Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$1250 difference? And the connection is easy? I'm saving money and taking the stop.

+1, this is me pretty much always. If a layover is cheaper, I generally will choose that option over a more expensive nonstop, unless the layover is really long or it’s 2 stops or something like that. If it’s a short and easy layover I would pay maybe $25/person more for the nonstop but that’s it.

Me three.

I have always wondered: if you do pay extra for that nonstop, and the schedule changes for whatever reason so that you are forced to take a connecting flight after all, do you get any kind of refund for having paid that premium?

Anonymous wrote:$1250 difference? And the connection is easy? I'm saving money and taking the stop.

+1, this is me pretty much always. If a layover is cheaper, I generally will choose that option over a more expensive nonstop, unless the layover is really long or it’s 2 stops or something like that. If it’s a short and easy layover I would pay maybe $25/person more for the nonstop but that’s it.

Anonymous wrote:Wow. You are all terrible at traveling and teaching your kids ti be the same. Snowflakes stay home I guess.

No, it's fine! All these people refusing to take any connections are leaving the deals open for myself...I will take the flight with the connection (within reason) and save a ton of money and be able to travel more! Fine with me!

If a chance I miss connection on a short layover, if I'm flying more than 4 hrs and if the cost pp is less than about $500, I'm gonna choose direct. Double so if I'm checking bags - which we never do though. I guess it depends on how much you want to enjoy your holiday. Yours is tough cause $400 pp extra is just borderline where it really is a serious consideration to suck it up. Flying to the islands, I guess going direct makes a happier beginning. I mean it's SO much already you know? That peace of mind going direct you just never know what potential bad luck happens on 2nd flight.

Anonymous wrote:Wow. You are all terrible at traveling and teaching your kids ti be the same. Snowflakes stay home I guess.

Hilarious how the “grit and resilience” shtick gets trotted out for any old thing.

How will my children ever make it in the real world if they haven’t been forced to connect through O’Hare?

I’m not a snowflake I just want to get to where I’m going as quick as possible. I don’t want to be sitting around an airport or schlepping between gates/terminals when I can be already sitting at the beach with a drink in my hand. Like someone else said, time is money.

Anonymous wrote:With the way air travel gets completely mucked up with the slightest weather issue, I am going for direct. Now, we don't fly as a family a ton. But making our travel days terrible, isn't a great way to start or end a vacation. Some families roll with it and it's fine. We may be there one day, but not yet.

I don't even compare with 1 stop flights so those don't come into my calculus. The direct flight IS the price of going somewhere to me. But again, we are maybe taking 1-2 plane trips a year.

Our family often flies 6 times a year (a couple of those are to see family). We often do connections. A direct flight isn't the only thing we consider - also think about which airport and the flight times. We might take a connection of the direct flight was at a horrible time and at BWI for example (since we are in NOVA).

Wow. You are all terrible at traveling and teaching your kids ti be the same. Snowflakes stay home I guess.

Anonymous wrote:For those of you who avoid connections, what do you do about places that require it, like Alaska or Kauai? Do you just not go? There are so many places with no direct flights from DC.

I avoid connections, but obviously if it was the only way to travel to a location I needed/wanted to go, I'd do it.

With the way air travel gets completely mucked up with the slightest weather issue, I am going for direct. Now, we don't fly as a family a ton. But making our travel days terrible, isn't a great way to start or end a vacation. Some families roll with it and it's fine. We may be there one day, but not yet.

I don't even compare with 1 stop flights so those don't come into my calculus. The direct flight IS the price of going somewhere to me. But again, we are maybe taking 1-2 plane trips a year.

Anonymous wrote:I keep getting screwed by paying more for nonstop and then the airline changes the ticket and adds a stop. It’s infuriating.

What airline(s)?

Anonymous wrote:For those of you who avoid connections, what do you do about places that require it, like Alaska or Kauai? Do you just not go? There are so many places with no direct flights from DC.

Yes. There are so many places with direct flights from DC that I’ve yet to run out of fun travel options.

I jsut paid $1200 more for the non-stop flight to Amsterdam vs a connection, but it's for work and I'm only there 3 days for meetings. No time to risk a missed connection due to weather, strikes, etc.

When I do have to connect (some destinations there's no choice), I leave longer connetcino time if it's the snow or thunderstorm season. Those can cause entire airport ground stops for an hour.

I pretty much only do nonstop if there is the option, regardless of cost. Obviously not if it’s thousands extra but for our family we will prioritize the convenience. For some places it’s unavoidable.

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes short layovers are stressful if the first flight is delyed.

+1, I do at least two hours.