventually. LOL!
1 person likes this
@reinydawn (11642)
• United States
8 Sep 08
My definition and the airlines definition are not exactly the same. I still have a lot to learn about traveling!
