A stopover lets you spend a few days in an airline’s hub city before continuing to your destination. With the right ticket, the extra stop adds nothing to your airfare. Some airlines also offer free or discounted hotel stays.
More than a dozen airlines have formal stopover programs, though the benefits and booking rules vary. This guide explains which ones to consider, how to book, and what to check before making plans.
1. Know the difference between a layover and a stopover
People often use these words to mean the same thing, but the difference can affect your fare.
- Layover: A connection lasting less than 24 hours on an international journey. It usually forms part of a through fare.
- Stopover: A break lasting more than 24 hours. Depending on the fare rules, adding one can increase the ticket price.
- Stopover program: An airline offer that lets you spend several days in its hub without paying extra airfare.
Start by looking for one through ticket with the stop included. Compare the price with separate tickets, but think about missed connections too. If separate bookings leave you stranded after a delay, the next airline may have no duty to rebook you.
2. Choose a stopover program that suits your trip
Some programs cover the extra stop and leave you to arrange accommodation. Others include a hotel or offer rooms at a reduced rate.
These are worth considering:
- Icelandair (Reykjavik): Stay up to seven nights at no extra airfare when flying between North America and Europe. Flex fares allow up to 21 nights, though stays beyond seven nights require a call to the service center. Hotels cost extra.
- TAP Air Portugal (Lisbon or Porto): Add up to ten days on a one-way, return, or multi-city ticket without extra airfare. Benefits include 25% off one domestic flight within Portugal and discounts at more than 150 partner hotels, restaurants, and attractions.
- Turkish Airlines (Istanbul): Eligible Economy passengers receive one night in a four-star hotel. Business passengers receive two nights in a five-star hotel. For trips starting in the US and several Asian countries, this rises to two and three nights respectively. Apply for the hotel after buying your ticket.
- Qatar Airways (Doha): Four-star hotels start at $14 per person per night, and five-star hotels start at $24. The offer covers transits of 12 to 96 hours, with stays of up to four nights. Book through Discover Qatar after confirming your flight. Prices assume two people sharing, so solo travelers should budget roughly twice the advertised rate.
- Etihad (Abu Dhabi): Eligible return bookings include a free one- or two-night hotel stay with a stop of at least 24 hours. Book the hotel at least 72 hours before arrival. Breakfast and airport transfers cost extra, as does a tourism fee of AED 15 per room per night.
- Iberia (Madrid): Hola Madrid allows stays of one to nine nights at no extra airfare on one leg of your journey. Benefits include a free two-day public transport card and 25% off onward flights within Spain and Portugal.
- Copa Airlines (Panama City): Add a stop lasting 24 hours to 15 days at no extra airfare. The program expanded from seven days in June 2026. You must request the stopover when the ticket is first issued.
Shorter connections can come with benefits too. Turkish Airlines offers free Touristanbul city tours, including meals, for eligible layovers of six to 24 hours.
Changi Airport’s Free Singapore Tour covers transits of 5.5 to 24 hours. The guided bus tour lasts 2.5 hours, and you can reserve a place in advance.
Emirates’ Dubai Connect can cover a hotel, meals, transfers, and a UAE transit visa. Connections generally need to last around six to 26 hours, with the minimum depending on your cabin. You must also meet the program’s connection rules, including having no shorter eligible connection available.
3. Book the flights together on one ticket
Finding a stopover offer is only part of the job. You also need to book an itinerary that meets its rules.
- Use the airline’s stopover booking option. Icelandair and TAP include this in their flight search. Copa uses a multi-city option. For other airlines, try a multi-city search with your chosen stop and dates, then check whether the fare qualifies.
- Arrange the stop at the right time. Copa and Iberia require it to be included in the original booking. Adding it later may involve a change fee and fare difference. With Turkish Airlines, you buy the ticket first, then apply for the hotel.
- Keep the flights on one ticket. Most hotel programs require this, including Dubai Connect and Etihad’s offer. Having flights in the same booking does not necessarily mean they share one ticket.
- Compare prices before paying. A program may waive the stopover charge, but flight prices still change with your travel dates. Compare the journey with and without the stop, and test a few dates. You can run that same multi-city comparison on FlyBibe to check the cost.
It also helps to give yourself time to compare fares. The usual booking window for international flights still matters when your trip includes a stopover. Start looking two to eight months ahead, with more time for busy travel periods.
4. Check visas, baggage, and booking deadlines
A free stopover still involves entering another country. Before booking hotels or planning your days, check what your passport and ticket allow.
- Entry rules: A Lisbon or Madrid stop counts toward your Schengen 90-in-180-day allowance if you travel under the short-stay rules. Qatar offers visa-free entry to many nationalities and uses the Hayya platform for certain visa applications. Dubai Connect includes visa arrangements where applicable, subject to immigration approval. Etihad passengers need to qualify for visa on arrival or arrange a UAE visa in advance.
- Baggage: Bags are usually checked through on connections under 24 hours, so confirm whether you can collect yours during the stop. Turkish Airlines requires passengers to collect their luggage in Istanbul when the transfer exceeds 24 hours.
- Deadlines: Etihad’s hotel booking closes 72 hours before arrival. Turkish Airlines issues hotel vouchers against your ticket number. If your ticket changes, you may need a new voucher.
Read the airline’s stopover terms before paying, then check again before departure. Offers and entry rules can change, and a blog post may miss a recent update.
Avoid the mistakes that make a free stopover expensive
A long connection does not automatically qualify for a stopover package. Your route, fare class, and booking method can all affect eligibility.
Turkish Airlines excludes certain booking classes, including N and R. Other airlines may exclude promotional fares from hotel offers, even when the flights seem to meet the rules. Third-party booking sites may also leave these details out of the checkout process.
Before paying, check your fare against the airline’s terms. If you cannot confirm eligibility, contact the airline while you still have other options.
You should also work out the cost of the stay itself. Icelandair leaves accommodation to you, Qatar’s headline hotel prices assume two people sharing, and Etihad’s offer carries a tourism fee. Meals, local transport, and entry fees can add up too.
Treat the offer as a chance to visit another city without an extra airfare charge. Then decide whether the cost of spending time there fits your budget.
Turn your next connection into a second trip
If your route passes through a city you would like to explore, check whether the airline offers a stopover. Compare the full ticket price, confirm the hotel terms, and make sure you can enter the country.
Whether you are considering Lisbon, Doha, Istanbul, or Panama City, search flights with a stopover on FlyBibe to compare your options. A few extra days could give you another place to explore without increasing your airfare.