Direct flight vs Non-stop flight – what’s the difference?

Did you know that a direct flight and a non-stop flight isn’t actually the same thing? Here we help you figure out some important differences between the two.

Direct vs non-stop flights

The aviation industry can be a bit confusing sometimes – no matter if you are a frequent flier or if it’s your first time stepping on a plane. One common misconception is the definition of a direct versus a non-stop flight. The terms do sound like the same thing, which unfortunately isn’t the case.

What is a non-stop flight?

A non-stop flight is exactly what it sounds like – you fly from one airport to another without touching the ground once during the route. The majority of the flights you find when you look for tickets are actually non-stop flights.

What is a direct flight?

The term “direct flight” was initially defined as a flight between two major destinations. This did not mean the airline didn’t touch the ground during the route – it was very common that it did.

Normally the stops on a direct flight don’t involve you having to get off the plane – you stay in your seat. A direct flight still has just one flight number and one boarding pass, but it usually takes longer than a non-stop option.

Which is the longest non-stop flight in the world?

These days more and more long haul, or ultra-long haul, routes are offered as non-stop flights. The longest non-stop flight in the world right now is between Singapore (SIN) and New York (JFK) and takes almost 19 hours.

Option number three – connecting flights

If you don’t mind extra travel time or a stopover, you can choose connecting flights. You leave the aircraft, board another one, and your flight number changes. You’ll have separate boarding passes for each segment.

On Fly-TLV.com we focus on direct and non-stop flights from Tel Aviv. If you want to search for connecting flights, try Skyscanner, another site we built for this purpose.