Why Your Next Flight Should Have a Stop
The travel industry has trained you to want direct flights. Airlines charge more for them. You're paying a premium to miss a city. Here's when the math flips.
The price gap
On competitive long-haul routes, flights with a connection average $200-400 cheaper than direct. That gap has increased as airlines have consolidated. New York to Bangkok direct is rare and expensive. Via Istanbul or Doha? Half the price.
The false time argument
Most people compare flight time, not total trip time. A 'direct' flight from NYC to BKK takes 20 hours. A connection via IST adds 3 hours of flight time but gives you a day in Istanbul — a city worth visiting — with no additional hotel nights if you plan it right.
Visa math
Over 90% of connections through major hubs (DXB, SIN, IST, AMS, CDG) are visa-free for US and EU passports. The barrier is lower than people think.
The LayoverScore
We built LayoverScore to answer the question: is this stop worth making? It weighs airport quality, transit time to the city, visa access, and what there is to do. High-scoring cities reward the detour. Low-scoring ones don't. Filter accordingly.