By definition, a short-haul flight is one that doesn't take all too long to complete. Therefore, as you can probably imagine, a long-haul flight usually involves you flying halfway across the world, or across an entire country/continent, in some way, shape or form.
There are positives and negatives to both forms of travel and today, we thought it best to look into which one we personally prefer. For the sake of the piece, we're going to limit this debate to five primary reasons for short and five primary reasons or long - and you can make up your own mind from those.
10 SHORT HAUL: Better For Nervous Flyers
It’s not nice to be on a plane for an extended period of time if you aren’t a big fan of the flying process, but it’s even harder if you’re on a long haul. As such, taking part in a short-haul flight makes the entire transition a lot easier.
You’ll be on and off again before you know it, and while you could argue that you may get used to the feeling of flying by the end of a long haul flight, we don’t really subscribe to that idea.
9 LONG HAUL: A Nice Long Sleep
We all enjoy a quick snooze from time to time, whether it be on the sofa or on a plane. When you’re on a long haul it can be pretty easy to lie or sit back, relax, and drift off to sleep for a few hours. Hell, you might even sleep for the entire flight.
It’s not exactly impossible to do this for a short-haul, but it is a little bit more difficult (from our perspective, at least).
Plus, if you get that little amount of sleep on a short-haul, you’re bound to be cranky when you wake up anyway.
8 SHORT HAUL: It’s Quicker
You will land at your destination sooner than you would with a long haul, and it really is that simple. It’s not something you can necessarily control, but even if your flight is only scheduled an hour, more often than not, they will still be able to cut 10-15 minutes off of that.
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Long hauls can sometimes feel like they’re going on forever, to the point where you can get a little bit agitated. Sure, there may not be as many amenities on a short-haul, but at least you can get your bags and head through customs sooner.
7 LONG HAUL: Usually Comfier
Whether you’re in economy or first class it really doesn’t matter: because it’s going to be much comfier for you to fly on a long haul than a short-haul. This is mainly because the airlines know that folks want to experience at least a little bit of luxury if they’re going to be flying for such a long amount of time.
Plus, and this can’t be stressed enough, the lack of legroom on most short-haul flights is kind of remarkable – and we don’t mean that in a complimentary manner.
6 SHORT HAUL: Often Cheaper
It really is that simple. If you want to head on holiday and you’re trying to save a bit of cash, then you will almost certainly want to select a short-haul that costs less money as opposed to a long haul that is going to bleed you dry of all your cash.
If money is no issue for you then this isn’t going to be considered much of a problem, but for the majority of people that go flying, taking a ‘budget’ approach could save you a lot of money in the long run.
5 LONG HAUL: Wifi Possibilities
It’s the 21st century and we’re all pretty addicted to our smartphones, which goes without saying. On the majority of long haul flights these days, it is possible for you to connect to a wifi system of some description in order to get in touch with your friends and loved ones.
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Of course, you may just be interested in checking out Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, which you’re well within your rights to do.
This is the way of the world, and the connection services are only going to get better and better.
4 SHORT HAUL: Less Physical Effects
Two words: jet lag.
A longer flight equals more tiresome physical effects on your body that could threaten to ruin your entire trip. The people that suggest jet lag is nothing more than a figment of your imagination are wrong, and long haul flights prove that.
If you’re on a short-haul then you quite literally have nothing to worry about, because more often than not, you’re going somewhere that has a very similar time zone to your own.
That, in itself, makes life ten times easier than oversleeping and missing your flight back.
3 LONG HAUL: Entertainment System
You can watch movies, you can play games, you can listen to music and you can generally do just about anything that your entertainment system allows you to do. It’s the beauty of technology, and a lot of people enjoy it – and how can you blame them?
You’re even able to keep an eye on how the plane is flying and when you’re going to land, as well as the altitude that you’re working with. It’s quite an interesting contrast from short hauls, which don’t tend to offer these services.
2 SHORT HAUL: Less Queuing
For long haul flights you often have to be called up in categories, and because of this, it can take a long old time before you’re even given the opportunity to board and get into your seat. On short hauls, there are fewer people so, by default, you’ll be on and in your seat quicker.
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It ensures a faster take-off, too, and a generally more pleasant queuing experience. If you’ve got enough money then you’ll probably be given the opportunity to get on before everyone else, but even so, you still aren’t going to be taking off for a while.
1 LONG HAUL: Meals Included
If you’re on a plane for a long time then it kind of goes without saying that you’re going to get hungry, and thankfully on long hauls, your meals tend to be included – and when we say meals we do mean that in a plural sense, as you tend to get two or three over the course of the entire journey.
That’s a bit different from having to pay $10 just for a panini and soda, and it tends to make travelers really consider the options that they have available to them.