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- convair880mfan
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What defines a "long haul" flight?
Is there any kind of fixed definition of "long haul" when used of flights or is it a fluid concept?
Re: What defines a "long haul" flight?
Isn't a long haul anything 6 hours plus?
Personally, for me, living in Canada - I'd consider it anything across one of the two oceans on our borders.
Personally, for me, living in Canada - I'd consider it anything across one of the two oceans on our borders.
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- Kiwiandrew
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Re: What defines a "long haul" flight?
I think it very much depends where you live.
I live in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Our shortest international flights are generally around the 3-4 hour mark, so for me, long haul starts from about 8 hours. I think my friends across the ditch in Australia would have similar views on what constitutes long haul.
I suspect people in less remote parts of the world probably have a different perspective.
When I lived in Brussels I had a colleague from Cameroun who thought Brussels to Douala at around 7 hours was endless. He was utterly horrified when I told him how long it would take me to travel from Brussels to Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland
I live in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Our shortest international flights are generally around the 3-4 hour mark, so for me, long haul starts from about 8 hours. I think my friends across the ditch in Australia would have similar views on what constitutes long haul.
I suspect people in less remote parts of the world probably have a different perspective.
When I lived in Brussels I had a colleague from Cameroun who thought Brussels to Douala at around 7 hours was endless. He was utterly horrified when I told him how long it would take me to travel from Brussels to Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland
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- BoeingERJ1000
- Posts: 583
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Re: What defines a "long haul" flight?
Kiwiandrew wrote:I suspect people in less remote parts of the world probably have a different perspective.
I've lived in Europe and the US, and for me a long haul is anything 6 hours plus, although I also consider 4-5 hours kinda long. On a slightly related note, 2 hours is an average flight time for me, 3 is above average, and I'd consider anything 1 hour or less very short. Also, I'd say 12 hours or more is Ultra Long Haul.
Re: What defines a "long haul" flight?
eta unknown wrote:"Amsterdam"
I believe that is where a short haul flight ends and a long haul flight begins.
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- eta unknown
- Posts: 3817
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Re: What defines a "long haul" flight?
AirKevin wrote:eta unknown wrote:"Amsterdam"
I believe that is where a short haul flight ends and a long haul flight begins.
You got it!!!
FYI I thought "The Pilot" episode of the "People Like Us" mockumentary was extremely funny.
Re: What defines a "long haul" flight?
"2000 miles" as far as the UK's Air Passenger Duty is concerned.
Band A (Short Haul) - Destination country's captial city less than 2000 miles from London
Band B (Long Haul) - Destination country's captial city more than 2000 miles from London
Personally
Less than 2 hrs - Short Haul
4 hrs to 6 hrs - Medium
More than 6 hrs - Long Haul
Band A (Short Haul) - Destination country's captial city less than 2000 miles from London
Band B (Long Haul) - Destination country's captial city more than 2000 miles from London
Personally
Less than 2 hrs - Short Haul
4 hrs to 6 hrs - Medium
More than 6 hrs - Long Haul
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- B747forever
- Posts: 14084
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Re: What defines a "long haul" flight?
Personally anything above 7-8h is long haul, with +9.5h segments as true long hauls and +13h as ULH. Have a hard time seeing people calling the short hop from the US East coast to Western Europe as long haul and getting worked up over that, especially in winter with strong tail winds.
Medium haul would be 4-7h and short haul anything <4h.
Medium haul would be 4-7h and short haul anything <4h.
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- Kent350787
- Posts: 2891
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Re: What defines a "long haul" flight?
Kiwiandrew wrote:I think it very much depends where you live.
I live in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Our shortest international flights are generally around the 3-4 hour mark, so for me, long haul starts from about 8 hours. I think my friends across the ditch in Australia would have similar views on what constitutes long haul.
I suspect people in less remote parts of the world probably have a different perspective.
When I lived in Brussels I had a colleague from Cameroun who thought Brussels to Douala at around 7 hours was endless. He was utterly horrified when I told him how long it would take me to travel from Brussels to Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland
I still think of 7-8hrs (SIN or KUL from SYD) as medium haul, but it’s definitely more than short haul.
Long haul definitely 10hours+
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- readytotaxi
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Re: What defines a "long haul" flight?
Any flight with a crying baby near you = long haul 
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- SFOThinker
- Posts: 305
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Re: What defines a "long haul" flight?
Having lived mostly on the US East and West Coasts in my adult life, I always thought of transcontinental flights as long haul. Time enough for a meal and a movie, or for a snooze at night. Better meals before Covid. Everything less was medium or if an hour or so, short haul. That’s the domestic flyer perspective.
But I’ll admit that the 4 times I lived in East Asia, I changed my thinking. Tokyo to Bangkok was medium haul, while the US and Europe were long haul. That’s the international traveler perspective.
But I’ll admit that the 4 times I lived in East Asia, I changed my thinking. Tokyo to Bangkok was medium haul, while the US and Europe were long haul. That’s the international traveler perspective.