Strategy
Why Frequent Flyers Always Take the Connection
The travel industry has trained you to want direct flights. Airlines charge a premium for them. You're paying extra to miss a city. Here's when the math flips. Every experienced traveler already knows this.
The price gap
On long-haul routes, flights with a connection average $200-400 cheaper than direct. On competitive routes (New York to Lima, Atlanta to Nairobi, Miami to Buenos Aires) the gap is often larger. Airlines price direct flights at a premium because they know you'll pay it. The connection is the same destination for less money.
The false time argument
Most people compare flight time, not total trip time. A 'direct' flight from Miami to Lima takes 6 hours. A connection via Bogota adds 4 hours of travel time. You get 8 hours in Colombia if you choose a long enough layover. That's not a cost. That's a second trip.
The visa situation is easier than you think
Over 90% of layover connections through major American hubs (Panama City, Lima, Bogota, Nassau, San Juan) are visa-free for US passport holders. The barrier most people imagine doesn't exist. You walk through immigration, get in a cab, and go.
What the LayoverScore tells you
Not every connection is worth making. A 6-hour layover in an airport with no transit options is just a long wait. LayoverScore weighs transit time to the city, visa access, what there is to do, and airport quality. High-scoring cities reward the detour. Low-scoring ones don't. Sort by score before you book.