It’s a mistake travelers make all the time. They book a direct flight between two cities.

It sounds like they’ve done the right thing. After all, they’ve booked a single flight number on a plane going between points A and B. Now, here’s the mistake.

They think “direct” means nonstop, and it doesn’t.

It means that while the flight number itself doesn’t change, the plane will be stopping en route. Translation: your flight will inevitably be longer.

And then there’s a greater chance of a weather or equipment delay.

There’s some good news. In most cases, you’ll stay on the same plane throughout the journey.

But a nonstop flight means exactly that. It’s nonstop, a single flight that flies, without any scheduled stops, between points A and B. A simple, but important distinction, and I’ll choose nonstop over direct any day of the week.