At Scott Dunn we champion travel of all types and if taking an indirect flight via another destination opens more options for you the traveller, then we are all for it. With the cost of flights at an all-time high, we are great advocates for reaping the benefits of flying indirect to your destination or including an exciting stopover in your trip. 

Of course, in some circumstances it is necessary and more convenient to fly direct but there are so many reasons why an indirect flight can be the better option. From breaking up the journey, this can be especially beneficial when travelling with children, the added bonus of visiting another country (within the same budget), reaping the service on premium airlines and of course the money it can save you.

We have dived deeper into the advantages of taking an indirect flight. Here are a few reasons why we think taking an indirect route can enhance your trip as well as save you money – surely flying via a destination is a win win situation?

‘You can get really creative and make the absolute most of your holiday’ James Robertson, Head of Product, Single Centre

1. Adding a bonus stop to your trip

It opens the opportunity to see another country on the way to your final stop, giving you scope to turn your trip into a twin centre holiday on the same budget, ticking off another country from your ‘must visit’ list. Why not explore Istanbul on your way to the Maldives, take a break in Paris before heading to Asia or combine Dubai with Mauritius or Abu Dhabi with the Seychelles? When you start to explore this idea, there are so many options out there, letting you enhance your trip by visiting two destinations instead of just the one.

2. A very welcome break for everyone, especially when travelling with children….

Long flights can be very tedious, it can bring boredom and restlessness, so getting the chance to break the journey up could be a very good idea for everyone involved!  Whether you are just having a change over at an airport or staying for a couple of nights, you can really turn this into your advantage.

• Time to stretch your legs and break up the monotony of the flight – the Middle East airports all have good play areas for kids to release some of that energy.
• Break the boredom – Changing flights can ease the boredom when you are flying long haul, giving a change of scene and letting the children take in what is going on as you make the transition.
• Kiddie friendly airlines – Picking up a Middle Eastern airline at your stopover brings with it many family-friendly benefits. Offering superb in-flight entertainment and most will offer specialist kids meals and activity packs.

Below is our Head of Product, Jim and his daughter, enjoying a stopover in Abu Dhabi on his family trip back from the Maldives!

3. Reap the benefits of flying with a premium airline

Transitioning at a middle eastern airport is one of the most convenient stopovers if you’re heading to the Indian Ocean, Asia or Australasia. Changing flights during your trip to a premium airline can bring many advantages of its own. They offer great in-flight entertainment for all ages, fantastic service and facilities and most will offer specialist children’s meals and activity packs. The cabin experience in Qatar’s Qsuite is particularly spectacular, allowing a family to sit together at the front of the plane in a pod of four. A stunning and pretty much unrivalled option, you could pick this up from Dubai or Singapore on your way to the Indian Ocean for example.

4. The savings can be massive if you take an indirect flight

The other significant and overarching highlight of flying via somewhere is the difference in cost, making an indirect flight cheaper by quite a margin, giving you more for your budget.

Inevitably flying via somewhere will save you a great percentage on your fare per person. At the time of writing this article it was showing (for peak travel dates at Easter) Emirates flights from London Gatwick to Mauritius via Dubai at around £600 cheaper per person. Air France flights to Mauritius via Paris, at around £300 cheaper person than the equivalent direct flight to Mauritius, and only adding on about 90 minutes to your journey.  Turkish Airlines Business Class flights to Singapore via Istanbul are coming in around £3000 cheaper per person than taking a direct Business Class flight with Singapore Airlines.

5. Regional flight options

For those of you living a fair distance away from the main London airports flying from Manchester, Birmingham or Edinburgh for example would save you the long drive to London and gives you many more indirect route options to your final destination, saving you possibly both time and money.

So, when you are next faced with the different flight options for your holiday, maybe you will not be so quick to dismiss the indirect option, as actually there are many benefits to flying via…