Search any long international route and you will see the same choice: a nonstop at one time of day, and a list of connections spread across the day with a wide range of fares. Nonstop is not always better and connecting is not always cheaper. Here is how to weigh the two so the trip you book is the trip you want.
Start with total travel time, door to door
The number that matters is not the flight time but the time between leaving home and arriving at your hotel. A nonstop that departs at an awkward hour may still win on total time; a connection with a well-placed layover may add only a couple of hours. Write down the departure and arrival times in local time, add your airport commutes at each end, and compare the totals rather than the fares alone.
What a layover really costs
- Risk. Every connection is a chance for a late inbound flight to break the trip. One ticket protects you; separate tickets do not (see the layover guide).
- Fatigue. Two takeoffs and landings, two boarding queues and a terminal walk add up, especially on an overnight itinerary.
- Baggage handling. More flights means more bag transfers. Bags are checked through on one ticket, but a US arrival still involves collecting them (see the baggage guide).
- Time. A connection adds anything from ninety minutes to most of a day. Whether that matters depends on what you would have done with the hours.
When a connection improves the trip
Connections are not just a compromise. They are the better choice when:
- The nonstop runs at the wrong time. Many nonstops from the US to Europe depart in the evening and arrive early in the morning. If you sleep badly on planes, a daytime routing with a change can be a better night.
- You want a better airline or cabin. The nonstop on a route may be one carrier's only option; a connection can put you on an airline whose long-haul product you prefer. Our business class cabin comparison is the place to check.
- You would like to see the hub city. Long layovers in Doha, Dubai, Istanbul, Lisbon or Reykjavik can include a stopover programme that turns one trip into two.
- There is no nonstop. On many US city pairs to secondary European or Asian cities, every option connects; the question is then where, not whether. Each Way4Fly route guide names the hubs travellers on that route use most.
When nonstop is worth paying for
- You are travelling with young children or anyone for whom a terminal transfer is hard.
- You have a fixed commitment on arrival — a meeting, a cruise, a wedding — where a missed connection would be costly in ways a fare never is.
- Weather at the connecting hub is unreliable in your season (northern hubs in winter, Gulf hubs during summer fog, hurricane-season hubs in the Caribbean and the US southeast).
- The trip is short. On a four-day trip, a half-day lost to a layover is a big slice of the holiday.
Examples from popular routes
Miami to Madrid has several nonstops and a strong set of one-stop options through other European hubs, so the decision usually comes down to timing and airline preference. Miami to Cairo, by contrast, has no nonstop, so the choice is between Gulf hubs and European hubs — different layover lengths, different arrival times, different airlines. New York to Tel Aviv has nonstop service, but travellers on a budget or seeking a particular airline often connect through Europe.
A five-question checklist
- What is the door-to-door time of each option, in local time at both ends?
- Is the connection on one ticket, and is the layover comfortably above the airport's minimum connection time?
- Would I rather arrive early morning after an overnight flight, or later in the day after a change?
- Does the connecting option put me on an airline or cabin I would prefer?
- If the connection failed, how much would that cost me — in time, money and stress?
Answer those five and the choice usually makes itself. If it does not, call the Way4Fly travel desk — the number is at the top of every page, 24/7 — and we will look at the options with you. To start from your home airport, browse flights by departure city.
