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I've purchased an Emirates flight, EK109, that states on my ticket has no stop, yet on closer inspection it actually flies DXB, LCA (Larnaca), MLA (Malta-Luqa). What's up with that? Do I get off in Larnaca?

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    FYI, there is a difference between non-stop and direct. Are you sure it doesn't say direct?
    – Michael Hall
    Commented Jan 3, 2019 at 1:11
  • How/where did you buy your ticket? Some of the information is sometimes lost in the exchanges between airlines and the various layers of booking engines (due to variations in wording between stops, connections, layovers, etc.), so sometimes you will only see places where there is a change of flight number showing up as stops, even if there's actually a stop or even a change a plane(!). You should check with Emirates, but given the duration of the stop, there's a good chance you will stay on board (or if you exit the plane, you probably won't leave the gate area).
    – jcaron
    Commented Jan 3, 2019 at 13:28
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    Note that direct is not the same as nonstop in travel industry terminology, although laymen often use them interchangeably. When I do sample bookings on Emirates.com, they all show as one stop but with the same flight number, which would be a direct flight. As far as I can tell, no airline operates DXB-MLA nonstop.
    – choster
    Commented Jan 3, 2019 at 15:28

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What you have is most likely a "direct" flight and not a "non-stop" flight. Direct used to mean that there can be a stop along the way, but it's the same plane (and sometimes the same crew) and the same gate. That is still the case with Emirates and your particular flight.

Emirates has no non-stop between Malta and Dubai so you will land in Larnaca. Whether you need to get off the plane or not, depends on the specific route and airports, but they will clearly tell you when you land.

Other airlines have corrupted the term "direct" to the point where it has become useless. They simply combine two random flights and give them the same flight number. It's not the same plane, it's not the same gate, it's not the same crew and it is most certainly not a guaranteed connection.

Buyer beware and read the fine print.

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