Does more stops equal less money (airfare costs)?

Question

Does more stops equal less money (airfare costs)?

Answer 1

As a *very* general rule, yes.  So do early morning and Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday flights.   But remember, too that time is money.  The cheapest flight is not always the best-- I learned this the hard way.

I used to have to regularly fly from IND to RSW to visit my parents.  A typical fare on Airtran runs about $220.  One time, I found a ticket for $90 on Priceline. Sounds great, right?  Why pay over twice that?

Simply put, time.  The Airtran flights are either direct or 1 stop, and take from 2.5 to 4 hours one way.  The Price line flight left ridiculously early in the morning, bounced me through 2 airports, and took about 7 hours.  The difference? At least 3 hours I could've spent with my parents instead of on a cramped plane or waiting at an airport.

So yes, while more stops may be cheaper in a purely monetary view, don't underestimate the value of your time.  Do you really want to lose a whole day of your vacation to save $100????

Answer 2

Stopover flight is always cheaper than direct flight, there are no taxes required if you transit less than 24 hours at an airport. Stopover flight normally makes your journey longer than direct flight. There are risk in stopover journey as if your flight is delayed and can't connect to your next flight, although the airline will rebook you on the next AVAILABLE flight but that will delay your journey even more.

Stopover flight becomes more expensive than direct flight is when you wish to stay at your transit point for a few days before continuing towards your final destination, and thats when taxes and surcharges kicks in.

Answer 3

Not necessarily. More stops can sometimes cost more money.

If an airline charges $350 between two cities, it is normally for all flights. They don't usually have one fare for nonstops and another for connections or multi-stop flights. I have seen exceptions to this, but it is very unusual.

Why can more stops cost more money? Many airports charge a fee or tax for each departure. If you take a nonstop flight, you pay only once. If you have a connection, you may have to pay twice - once at each airport that you depart from.

Answer 4

Generally speaking: yes.  BUT,  there are always excpetions and you will be charged more taxes the more stops you make.

Answer 5

Depends whether you are talking domestic or international.

The most expensive part of the flight is getting that "big bird" into the air.  Once up, planes are reasonably economical on av-gas; but the takeoffs consume a huge amount of fuel.  So the more stops can (in fact) end-up costing you  more (airfare-wise).  Therefore the price of a ticket depends on the route and how the airline calculates their airfares.