Often when you search with the major airline companies on the internet, you will find that for the same destination, the airplane tickets are cheaper for multiple connecting flights, than compared to direct non-stop flights.
There are pros and cons to taking multiple connecting flights than non-stop flights.
Here is an analysis on the pros and cons.
Pros The number one benefit of taking multiple connecting flights where you will need to transit more than one time is that usually the airplane tickets are much cheaper than the non-stop flights.
The reason being is that less people like to transit multiple times and wait in the airport during transit.
However the savings can be huge, where you can save from a few hundred dollars to the extreme case of almost up to a thousand dollars! Another benefit is that if you enjoy traveling to different countries, then during your transit you might be able to take a quick trip outside of the airport.
This is only possible if your transit time is for a few hours that give you the safe window to venture outside and tour the city for awhile.
Some airports offer a service where they provide you a quick transit tour of their city if your layover is more than 5 hours or so, and the best part is that often it is free.
One example is when you transit in Singapore; they provide free 2 hour Singapore tours for any visitors transiting more than 5 hours.
Cons The number one negative aspect of taking a multiple connecting flight is that the overall travel time will be longer to reach your end destination.
After taking a multiple connecting flight, this can cause you to be extremely tired and stressed.
This is especially true for long haul flights.
As an example if you take a multiple connecting flight from Singapore to Toronto, the total journey time (including the transiting time) can be up to 30 hours, whereas compared to a direct flight option where it is only 22 hours! Therefore you must make that judgment call on the opportunity cost of the extra time needed to travel on the multiple connecting flights.
Another negative aspect of multi-transit flights is that sometimes your transit time to connect to the next flight is very short.
This can cause an issue if you land in an airport to transit where security is extremely tight causing you delays in reaching to your next connecting flights.
In some cases you may even miss that connecting flight! When you choose between a multiple transit flight and a direct flight, you must weigh the pros and cons.
Sometimes it may be worth to pay the extra amount of money for the direct flight simply because you can get to your end destination faster.
However if you are not pressed for time, then the multiple transit flight can be a good option, as you will save a significant amount of money.