For me a direct flight is always a non-stop flight, so yes I do use the terms interchangeably.
On Mon, Aug 6, 2012 at 11:12 AM, Barry Leiba <[email protected]>wrote: > I've discussed this with many people, including many who fly a lot, and I > find it's often misunderstood. I've seen it again in the current travel > threads on this list. So: > > A "direct flight" is not the same as a "non-stop flight". If you're > talking about a flight that goes from airport ABC to airport QRS, making no > stops along the way, it's a non-stop flight from ABC to QRS. > > A "direct flight" from ABC to QRS, is a flight that has one flight > number... but that flight might make stops, and could even involve a change > of planes. It's possible for flight ZX 1042 to be "direct from Podunk to > Shanghai", and to have it be a puddle-jumper from Podunk to Chicago, have > you change to a 757 there, go on to SFO to pick up more passengers, and > then continue to Shanghai. As long as it's ZX 1042 all the way, that > flight with two stops is "direct". > > All non-stop flights are direct flights. > Not all direct flights are non-stop. > > And, yes, even travel agents and airline booking personnel sometimes use > these terms interchangably. If you're offered a direct flight, make sure > to confirm whether it's "non-stop". > > Barry >
