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- Sdmccray1984
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What qualifies as an “overseas” flight?
On an airline’s website, it states that CDG to PEK is considered an “overseas” flight. But technically, couldn’t you drive from Paris to Beijing? And even if there are not highways through the Eurasian deserts and mountain ranges, I believe you can still traverse it by ground in some way. Is the flight considered overseas because the flight path is over the northern polar regions? Thanks for your feedback guys.
Re: What qualifies as an “overseas” flight?
"going overseas" means travelling to a foreign country, a remnant from the pre-air days of travel when international travel was often conducted via sea.
An air trip from Paris to Beijing would be an overseas trip, especially for a French national/resident. A Chinese national/resident taking the same flight would be "returning from overseas."
An air trip from Paris to Beijing would be an overseas trip, especially for a French national/resident. A Chinese national/resident taking the same flight would be "returning from overseas."
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- PatrickZ80
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Re: What qualifies as an “overseas” flight?
Indeed, overseas is just used as a substitute for international. It doesn't actually have to involve flying over water, it means landing in a different country than where you took off.
International doesn't have to mean long haul, there are some very short international flights that only just cross the border to the next country. A flight can be both regional and international at the same time.
There are also some domestic flights that cross the sea, for example from mainland Spain to the Balearic or Canary Islands. Those islands are part of Spain, hence those flights are domestic. But they do fly over seas. Domestic flights don't have to be short haul, French Guyana is part of France even though it's in South America. A flight from Paris to Cayenne is therefor a long haul domestic flight. It's also overseas, after all it crosses the Atlantic Ocean.
International doesn't have to mean long haul, there are some very short international flights that only just cross the border to the next country. A flight can be both regional and international at the same time.
There are also some domestic flights that cross the sea, for example from mainland Spain to the Balearic or Canary Islands. Those islands are part of Spain, hence those flights are domestic. But they do fly over seas. Domestic flights don't have to be short haul, French Guyana is part of France even though it's in South America. A flight from Paris to Cayenne is therefor a long haul domestic flight. It's also overseas, after all it crosses the Atlantic Ocean.
Re: What qualifies as an “overseas” flight?
I'd guess the term makes more sense, if you take the UK as its probable origin into consideration: being an island any trip to any other country is a trip "overseas".
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- RyanairGuru
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Re: What qualifies as an “overseas” flight?
As said, it harks back to an era when long distance travel was by sea, and - most importantly, at least within the English language context - all international travel from the UK, be it to France or Australia. It has always been a synonym of ‘international’, or more accurately ‘international’ largely replaced ‘overseas’ as its usage gained popularity through the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Even in the Second World War era, ‘overseas’ was the dominant term in Britain to refer to travelling to a different country. Use of the word ‘international’ was largely limited to trade and economic discussions, and arguably owes its widespread adoption in the context of travel to the post-war growth of air travel.
Re: What qualifies as an “overseas” flight?
Sdmccray1984 wrote:On an airline’s website, it states that CDG to PEK is considered an “overseas” flight. But technically, couldn’t you drive from Paris to Beijing? Is the flight considered overseas because the flight path is over the northern polar regions?
Since you specified that the term "overseas flight" is used on the airline's website; i.e., targeted toward passengers--not airline enthusiasts or airline technical personnel--my impression is the term is not being used here in a technical sense to designate actual geographic features--water--but instead to highlight a level of service in terms of meals offered and/or cabin configuration that someone could expect on a long haul flight.
Even though a flight from Paris to Cairo could certainly be considered "overseas" since it would cross the Mediterranean Sea, compared to a flight from Paris to Beijing, the level of service and cabin configuration might be substantially different on a four hour flight versus an 11 or 12 hour flight. I think this is the message they are trying to convey by labeling it an "overseas flight."
e38
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- Wednesdayite
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Re: What qualifies as an “overseas” flight?
conaly wrote:I'd guess the term makes more sense, if you take the UK as its probable origin into consideration: being an island any trip to any other country is a trip "overseas".
In the main - but not if you fly from say Belfast to Dublin.
Re: What qualifies as an “overseas” flight?
Wednesdayite wrote:In the main - but not if you fly from say Belfast to Dublin.
Well, there was a time before Ireland gained its independence in 1921 and I'd assume the term was used way before that.
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