What is a free stopover?

A free stopover is an airline program allowing passengers to break their journey in a connecting city for 24 hours up to several days without paying extra airfare. Often, airlines and tourism boards provide this to encourage tourism in their home hubs, with some carriers even offering complimentary hotel nights or discounted tours, such as Turkish Airlines in Istanbul or Qatar Airways in Doha.

Can you get free stopovers?

The best airline stopover programs essentially provide a free mini-visit to a city in an international airline's home country—typically the capital city or the location of the carrier's main airport hub. Usually booked as an extended layover, stopover flights can range anywhere from 24 hours all the way up to 10 days.

What does a stopover mean?

A stopover refers to a break in a journey at a point between the origin and the destination. This pause allows travelers to disembark from their means of transportation, generally an airplane, and spend time in a location before continuing to their final destination.

How does a stopover flight work?

Stopover flights are often confused with layover flights. However, these are simply connecting flights where you change from one aircraft to another within 24 hours. For this purpose, passengers usually remain in the transit area of the airport.

Do you get off the plane for a stopover?

Layover: you're getting off the aircraft and then taking a connecting flight . Stop: you're landing, maybe getting off, maybe not, and then the same aircraft is continuing to take you to your next destination.

How to Find Better Flights with Stopovers: The Slow Travelers Hack

Are flights cheaper with a stopover?

As highlighted in this guide, opting for flights with stopovers can often lead to lower airfares compared to nonstop options. Airlines frequently price connecting flights more competitively due to factors like seat availability, competition, and the efficiency of their hub airports.

Do you get your luggage during a stopover?

As long as the flight is in the system as a layover they will keep it. If you booked it as two separate flights you will need to pick it up and recheck it for second flight. If it's a single ticket and layover is <12 hours, and your bag is ticketed through to PDX, the airline holds the luggage.

What is an example of a stopover flight?

Example: A stopover would be similar to the example above, but the passenger would stay in London longer before traveling to Glasgow. It could look like the traveler flying from San Francisco to London, staying two nights in London to see the sights, and then continuing to their final destination — Glasgow.

Can I leave the airport during a stopover?

Ultimately, yes it is possible to leave the airport during your layover. However, certain critical elements should be considered before you decide to do so. Firstly, make sure your layover is long enough to catch your outbound flight. Then, it would be wise to check the visa requirements.

What is the 45 minute rule?

Check-In Times at U.S. Airports

For most airports, when traveling domestically, baggage must be checked in at least 45 minutes before your scheduled departure time (airports requiring additional time for check-in or baggage acceptance are listed below, Go to footer note).

What countries have a stopover program?

20 Top Stopover Programs of 2025

• Qatar Airlines. Up to 4 days in Doha. ...
• Turkish Airlines. 20 hours or more in Istanbul. ...
• Fiji Airways. Up to 48 hours in Nadi. ...
• Emirates. Up to 4 nights in Dubai. ...
• Ethiopian Airlines. From 8 to 24 hours in Addis Ababa. ...
• LOT Polish Airlines. Up to 8 days in Warsaw.

Does Emirates have a stopover program?

Depending on where you purchased your ticket, you'll have to either go through your travel agent or call Emirates directly to arrange a stopover. Prices will vary based on seasonal, dynamic pricing, but many stopovers don't charge you extra–especially because Dubai is Emirates' home base.

What are the best stopover cities?

Top 10 Rest-Friendly Stopover Cities for Pilots

• Singapore. Singapore is renowned for its efficiency, cleanliness, and world-class airport. ...
• Amsterdam. Schiphol Airport is close to the city centre, offering pilots easy access to comfortable hotels and cafes. ...
• Dubai. ...
• London. ...
• Tokyo. ...
• New York City. ...
• Frankfurt. ...
• Sydney.

Which airline has free stopovers in Dubai?

Emirates' Dubai Connect program is available for layovers between 8-26 hours. It's totally free and includes hotel stays, transfers, meals, and even your UAE visa. Just pick flights that trigger the Dubai Connect service (usually long layovers with no shorter flights available).

What's the difference between layover and stopover?

Layovers are defined as relatively brief breaks in the trip plan that last less than 24 hours. During these short breaks, people typically wait in the airport terminal for their connecting flights. Stopovers, on the other hand, reflect a longer period of travel, lasting many days rather than hours.

Which airlines do free stopovers?

Airlines like Turkish Airlines, Etihad Airways, TAP Air Portugal, and Icelandair offer generous stopover programs, often with free or discounted hotels, tours, and perks in their hub cities (Istanbul, Abu Dhabi, Lisbon/Porto, Reykjavik) for long layovers, turning layovers into mini-vacations; other airlines with programs include Qatar Airways, Emirates, Japan Airlines, Air Canada, and Singapore Airlines, with varying perks and booking requirements. 

How long can you stay in a stopover?

Stopovers are the best way to visit an extra city or country during your trip. Some airlines allow long layovers between 24 hours and 10 days to spend time anywhere you're flying through. These are usually at an airline's hub city or the capital city of an airline's home country.

What are the rules for airline stopovers?

Stopover rules vary by airline, but are essentially longer layovers — at least 24 hours in length. Layovers, meanwhile, are connections less than a day in length depending on if you're flying domestically or internationally.

Do you leave the plane during a stopover?

Layovers Explained

For domestic flights, a layover typically lasts no longer than four hours, while for international flights, it's usually 24 hours or less. During that layover, the passenger will get off one plane and wait inside the airport for their next flight, unlike a stopover, where they exit.

What happens to my luggage during a 12 hour layover?

If it's on 1 ticket, it's checked all the way. If the layover is less than 16.5 hours, its checked through. Keep stuff with you you'll need at the hotel.

Do you have to go through security on a stopover?

The shorter your layover, the less time you'll have outside the airport. Any time you leave the secure area of the airport, you'll need to go back through security when you return: If your connection is leaving in under four to five hours, you may not have time to get through security again before boarding.

What is the hidden-city flight hack?

One of the more controversial hacks used by budget fliers today is called “skiplagging,” also known as hidden-city or beyond-point tickets. They all mean the same thing: booking a multi-city flight with a layover in your desired destination, and skipping the second leg of the trip.

How do I book a stopover flight?

You can book a stopover flight by adding an extra city into your itinerary when purchasing your ticket—either directly through an airline's multi-city or stopover booking tool, or by creating your own, using separate tickets.