Op here! Thanks for all the replies. The 45 minute layover would be in Puerto Rico! Many brought up a great point about missing the connection and getting stuck. I was thinking a super short layover was a benefit but now i see how easily we could miss it. I still haven’t made a decision, but I used United’s farelock option to hold the crazy expensive non-stops. Thanks for your advice!

If the direct flight is long, I don't mind a connection as much because it feels good to get off the plane and stretch my legs. Depending on the kids, it may benefit them to run around a bit after a few hours on a plane.

Can you switch your destination? Off hand, I know Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and St Thomas have non stops from the DC area airports. I think of the Caribbean as fairly interchangeable, so I would not pay an extra $1200 or suffer through a connection when I am not that particular about the island.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nope non stop only.

Same. So much so that I’ll change destinations or travel dates to avoid a stop. Getting on and off of flights is the most stressful part, so I’ll pay to avoid doing it more than once. And dealing with customs during a layover on the way home from an international trip is miserable.

Ditto! I travel a LOT! Time is $$$. Non-stop only. Too many flights are delayed or cancelled.

For long haul international travel my tolerance for paying more goes up. For the trip you are describing I would not spend the money. Recently I had to decide between direct non-stop and one stop for a flight to Western Europe (non-major city so only one direct non-stop on one airline). It was $800 vs $1600 per ticket. I saved the $2400 and connected through CDG (which I HATE) and the $2700 covers my share of the swanky house on the coast with a pool for 6 days. For me that was well worth the PITA of having to connect.

I think for me my preference is about 75% time saved and 25% annoyance/potential for problems.

If I am going to lose a half day at my destination and get home at midnight instead of 6 pm I will pay a few hundred bucks.

If the connections are good (but not too good) so the schedules work for me I’m happy to try and save a few bucks, so I’d probably take OP’s connecting flight.

Traveling to Europe sometimes we’ll turn a connection into a layover of 2-3 days.

Depends how much flexibility I have on timing or what would happen if I got stuck at the layover location.

Pre-kids? $50 a ticket
Now? $400 a ticket

I would take the price for the direct and see if I could get four tickets in business or first with a layover for the same price.

I hate flying coach.

Thanks — I thought someone here would know!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

Yes you can generally request a refund and cancel the flight in the case of a significant schedule change- generally time shift of more than 90-120 minutes on takeoff or landing, or certainly a switch from non-stop to a connection.

But no if you want to keep the revised schedule, there is no partial refund unless you are downgraded from say business to economy.

Anonymous wrote:

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?

Yes you can generally request a refund and cancel the flight in the case of a significant schedule change- generally time shift of more than 90-120 minutes on takeoff or landing, or certainly a switch from non-stop to a connection.