For anybody who’s ever heard of the Blue Lagoon, you possibly can largely thank stopover applications for making Iceland so standard to go to. Stopovers permit vacationers so as to add a protracted layover in a enjoyable hub earlier than attending to their ultimate locations. Reasonably than ready round in an airport, the thought is to offer vacationers sufficient time to get out and discover the layover metropolis.
In recent times, extra carriers have began providing such applications. Relying on the airline, vacationers get to spend between 24 hours and 10 days in a location with out racking up further airfare costs. Stopovers are sometimes free to schedule and sometimes embrace complimentary or closely discounted resort stays, eating places, actions, or on-ground transit. It’s a possibility for the airline to direct extra tourism {dollars} to a capital metropolis or flagship nation and permit vacationers to go to a number of locations for (roughly) the worth of 1.
Listed here are 9 of one of the best airline stopover applications to assist lengthen your trip.
Helsinki, Finland
For these excited about experiencing the happiest nation on the earth, make the most of Finnair’s stopover service within the capital metropolis of Helsinki. This system permits vacationers to remain in Helsinki for as much as 5 days at no further price, and reserving it’s extremely straightforward.
If you begin reserving on Finnair’s web site, choose “multicity” (versus “round-trip” or “one-way”); enter your departure and vacation spot cities, supposed journey dates, and what number of days you’d like to remain within the nation; and select whether or not you wish to make your stopover on the outbound or return journey, and what number of days you’d like to remain within the nation.
Finnair doesn’t provide discounted resort stays, however the airline does counsel some itineraries to assist guests maximize their go to—be that cold-plunging into the ocean from a sauna deck in Helsinki or chasing the northern lights farther north.
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
These transiting via Abu Dhabi can choose to remain within the capital of the United Arab Emirates for a spell with Etihad Airways’ stopover program.
Vacationers transiting via Etihad’s house base can select a complimentary one- or two-night keep at numerous three-, four-, and even five-star motels throughout the capital metropolis. A few of the luxurious choices embrace the Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri, Bab Al Qasr, and the Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi Lodge & Residences Emirates Pearl. You’ll find the total unfold of resort choices on Etihad’s stopover web page.
This system is obtainable solely to those that guide immediately via Etihad’s web site. To be eligible, you could guide at the least three days earlier than you arrive within the Persian Gulf metropolis. Different stipulations embrace a handful of blackout intervals (together with November 2 via 8, December 3 via 8, and December 23 via January 3), and the provide is barely legitimate in a single path (so you possibly can’t rating a free keep on each your away and return tickets).
Panama Metropolis, Panama
Whether or not flying to the Caribbean or South America, pause to get pleasure from Panama’s seashores, islands, or cocktail-fueled nightlife. Copa Airways’ stopover program permits vacationers to remain in Panama for one to seven days at no further price.
You’ll be able to add the stopover to one-way flights or to both leg of a round-trip flight (you possibly can even add a stopover to each ends of the journey in case you pay an extra $250). You’ll be able to solely take part in this system in case you guide immediately via Copa; on the reserving web site, click on “multicity” to be directed to a web page with “stopover” choices.
This system additionally has offers on motels, eating places, and actions like sightseeing or spa experiences, from 15 to 40 p.c off.
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Should you’re touring to or over Africa, hope to attach in Ethiopia. In case your layover in Addis Ababa is at the least eight hours lengthy, you’re robotically given a resort room on the airport’s Skylight In-Terminal Lodge, which has 97 rooms and a collection of suites.
The complimentary one-night keep is obtainable for vacationers who’ve flight connections lasting as much as 24 hours, and it consists of breakfast and a switch. Remember to decide up your resort voucher on the check-in desk earlier than departure or on the Ethiopian Airways customer support desk upon arrival on the airport.
Doha, Qatar
Should you’re excited about exploring Doha, Qatar’s capital metropolis, on a budget, the nation’s airline may help. Below the Qatar Airways stopover program, vacationers can guide a stopover of as much as 4 days after which select from a handful of closely discounted lodging packages. For instance, fliers staying a single night time in Doha can select between the Customary choice (which features a four-star resort for $14 per individual) or the Luxurious choice (a five-star resort for $83 per individual).
To guide, select “Qatar Stopover” within the flight search panel on Qatar’s devoted web page for this system. From there, you’ll have to enter the popular journey and stopover particulars, then click on “Present Flights.” The positioning will present your choices, which work for any flight that connects via Doha. After you’ve bought your tickets, you’ll want to go to the stopover resort reserving web page to attain the deal on lodging.
Japan
Many who fly to Tokyo wish to tack on a visit to Kyoto, Hokkaido, or Osaka. Fortunately, it’s potential to see extra of the nation by profiting from Japan Airways’ stopover program. With this provide, abroad guests can add stops to any airport in Japan without cost, so long as each the worldwide and home flights are booked in the identical reservation. The bookings may be made on the multicity/stopover web site, and there’s even a helpful information with examples of the way it works.
If U.S. vacationers select to remain within the transit vacation spot for longer than at some point, they’ll have to pay a $100 payment. Although this system doesn’t present any further reductions, the choice is good for individuals who wish to go to as a lot of the nation as potential in a single journey.
Istanbul, Türkiye
Turkish Airways’ stopover program is considerably difficult to navigate. There’s no choice to seek for itineraries with lengthy stopovers on the web site, so that you’ll must hunt for one. Nevertheless, as soon as you work it out, this program is without doubt one of the extra beneficiant schemes that exist.
Any passenger with at the least a 20-hour connection interval in Istanbul qualifies for the Stopover in Istanbul program, whereby you’ll be granted a resort room freed from cost. (Financial system-class passengers are awarded one night time in a four-star resort, and business-class fliers get two nights in a five-star or boutique resort.)
When you’ve booked the flight (and it’s at the least 72 hours earlier than departure), you’ll have to electronic mail a program consultant your ticket quantity, identify, desired lodging dates, most well-liked room sort (single, double, or triple), and telephone quantity. The consultant differs relying on what nation you’re departing from, however all contact data is obtainable on the airline’s on-line stopover web page. Vouchers for the lodging can be despatched by way of electronic mail.
Past the complimentary rooms, vacationers may also make the most of a free metropolis tour, which is sponsored by Turkish Airways’ Touristanbul. To enroll, passengers have to go to the Lodge Desk on the Worldwide Arrivals Terminal of Istanbul Airport.
Lisbon and Porto, Portugal
What units TAP Air Portugal other than the opposite stopover applications is that it’s not restricted to only one metropolis, and it permits fliers to remain for as much as 10 days.
TAP Air Portugal’s stopover system is extremely straightforward to navigate; whenever you’re reserving, all you’ll want to do is enter your dates, departure, and vacation spot cities and choose the “Add Stopover” button. After that, a pop-up will will let you select between a stopover in Lisbon or Porto, a stopover on the inbound or outbound flight, and the stopover period.
After you’ve completed reserving, TAP Air Portugal affords reductions on motels, points of interest, and extra on its cellular app.
Reykjavík, Iceland
Icelandair is credited because the pioneer of the free airline stopover; it has provided some iteration of this system for the reason that early Nineteen Sixties, which significantly helped improve tourism to the land of fireplace and ice.
The present program permits vacationers to guide a stopover in Reykjavík, Iceland, for one to seven days, at no further price. All it’s important to do is choose the “Stopover in Iceland” choice and enter what number of days you’d like to remain when reserving your ticket. It’s significantly helpful for flights between the USA and mainland Europe.
Not like another locations, Icelandair’s program doesn’t provide free or discounted lodging or transportation, so remember to issue journey throughout the nation into your prices. Nevertheless, it’s potential to guide some excursions (like an abbreviated Golden Circle tour, on which friends can go to Gullfoss waterfall and the Geysir geothermal space, two of Iceland’s most well-known pure wonders) immediately via the airline.
This story was initially revealed in July 2023 and was up to date on June 9, 2025, to incorporate present data. Danielle Hallock contributed to the reporting of this story.