Do Nonstop Flights Cost More?

What the data shows

On 40 percent of routes the nonstop was more than 10 percent cheaper than the best connection, and on another 24 percent the two were within 10 percent of each other. Only 36 percent of routes showed a real nonstop premium, and where it existed the median was 31 percent. Where the nonstop was cheaper, the median saving was 26 percent, before counting the meal, the hotel night, or the missed connection that a layover can add.

Why: on competitive routes, the carriers that fly nonstop price to fill the plane, and connecting itineraries on other carriers are priced off two segments, each with its own floor. The premium survives mainly where one airline holds the only nonstop, which is why the city table below varies so much.

Method: for each route we keep the lowest recorded fares from cached search data with their number of stops. Routes are included only when at least two nonstop and two connecting fares were recorded in the same period, so a single odd quote cannot decide a route; we compare the cheapest of each. Fares are recorded lows rather than live quotes, and a route with only nonstop fares or only connecting fares on record is excluded rather than guessed.