I think this may be a case of people confusing themselves between 'Direct' and 'non-stop' flights as they can be two completely different things:
A
Direct Flight could be a flight that stops at another airport, but passengers do not change planes.
An example of a direct flight is a passenger taking a flight from Boston to Dublin. The flight first stops at Shannon Airport and then continues to Dublin, with the passengers traveling to Dublin staying on the same plane.
Whereas a
non-stop flight is a flight that does not stop at another airport before reaching its point of arrival
An example of a non-stop flight is a flight from Boston to Dublin. The flight goes to Dublin without stopping at another airport.
If you stay on the same plane you are NOT connecting, you are going direct
