Free Stopovers: The Ultimate Travel Hack
Are you looking to get the most bang for your buck every time you book a flight? Then you NEED to be taking advantage of stopovers. Booking a flight with a free stopover is like getting two destinations for the price of one.
A stopover refers to staying in a destination for longer than 24 hours while travelling internationally. This is compared to a layover, which is much shorter, typically only lasting several hours.
For no extra charge, you can add an additional city (or even country) to your itinerary for a night or more before continuing on your trip. Many programs also offer benefits like a free hotel room or a city tour. Some airlines will even take care of visas for you.
How to SCORE A Free Stopover
There are three key approaches to being the lucky recipient of a free international stopover:
1. Searching Online (AKA, the DIY route)
Search for those multi-city or connecting flights on your own. Whether it’s an around the world ticket, a multi-city one, or you piece together those individual flights, all you need to do is check the terms and conditions of your airlines stopover service and then be sure to meet the requirements with your itinerary. For example, China Southern Airlines offers a free hotel room and transfer to any guests with a stopover time of 9 hours or more.
2. Airwander
Airwander is a stopover search engine that will use your travel dates and airports to suggest stopover cities and reveal how much you could save, depending on the number of days you’re willing to spend there.
3. Call & Ask
If you already have an idea of the airline you want, the destination for your journey, and the stopping points – give the airlines a call and ask all of your questions to the expert.
4. Travel Agent
Yep these still exist, and this is just one of the many things they can help you with. An experienced travel agent should be able to outline the options on your chosen route and make it happen for you. Take the stress out of planning and delegate!
Which airlines offer FREE stopovers?
Below you can find our comprehensive list of all the airlines that offer stopovers to travellers. While these programs differ in their benefits, length, and ease of booking, all of them have one thing in common. They all allow you to visit two destinations for the price of one.
Click on the airline of your choice to read more about the terms of their offers: