The ultimate guide to airline stopover programs

Wish to discover new locations with out spending further? That is what airline stopover applications are all about.

Image this: You are in your technique to a far-off vacation spot with Qatar Airways or Emirates. You’ve gotten a layover in a spot like Doha or Dubai. As an alternative of ready on the airport, you may step out and see town. And guess what? It won’t even price you a lot, because of stopover offers supplied by varied airways.

You may be wandering the streets of Doha someday after which off to Bangkok one other. Or, perhaps you are absorbing Lisbon, Portugal’s vibes earlier than heading to Accra, Ghana. Have you ever ever thought-about visiting Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in your technique to considered one of South Africa’s cities or nationwide parks? These applications can unlock that form of journey.

If you happen to’re pondering of a visit with two locations for the worth of 1, you are in the best spot. We have put collectively a no-fuss information on airline stopover applications, specializing in the offers for paid tickets and masking the airways which have stopover choices for no extra airfare price and people who embody free or considerably discounted lodge stays of their stopover applications. If you happen to’re utilizing factors or miles, don’t be concerned — there is a guide for that, too.

Copa Airways

With the Panama Stopover Program, you may go to Panama Metropolis for no extra airfare price. Passengers touring on Copa Airways can spend between 24 hours and 7 days within the nation’s capital metropolis on both the outbound or return leg of a visit.

Whereas there is no further airfare cost to e-book a Panama stopover, you will nonetheless must cowl different bills, like an in a single day lodge, if wanted. Fortuitously, you should use the stopover web site to search out reductions for motels, eating places and actions.

Associated: Meet Hotel La Compania, Hyatt’s historic hit in Panama City

If you happen to’re flying Emirates and your itinerary’s finest obtainable connection is a protracted layover, you may make the most of the Dubai Connect service for a free lodge reserving, with meals and airport transfers included.

To qualify for Dubai Join, your stopover time should be between eight and 26 hours for economic system or premium economic system bookings and 6 and 26 hours for first- or business-class bookings. The stopover time in Dubai must be the shortest one obtainable, so you may’t choose an itinerary with a 20-hour layover if a shorter four-hour layover is obtainable.

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You should e-book the Dubai Join service a minimum of 24 hours earlier than your incoming flight to Dubai. To e-book, enter your final title and reserving reference quantity underneath the “Handle reserving” tab of Emirates’ website after which select “Dubai Join.” If you arrive in Dubai, head to the Dubai Join desk in Arrivals.

Etihad at the moment gives a stopover choice in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. The stopover features a complimentary lodge keep of as much as two nights at choose motels, such because the Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi, the Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi Resort & Residences Emirates Pearl and the Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi.

To e-book a stopover lodge, you have to have a round-trip reserving on Etihad with a connecting flight to Abu Dhabi. As soon as your flight is booked, you have to enter your reserving reference quantity and final title on the Etihad stopover web site to verify lodge availability. As soon as you’ve got chosen a lodge, you will obtain a voucher to be offered at check-in.

Transit occasions by way of Addis Ababa Bole Worldwide Airport (ADD) in Ethiopia may be lengthy. So, in case you’re flying Ethiopian Airways with a layover between eight and 24 hours, you may book a complimentary one-night keep on the Ethiopian Skylight Resort that features airport transfers and breakfast. You will wish to ensure you have the mandatory visa prematurely or are eligible for a vacationer visa upon arrival.

Iberia

Iberia’s Hola Madrid stopover program permits passengers to spend between one and 9 nights in Madrid at no further airfare cost. You too can receive reductions on lodge stays with Melia, airport transfers and entrance to museums such because the Prado Museum and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Nationwide Museum. Plus, you will obtain a complimentary two-day transport card.

Associated: How to book Iberia flights to Spain (and beyond) using Avios

Icelandair gives connections by way of Keflavik Airport (KEF) from the U.S. to many different factors in Europe. So, you would possibly wish to take a look at Icelandair’s stopover program, which is taken into account the pioneer of airline stopover packages.

When flying transatlantic on Icelandair, you may embody a free stopover in Iceland for as much as seven days at no extra price. When reserving, choose the “Stopover in Iceland” choice and enter what number of days you’d wish to spend exploring the land of fireplace and ice. The stopover solely consists of flights — your lodging and actions should be booked individually.

For inspiration on what to do throughout your stopover, take a look at Iceland Travel, the place you may view varied excursions and actions.

Associated: These are the best times to visit Iceland

Japan Airways is taken into account one of many world’s most stopover-friendly airways. Passengers who wish to go to Tokyo, Osaka or different main cities on their technique to one other Japanese vacation spot can benefit from Japan Airways’ supply of complimentary domestic flights for worldwide vacationers.

You may discover a few of Japan’s seemingly limitless wondrous websites by reserving a world Japan Airways flight and a corresponding home flight in the identical reservation. A stopover payment of $100 applies for vacationers from the U.S., Canada and Mexico and 300 Chinese language yen (about $41) applies for vacationers from China if the primary vacation spot keep in Japan exceeds 24 hours.

Associated: The best ways to travel to Japan with points and miles

Qantas

Australia’s flagship provider gives no-additional-cost stopover opportunities for passengers flying Qantas or its airline companions. Choose the multicity reserving choice when arranging your flights on the Qantas website to include a stopover into your itinerary.

Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways gives critical reductions on stopover packages for passengers whose transit by way of Doha’s Hamad Worldwide Airport (DOH) is between 12 and 96 hours.

You may e-book stopover packages of as much as 4 nights at four- and five-star motels. For instance, pricing for a one-night bundle at a four-star lodge begins at $14. Resort packages that embody seaside entry or breakfast are additionally obtainable on the stopover web site, together with choices for excursions and excursions by way of Discover Qatar.

Keep in Lisbon or Porto for as much as 10 days at no extra cost throughout a stopover in Portugal. Begin by seeing in case your flight is eligible for a stopover by getting into your flight’s origin and vacation spot cities together with your journey dates on TAP Air Portugal’s website. Whether it is, a brand new window will pop up with the choice to “Add a free Stopover” to your reserving.

You will choose which metropolis you would like to go to and specify how lengthy you will keep. Stopovers can be found for each round-trip and one-way bookings. If you’re reserving a round-trip itinerary, you will want to decide on whether or not you’d wish to schedule your stopover throughout your inbound or outbound journey.

As soon as your journey is booked, you should use TAP Air Portugal’s stopover website to search out reductions on motels and points of interest, journey inspiration, guides and extra.

Turkish Airways

Turkish Airways gives the most effective stopover applications on the market, providing as much as a two-night lodge keep totally free. With Turkish Airways’ stopover program, business-class passengers can keep in a five-star or boutique lodge in Turkey for as much as two nights, and economy-class passengers can keep at a four-star lodge for one evening. Your stopover should be a minimum of 20 hours lengthy to qualify for a free lodge room.

As soon as you’ve got reserved your flights, you may enter your reservation code or ticket quantity and your final title on the stopover website to request your lodging. Or, you may ship an e mail (discover the best e mail tackle primarily based on the vacation spot within the desk on the stopover web site), together with your title, reservation code or ticket quantity, dates wanted for lodging, most popular room sort (single, double or triple), phone quantity and e mail tackle. You should e-book the stopover service a minimum of 72 hours earlier than your first flight.

You probably have a connecting worldwide flight with a layover in Istanbul between six and 24 hours, you may go on one of many free metropolis excursions, which embody bus transportation and meals. You needn’t reserve forward of time — simply head to the Touristanbul desk upon arrival at Istanbul Airport (IST) to register. For extra data on the completely different excursions supplied, go to the airline’s Touristanbul page.

Passengers will not be allowed to obtain each free lodging and free Touristanbul outings on the identical journey. As all the time, be sure that to verify visa necessities earlier than touring.