Non-Stop International Flights from RDU (Charlotte, Greensboro: chapel, hotel, home)
Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, CaryThe Triangle Area
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I just checked RDU's site as we are thinking (again) of relocating to NC and since we love to travel I wanted to see what non-stop flights are available. Considering it's an "International" airport, I expected a lot more than 2 non-US destinations. Cancun and Toronto are the only international destinations listed for non-stop flights.
The US flights are slim too - 36. Even Charleston where we are now has 58 non-stop US flights, and I always thought Charleston was a tiny airport.
Is this a cut-back due to COVID or is it just a small airport? Where is the nearest large airport that would have more non-stop international flights and more non-stop US flights?
I guess we were spoiled for so many years with Logan Airport when we lived in the Boston area. I realize RDU is not Logan but hope it was at least better than Charleston.
Correct. Until the pandemic is truly under control, don't expect AA to resume the London nonstop, DL to resume the Paris nonstop, or AC to resume the Montreal nonstop. The LHR and CDG flights depended on a significant number of business travelers paying high fares to make the economics work. It's anyone's guess when that level of international business travel will return. And all discussion of a nonstop to China, which would have required a runway extension, has ceased as well.
Charlotte (CLT) and Dulles (IAD) are probably the closest airports with nonstop international flights. They never had that many to begin with. One terminal is used for Southwest, and the other terminal is all of the other airlines.
Our son lives in London and we have taken the non stop from RDU to LHR about twice a year for the past several years. We just visited last month…and after booking flights which we thought were non stop, we were notified by email that we were being routed from RDU, to Charlotte, then non stop to LHR.
Doesn’t look like it’s changing anytime soon as our friends are traveling in March and have also been notified of this change.
I would expect RDU to expand its offerings, as the metro is growing rapidly.
Bunches of nonstop flights from Charlotte, but not many to first world countries, and AA owns 80% of the airport. As long as you are in love with AA and want to fly south, it's great.
Before COVID it was just upgraded to the large airport category however that will probably take a few years to get back to that status. The population doubles every 20 to 30 years so service will always improve sans global pandemic.
My nephew who lives overseas was just here for Thanksgiving and commented that RDU was a perfect size: efficient, enough services, easy to navigate. Of course he has to use another hub to leave the US.
When working I used the NYC area airports, and before that Boston, for years, when I was crossing the Atlantic (or Pacific) for work 10 or more times per year. I really don't want to live in a huge metro area anymore, and don't travel so much overseas, so RDU suits me fine.
For overseas travel I have used the NYC airports, and might think of driving or flying to Dulles. Or, flying to Boston, which is well connected to RDU, and leaving the US from there.
To travel to NYC (LGA) I have used Greensboro, which is great fun. You can park literally four or five minutes away from security which can be three minutes from the gate. Tiny, but efficient, and I have gotten great fares occasionally. The extra 15 minutes it takes me to get there is more than balanced by the time needed to find parking at RDU, get to the terminal, get through security, and to the gate.
My nephew who lives overseas was just here for Thanksgiving and commented that RDU was a perfect size: efficient, enough services, easy to navigate. Of course he has to use another hub to leave the US.
When working I used the NYC area airports, and before that Boston, for years, when I was crossing the Atlantic (or Pacific) for work 10 or more times per year. I really don't want to live in a huge metro area anymore, and don't travel so much overseas, so RDU suits me fine.
For overseas travel I have used the NYC airports, and might think of driving or flying to Dulles. Or, flying to Boston, which is well connected to RDU, and leaving the US from there.
To travel to NYC (LGA) I have used Greensboro, which is great fun. You can park literally four or five minutes away from security which can be three minutes from the gate. Tiny, but efficient, and I have gotten great fares occasionally. The extra 15 minutes it takes me to get there is more than balanced by the time needed to find parking at RDU, get to the terminal, get through security, and to the gate.
Good to know. I actually like smaller airports, but prefer non-stops flights after one too many bad experiences with connections, especially when flying overseas. For the amount of times we travel overseas though, we'll figure out a way to deal with it. Maybe we'll fly to Boston and spend the night at the airport hotel and then fly out. Good to know that Boston is well connected so visits home will be easy. Thanks for the tip about Greensboro!
We drove up to DC about 6 or 7 years ago for a non-stop to London. It was like $2400 cheaper for 4 of us ($700-something each vs $1300-something each). And my sister lives near Dulles and let us park our van at her house. RDU will get its non-stop flights back, but it may be a little while and they may be expensive.
We drove up to DC about 6 or 7 years ago for a non-stop to London. It was like $2400 cheaper for 4 of us ($700-something each vs $1300-something each). And my sister lives near Dulles and let us park our van at her house. RDU will get its non-stop flights back, but it may be a little while and they may be expensive.
That's a huge savings. How far a drive is it to Dulles from Chapel Hill?
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