When connections DON'T work (Why fly direct when you can connect)?

[erkpod]

A mantra that I soon learnt here at AFF is the expression "Why go direct when you can connect", especially when it comes to building status. So instead of going (for example) SYD - PER, you might go SYD - MEL - PER.


But when doesn't that work for you - especially in terms of travel time?


I was just looking at some VA fares SYD - LAX. One suggested routing was SYD - PER - MEL - LAX. Basically, you'd go SYD - PER in the afternoon, fly back to MEL on the red eye & then fly over to LAX.


Another example I was looking at was in America going from PDX to MIA. The routing I have decided on was PDX - ATL - MIA. There was one suggestion that was in my eyes simply too long: PDX - ATL - LGA - MIA. Great for a mileage/status run maybe but at what cost when it comes to time?

 

[CaviAck]

A mantra that I soon learnt here at AFF is the expression "Why go direct when you can connect", especially when it comes to building status. So instead of going (for example) SYD - PER, you might go SYD - MEL - PER.


But when doesn't that work for you - especially in terms of travel time?


I was just looking at some VA fares SYD - LAX. One suggested routing was SYD - PER - MEL - LAX. Basically, you'd go SYD - PER in the afternoon, fly back to MEL on the red eye & then fly over to LAX.


Another example I was looking at was in America going from PDX to MIA. The routing I have decided on was PDX - ATL - MIA. There was one suggestion that was in my eyes simply too long: PDX - ATL - LGA - MIA. Great for a mileage/status run maybe but at what cost when it comes to time?

Recently did ANC-DFW-LGA-YYZ to try and get my dad within reach of QFF PS. If I'm travelling with the family, never again. ANC-DFW-YYZ was the bare minimum but ANC-DFW-LGA-YYZ was about $10 cheaper and added only about 75-90mins to the travel time but at the cost of flying on a CRJ and my mother's complaining after boarding the aircraft. Never doing a leg on any of these small jets with the family again. Connecting just isn't worth the pain to my ears.

 

[samh004]

If you need to be somewhere, either leave earlier or fly direct. But if you have time up your sleeve and need the SC, there's nothing wrong with taking the indirect route. If it all goes to hell, at least there's original routing credit to get the SC you booked, but might not have flown.

 

[bass_ke]

I've seen the website throw out MEL - CHC - BNE - LAX as well, only time I've seen it out in a 3rd country as a transit stop!

 

[docjames]

I'm sorry, I don't understand the problem with SYD-PER-MEL-LAX?

(Insert smiley but I don't know how to do that from the AFF app).

 

[Boris spatsky]

I've seen the website throw out MEL - CHC - BNE - LAX as well, only time I've seen it out in a 3rd country as a transit stop!

Yep, i found a J fare this year on NZ/VA CBR-MEL-AKL-SYD-LAX that was cheaper than CBR-SYD-LAX or CBR-MEL-AKL-LAX. Didn't have the time to fly it unfortunately

 

[erkpod]

Everyone's situation's different & how much time they can spend is different, too.

To use the American example I used (PDX - ATL - MIA vs PDX - ATL - LGA - MIA), I'd be more willing to do the latter if I needed to do a status run & I was HLO. But when I'm doing it for real on holiday, I won't be HLO & it's going to be a long enough day without adding the sectors via LGA.

Besides, I'm doing the trip in the American winter so if I can avoid LGA/JFK if I don't need to fly there, the better it is for me.