Modern airplanes are capable of covering astonishing distances, making some flights feel almost endless. Even domestic flights can seem lengthy, leaving passengers counting the minutes until landing. But beyond personal perception, what is a long-haul flight and how does it differ from a short-haul flight?
Regular flights fall into one of 5 broad types, with long-haul flights making up the last two. To establish what is considered a long-haul flight, we shall quickly go over the first three shorter travel types. Then, we’ll explore the defining features of a long-haul flight.
Short-Haul Flights
Short-haul flights last between 1 and 3 hours. They are often performed by narrow-body aircraft such as the Airbus A320 and the Boeing 737 families. Flight preparation for these flights is typically shorter than that of long-haul flights.
One subset of short-haul flights is the regional flight, which often links smaller cities to bigger hubs in the same area (hence the name) and is operated by regional air carriers with a limited route network. Medium-haul flights, on the other hand, have scheduled durations of 3 to 6 hours, making them slight longer than short-haul flights but less than long-haul flights in terms of flight duration.
Although short-haul flights offer more take-offs and landings, this doesn’t always result in longer flight hours per trip. The time and effort needed to accrue flying hours is a major drawback for pilots doing this kind of flying.
A frequent misunderstanding is that pilots who operate shorter flights do not have layovers. The standard layover time for pilots is somewhere between 12 and 15 hours, however, this can vary depending on the airline’s standards.
Long-Haul and Ultra-Long-Haul Flights
In official aviation circles, flights lasting 6 to 12 hours are considered long haul. When pondering how long is a long-haul flight, it’s important to remember that today’s advancements in aircraft range have also introduced the concept of ultra-long-haul flights, which exceed 12 hours.
An example of a long-haul flight would be from Heathrow Airport in London to JFK Airport in New York or from Paris to San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
On the other hand, ultra-long-haul flights include Emirates’ approximately 14-hour journey from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to Brisbane Airport (BNE) in Australia or Singapore Airlines’ 18- to 19-hour flight from Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), which covers over 9,500 miles (15,289 km).
Other Definitions
Airline-Specific
When calculating flight times, several airlines employ their own standards. According to Virgin Australia, there are four distinct types of flights: domestic, trans-Tasman, international short-haul, and international long-haul. Domestic flights go to destinations within Australia, while trans-Tasman flights go to destinations in New Zealand. Flights to Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands are designated as international short-haul and those flying to Hong Kong and Los Angeles as “international long-haul.”
Virgin Australia considers a trip from Sydney to Bali a short-haul route even though it’s a 6-hour flight journey.
On the other hand, American Airlines defines flight duration based on distance. They classify long-haul flights as routes exceeding 3,000 miles, including those between New York and Los Angeles/San Francisco. Flights under 3000 miles are categorised as short- and medium-haul.
Airport-Specific
According to Hong Kong Airport, most Asian destinations are considered short-haul, while all other destinations, including the US, Australia, and India, are considered long-haul.
Key Differences Between Short-Haul and Long-Haul Flights?
Flight Duration
The duration and distance flown are the primary distinguishing features of short and long-haul flights. Long-distance flights are defined as those that travel more than six hours, regardless of whether they connect or not.
In contrast, a short-haul flight typically covers shorter distances, usually within a 3,000-mile radius from the departure airport, and lasts between 1 and 3 hours. This is often referred to as short-haul flight distance, with these flights generally being domestic or travelling to nearby destinations.
Workload
Due to the high volume of domestic flights and low distances covered by most pilots, short-haul aircraft carriers run daily operations. Pilots typically work four or five days a week and short-haul aircraft rarely make night stops.
Pilots operating long-haul flights often traverse the globe in wider-body aircraft, with their journeys lasting for several days or even more than a week. Additionally, they experience constant jet lag from crossing of different time zones. However, they usually enjoy more time off between flights to recover and recharge.
Operational Differences
In short-haul flying, the pilot often makes 5 or 6 trips from origin to destination and returns home on the same day, similar to a typical shift job. Long-haul pilots, however, often find themselves travelling great distances almost every week, which means they often need to stay in hotels and spend days away from home.
Summing Up
Whether you’re flying across the country or across the ocean, every flight has its own set of advantages and disadvantages that make air travel interesting and exciting.
Recognising these distinctions can also help travellers plan strategically, particularly when it comes to maximising frequent flyer points. For instance, you can opt for Economy Class on domestic flights to save points and invest in a lie-flat Business Class seat for a longer journey, such as a trip to Asia.