See More for Less: Maximize Your Next Trip With These Airline Stopover Programs

Stopovers let you experience an extra city on the way to your final destination.

While we often talk about stopovers in the context of award travel, you can also add them to many paid itineraries. In some cases, you may also be eligible for perks during your stopover, such as free or discounted hotel stays or complimentary guided city tours.

Some international airlines offer stopover programs, including favorites Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways. Today, I’ll explain which airlines offer stopovers, what perks are included, and how to book them.

Stopover Overview by Airline

Air France Stopover in Paris

Enjoy a stopover in the City of Light for 1 to 4 nights when flying Air France. When booking, select an itinerary with a connection, then click where it says “extend my connection” and follow the steps to finish your flight reservation. You can organize your own stay and activities or do so with the help of Air France Stopover partner Extime. Go to the My Bookings link and then to Paris Stopover by Extime Travel to find options for transfers, accommodation, activities, and even a visit to Disneyland Paris.

Copa Airlines Stopover in Panama

Copa Airlines is based in Panama City, Panama, and has extensive routes to North America, Central America, and South America from its Panama City (PTY) hub. You can add a stopover between 1 and 15 days for no additional airfare, and the airline offers discounts on hotels, transportation, local restaurants, and activities. You can also book stopover packages that include a few days in destinations like the San Blas Islands or Panama’s jungle.

Hot Tip:

Learn more about how you can maximize stopovers and open-jaws.

Emirates Dubai Connect

Emirates offers the Dubai Connect program, which provides hotel accommodations for passengers with long connections in Dubai (DXB). If you’re booked on the best available connection between 2 cities and have an eligible long layover, the airline provides a complimentary hotel stay, transport, meals, and a UAE visa.

To organize your stopover, go to the Manage section of your booking and select Dubai Connect, adding the service to your booking at least 12 hours before your flight to Dubai. You can use Dubai Connect if your connection is between 6 and 26 hours, according to the program’s terms and conditions.

All classes of service can use this perk, and award tickets are eligible. However, you can only book the complimentary Dubai Connect service as long as there are no better connection times for your itinerary. All your flights must be on the same itinerary and ticketed by Emirates.

Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Stopover

Etihad gives passengers booking a return flight connecting in Abu Dhabi (AUH) up to 2 free nights at a partner hotel in Abu Dhabi or Al Ain. You can book tickets with a stopover in Abu Dhabi on Etihad’s website — book a connecting flight as usual, and the website will prompt you to add a stopover.

You can add a hotel to your stopover booking on Etihad’s booking management page. Pull up your booking and follow the on-screen prompts to add your free 1- or 2-day hotel stay. You can choose from several hotels, including city-center properties and ones closer to the airport. Hotel bookings through the Abu Dhabi Stopover program include 24/7 check-in and checkout, so you have more flexibility if your flight arrives early in the morning.

This perk is eligible for all service classes, but you need to call Etihad to book a stopover package with award tickets. You can also get the Etihad Stopover Pass, which offers discounts (usually 15% off) and deals on attractions in Abu Dhabi.

Ethiopian Airlines Addis Ababa Stopover

Ethiopian Airlines has an extensive route network from its Addis Ababa (ADD) hub, serving major cities in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North America, and South America. Flights with an extended layover between 8 and 24 hours are eligible for a complimentary stay at the Ethiopian Skylight In-Terminal Hotel, even if they’re not booked on the shortest connection to their destination.

Ethiopian Airlines tickets with an 8- to 24-hour connection are eligible. You can claim your hotel voucher at the airport where you check in. If you can’t get it at departure, ask at the transit desk in Addis Ababa on arrival.

The benefit covers 1 night’s hotel stay, meals, and transfers between the airport and the hotel. The airline should assist you with a transit visa as part of the package, but confirm with Ethiopian Airlines before traveling.

Finnair Helsinki Layover

Finnair doesn’t have a stopover program, but you might be able to book a flight from the U.S. to Europe with a long enough layover in Helsinki (HEL) to see the city. If this is the case for your route, Finnair’s website has ideas for planning a quick trip to Helsinki for 6-, 12-, and 24-hour layovers. Suggestions include museums, restaurants, and other important cultural sites.

Iberia Hola Madrid

You can add a stopover in Madrid (MAD) for up to 9 nights when you book connecting flights with Iberia. The Hola Madrid program doesn’t include hotels or other perks. However, you won’t pay extra for airfare by including a Madrid stopover, and you’re eligible for discounts at hotels, museums, restaurants, transportation, and other local merchants. You can also get a free 2-day pass for Madrid’s public transit system.

Most Iberia routes are eligible for this program. You can book an Iberia stopover ticket using the dedicated Hola Madrid page. Award tickets don’t qualify for Hola Madrid, but you can build your own stopover since Iberia Plus prices awards by leg. The airport is just a 20-minute car ride away to or from the city center, so if you have at least 6 to 8 hours, you can explore Madrid on your own during a long layover.

Icelandair Stopover in Iceland

Icelandair operates a single hub at Keflavik International Airport (KEF). You can add a stopover en route from North America to another European city for no additional airfare. Book these tickets on Icelandair’s website by selecting the option that says “Stopover in Iceland.”

You can use this program to add up to 7 days in Iceland. However, there are no other perks, such as hotel stays or transfers from the airport to the city center. You can’t add a stopover to award tickets outright, but you can add one if you’re booking with Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards and award space is available.

Japan Airlines Stopover

Japan Airlines (JAL) doesn’t offer a formal stopover program but allows travelers to book multiple-city itineraries with stops in Japan. A post on JAL’s Guide to Japan blog notes that doing this is often cheaper than booking multiple flights outright, but you should run the numbers before you book.

You can book multicity flights directly on JAL’s website. Select the option that says “Multi-City” from the booking tab at the top of the home page to be redirected to the proper page.

Build your itinerary and click the search button to see available flights and pricing. Then follow the on-screen prompts to buy your ticket.

JAL also offers the JAL Japan Explorer Pass with discounted fares on domestic JAL flights. Sometimes this may be cheaper than booking a multicity itinerary with stopovers. Compare your itinerary to booking individual flights outright before you book to see which is best for your trip.

Lufthansa Stopover in Munich

Lufthansa’s stopover program is called Stopover in Munich. As the name suggests, you can use the program to stay in Munich, the Bavarian capital, for up to 7 days.

You can book flights with the Stopover in Munich program via its landing page. Enter your desired travel itinerary, and if the route is eligible, the website will ask how long you want to stay in Munich and whether you’d like to visit on your outbound or inbound journey.

Within 24 hours of booking, Lufthansa will email you partner offers, such as discounted hotel stays, activities, and bus tours.

Malaysia Airlines Bonus Side Trip

The Bonus Side Trip program is available to international passengers transiting through Kuala Lumpur (KUL) on Malaysia Airlines. Passengers can book a domestic return flight to Johor Bahru (JHB), Kota Bharu (KBR), Kuching (KCH), Alor Setar (AOR), Kuala Terengganu (TGG), Kuantan (KUA), Langkawi (LGK), or Penang (PEN) as a stopover before finishing the last leg of their itinerary.

No additional fare is required, but taxes cost extra.

Qantas Multicity Bookings

Like other airlines on this list, Qantas doesn’t explicitly offer a stopover program. However, the airline allows travelers to add stopovers to eligible fares at no extra fee. You can build these itineraries on Qantas’ multicity booking page.

Whether this is a good deal depends on your route. Before you book, compare the cost of a multicity itinerary with booking multiple flights. In some cases, it might make more sense to book a round-trip ticket and add one-way flights on budget carriers to save on your trip.

Qatar Airways Qatar Stopover

Qatar Airways offers several stopover packages that provide heavily discounted hotel stays near its Doha (DOH) hub for stops between 12 and 96 hours. Packages start at just $14, and you can pick from Standard, Premium, Premium with Beach Access, and Luxury stopover packages.

Pricing depends on the tier you choose and how long you stay in Doha. Here’s how much you’ll pay:

You must add your package at least 3 days before you travel, and it includes visa-free access to Qatar and 24-hour check-in and checkout.

Award tickets booked with Qatar Airways Avios are usually eligible, but those booked with partners such as American Airlines AAdvantage may not be.

Bottom Line:

Qatar Airways has one of the most extensive stopover programs, offering deep discounts at various hotels. It’s also one of the few stopover programs that lets you pick your hotel. And since you can stay up to 4 nights at these hotels, you can experience much of what Doha offers.

Qatar Airways Complimentary Transit Accommodation

Qatar Airways also offers complimentary transit accommodation to passengers with an 8- to 24-hour layover in Doha. These packages include a hotel room, transfers to and from the airport, and a temporary entry visa to Qatar.

Most service and fare classes are eligible for this service, though your class of service determines the type of hotel you stay in. That said, only tickets with at least a $400 fare (base fare plus surcharges) are eligible. Furthermore, some discounted fares and mixed-cabin itineraries incur a $75 to $100 surcharge for this service.

Economy passengers are booked at a 3-star hotel, business class at a 4-star or 5-star hotel, and first class at a 5-star hotel. You must request your complimentary stay at least 72 hours before departure. You can request your stay by calling Qatar Airways or filling out a form available online.

TAP Air Portugal’s Portugal Stopover Program

TAP Air Portugal’s stopover program is available for passengers with connecting flights through its Lisbon (LIS) or Porto (OPO) hubs. This program is only available on new bookings, and award tickets aren’t eligible.

These bookings include a 25% discount on intra-Portugal flights and up to a 20% discount at select partner hotels for up to 10 days. Furthermore, there are over 500 partner offers at restaurants, tour providers, and other businesses. Travelers also receive a discounted Lisbon Card or a 48-hour Porto Card, which includes access to certain attractions and various discounts.

You can book a ticket with a stopover on TAP’s website. Search for a round-trip ticket as usual. It will prompt you to add a stopover before showing you flight results.

Turkish Airlines Stopover in Istanbul

Turkish Airlines is one of the best-connected airlines in the world, serving more countries than any other airline. If you fly the airline on a connecting journey with a 20–hour to 7-day connection in Istanbul (IST), you’re eligible for up to 3 free nights at a partner hotel in the historic city.

How many free nights you can receive depends on where you’re flying to and from and your class of service. Broadly, economy passengers are eligible for 1 free night, and business class passengers are eligible for 2 free nights. Travelers from the U.S., Canada, Japan, and certain other countries can receive an extra day at the hotel. This means economy passengers from the U.S. and some other countries get 2 nights in a hotel, while business class passengers get 3 nights.

You can view eligible destinations on Turkish Airlines’ website. Those flying from the U.S. and some other countries can use the program when flying anywhere except domestic destinations in Türkiye. Different countries have more restrictions.

To book your free hotel, email Turkish Airlines using the email provided for your country of departure on Turkish Airlines’ stopover page. You must apply for the stopover program at least 72 hours before your flight.

To qualify for these benefits, your flight must be ticketed and operated by Turkish Airlines, IndiGo, or Pakistan International Airlines. Most fare classes are eligible, except for N and R fares. Award tickets booked with Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles are often eligible, but you should call Turkish Airlines to verify. Finally, only round-trip itineraries are eligible for this program.

Turkish Airlines Free Layover City Tours

The airline also works with Touristanbul, which offers free city tours to passengers with layovers between 6 and 24 hours. Register at the Touristanbul desks at Istanbul Airport.

Turkish Airlines Layover Service

Turkish Airlines also offers a layover service to those with extended layovers so long as they’re on the fastest possible connection between 2 cities. Business class passengers can use this service on layovers of 9 hours or longer, and economy passengers can use it on layovers of 12 hours or longer. Head to the Turkish Airlines hotel desk upon arrival in Istanbul to claim a hotel voucher.

Final Thoughts

These stopover programs let you add another stop to an international trip; some even offer free or heavily discounted hotel stays, as well as promotions for tours and transport, and even help with visas. Remember these programs the next time you book a trip abroad to add a side trip to an extra city.