I watched it happen again last month at JFK. A family sat slumped against their carry-ons, staring at a departure board showing a 14-hour layover in Istanbul. The dad scrolled through his phone, probably looking for a day room. The mom corralled two restless kids. They looked exhausted before their trip had even really begun.
I wanted to walk over and tell them what I’ve learned after years of international travel: that layover could be two free nights in a four-star hotel. The airline would cover their room, their meals, and arrange a guided tour of the Grand Bazaar. They could actually leave the airport, see a new city, and arrive at their final destination more rested than if they’d taken a direct flight.
But most travelers never learn this. They see long layovers as obstacles to endure rather than opportunities to seize.
The Difference Between Waiting and Traveling
There’s a fundamental distinction that changes everything about how you approach international flights. A layover is passive. It’s those handful of hours between connections where you camp at a gate, maybe grab an overpriced sandwich, definitely overpay for coffee, and count down the minutes until boarding.
A stopover is something else entirely. It’s a deliberate stay of 24 hours or more in your connecting city where you leave the airport, check into an actual hotel, and treat the connection point like a destination. You explore neighborhoods, eat real food, see landmarks, and sometimes discover cities you never knew you wanted to visit.
Airlines have figured out that these extended connections can become competitive advantages. They operate massive hubs that funnel traffic between continents. Turkish Airlines routes everything through Istanbul. Qatar Airways channels passengers through Doha. Icelandair positions Reykjavik as the bridge between North America and Europe. To win your business over competitors, they make the layover so attractive that you actively choose the longer connection.
The mechanics are surprisingly straightforward. Airlines absorb costs that you’d pay anyway at your destination. Hotel rooms. Airport transfers. Sometimes meals and city tours. In exchange, you fly their route and spend a day or two pumping money into their home city’s economy. Everyone wins.
Why This Works So Well
I’ve used stopover programs on routes to Southeast Asia, South America, and throughout Europe. What strikes me every time is how much value airlines are willing to give away to secure your routing choice.
A hotel in central Istanbul runs $150 to $200 per night. Turkish Airlines covers that cost entirely for qualifying passengers, plus they throw in airport transfers both ways. That’s real money saved, not theoretical points or complicated redemptions.
Last year, I watched a couple check into the St. Regis in Doha. They paid $50 per night through Qatar Airways’ stopover program. The rack rate? North of $400. They stayed three nights and saved over $1,000 on accommodation alone while adding an entire country to their itinerary. They weren’t travel hackers or miles obsessives. They just knew where to look.
A photographer I met in Reykjavik had stopped there for five days on her way from Boston to Amsterdam. She’d rented a car and driven Iceland’s entire south coast, hitting waterfalls and black sand beaches and glacier lagoons. Her flights cost exactly the same as a direct Boston to Amsterdam routing. She hadn’t paid a cent extra in airfare. Iceland was essentially free.
These aren’t cherry-picked extreme examples. This is how these programs work when you understand what airlines are offering and how to access it.
The Five Programs Worth Your Attention
Not every airline offers meaningful stopovers. Budget carriers don’t do it at all. Most major airlines offer basic multi-city booking but nothing subsidized. Five carriers have built programs that deliver genuine value, and they each serve different types of travelers.
Turkish Airlines gives you free hotels in Istanbul. Economy passengers get one night in a four-star property. Business class gets two nights at a five-star hotel, plus airport transfers and access to their Touristanbul city tours. It’s the most comprehensive free package available, which makes it perfect for budget-conscious travelers who want everything covered.
Icelandair pioneered the modern stopover back in the 1960s when they were still called Loftleiðir. They let you stop in Reykjavik for up to seven nights at no additional airfare when flying between North America and Europe. They don’t include a hotel, which gives you complete control over your budget and itinerary. Want to camp? Stay in a hostel? Book a luxury property? Your choice. This works brilliantly for transatlantic travelers who want extended time to explore Iceland properly.
Qatar Airways operates differently. Through their “Discover Qatar” tourism initiative, they offer stays at world-class properties for absurdly low rates. We’re talking the St. Regis, the Four Seasons, the Ritz-Carlton for $14 to $50 per night. These are hotels that normally charge $300 or more. The subsidies come from Qatar’s tourism board as part of their broader economic diversification strategy. For travelers who want to experience genuine luxury without luxury prices, this program is unmatched.
Emirates runs two distinct programs. Dubai Connect provides complimentary hotels for passengers with unavoidable long layovers, typically between 8 and 26 hours. If your connection qualifies, they’ll put you in a four or five-star property near the airport or in the city, cover your meals, and arrange transfers. Their separate Stopover Package offers discounted rates for extended multi-day stays in Dubai. The free program is capacity-controlled and requires advance application, but when you qualify, it transforms a brutal overnight layover into a comfortable rest.
TAP Air Portugal allows stopovers up to 10 nights in Lisbon or Porto, the longest duration among major carriers. Rather than free hotels, they’ve built an extensive discount network. Their Stopover Card gives you access to over 500 offers across hotels, restaurants, museums, and tours throughout Portugal. You also get 25% off a second domestic flight within the country. This works well for travelers who want extended European exploration and don’t mind booking their own accommodation in exchange for significant local savings.
Singapore Airlines takes an entirely different approach. Their stopover program is built into KrisFlyer, their frequent flyer program, and it’s available only on award tickets. The brilliance is that adding a stopover costs zero additional miles. A direct award from Sydney to New York costs the same miles as Sydney to Singapore with a five-day stop, then Singapore to New York. You can stop in Singapore, obviously, but also Frankfurt, Tokyo, Manchester, or Milan depending on your routing. For travelers sitting on miles balances, this is the most powerful redemption optimization available.
Who Actually Benefits From This
I’ve met budget backpackers using Turkish Airlines stopovers to stretch their money further. Families breaking up 16-hour slogs to Asia with a Singapore stop so their kids don’t melt down. Business travelers holding client meetings in Dubai during connections, effectively visiting two cities on one trip. Retirees using TAP Portugal’s 10-night option to slowly explore Lisbon and Porto before continuing to Morocco.
The common thread isn’t a specific type of traveler. It’s travelers who understand that international routes naturally pass through major hubs, and these hubs want your business badly enough to subsidize your stay.
If you’re flying from the U.S. East Coast to Southeast Asia, you’re likely connecting somewhere. That somewhere could be Istanbul, Doha, or Dubai. If you’re crossing the Atlantic, Reykjavik sits right in the middle. If you’re heading to Southern Europe or Africa, Lisbon is a natural waypoint. These aren’t out-of-the-way detours. They’re cities already on your path.
The travelers who use stopovers aren’t adding significant time or complexity to their journeys. They’re just being deliberate about which connection they choose and claiming the benefits that airlines offer for making that choice.
The Reality of Making It Work
Every program requires booking your flights as multi-city segments directly through the airline’s website. The standard round-trip search won’t work. You need to manually enter each leg: departure city to stopover city, stopover city to final destination, then the reverse for your return.
After booking, you typically apply for stopover benefits separately. Turkish Airlines requires emailing their stopover office with your confirmation number. Qatar Airways requires registration on the Discover Qatar website. Emirates requires applying for their Dubai Connect service. These steps aren’t automatic. I’ve seen travelers miss out on free hotels simply because they didn’t know to complete the secondary application.
Visa requirements vary dramatically. Turkey requires e-visas for most nationalities, though the online application takes about 10 minutes. Qatar offers free transit visas for citizens of over 100 countries. Iceland and Portugal fall under Schengen Area rules, which means U.S., Canadian, and most European passport holders don’t need visas for short stays. Always verify requirements for your specific passport and destination before booking.
For stopovers exceeding 24 hours, you’ll collect and re-check your luggage. This is different from short layovers where bags transfer automatically. Pack a carry-on with stopover essentials so you’re not dependent on everything being in your checked bags.
When to Skip the Stopover
I won’t pretend stopovers work for everyone or every trip. If you’re working with a tight vacation window where every day matters, spending two nights in a transit city might not make sense. A week in Thailand is more valuable than two nights in Istanbul if Thailand is your actual destination and your vacation time is limited.
Travelers managing multiple large checked bags or specialized equipment face legitimate logistical challenges. Hauling three suitcases and a set of golf clubs through an unfamiliar city diminishes the appeal considerably.
Some people genuinely prefer direct flights and are willing to pay premiums for simplicity. That’s a perfectly valid choice. Not everyone wants to deal with the extra planning layer that stopovers require.
The key is being honest about your priorities and constraints. Stopovers deliver exceptional value when they align with how you already travel. When they don’t, forcing it creates more hassle than it’s worth.
When Stopovers Make Sense (And When They Don’t)
Perfect Stopover Scenarios ✅
Budget Travelers
- Free hotels save $100-300/night
- Visit the second destination at no airfare cost
- Maximize vacation value on a limited budget
Families with Children
- Break 16+ hour flights into manageable segments
- Kids get a real bed and shower between flights
- Cities like Singapore offer family-friendly attractions
Business Travelers
- Hold meetings in a stopover city without extra flights
- Rest between long-haul segments
- Arrive refreshed at the final destination
Curious Explorers
- Sample cities you wouldn’t plan full trips to
- Low-commitment cultural immersion
- Turn transit time into tourism
Miles & Points Enthusiasts
- Maximize frequent flyer redemptions
- Visit multiple destinations for a single award cost
- Leverage fifth freedom opportunities
Skip the Stopover If… ❌
Limited Time
- Every vacation day counts
- Prefer maximizing time at the final destination
- Can’t spare 2-3 extra days
Heavy Luggage
- Multiple checked bags
- Sporting equipment (golf clubs, skis)
- Must collect and re-check everything
Flying Budget Airlines
- No stopover programs offered
- Point-to-point optimization only
- No partner hotels or perks
Visa Complications
- Can’t obtain the required visa in time
- Passport restrictions
- Complex entry requirements
Simplicity Preference
- Direct flight is worth paying a premium
- Don’t want booking complexity
- Prefer straightforward travel
Why This Matters Now
I started paying attention to stopover programs about a decade ago when I noticed airfares climbing while my travel budget wasn’t. Hotels in popular destinations kept getting more expensive. The math of international travel was becoming less favorable for people who weren’t flying business class or staying at hostels.
Stopover programs represented one of the few areas where airlines were still subsidizing genuine value. They weren’t charging me for the privilege. They were giving me accommodation and experiences to win my routing business.
In 2025, that value proposition hasn’t changed. If anything, it’s become more relevant as travel costs continue rising. Finding legitimate ways to reduce expenses while increasing what you get from your trips isn’t just smart. It’s necessary for most travelers who want to keep exploring the world without breaking their budgets.
The travelers who understand how these programs work extract more value from every international flight. They visit additional cities. They stay in quality hotels for free or nearly free. They turn unavoidable connections into destinations they remember years later.
Your Next Steps
The next time you book a long-haul flight, pause before selecting the shortest connection. Look at what’s being offered. That eight-hour overnight in Istanbul could be two full days exploring a city that straddles Europe and Asia. That connection in Reykjavik could be five days driving past waterfalls and glaciers. That layover in Doha could be three nights in a five-star hotel for the price of a budget motel.
These opportunities exist right now. They’re not limited-time promotions or insider secrets that will disappear. They’re built into airline business models as competitive strategies. The only question is whether you’re positioned to use them.
I’ve put together comprehensive guides for each major stopover program covering booking procedures, eligibility requirements, and strategies to maximize value. You’ll find detailed breakdowns of what each airline offers, real cost comparisons, and step-by-step instructions for accessing these benefits.
Explore all stopover programs and detailed booking guides:
Complete Stopover Reports & Airline Programs →
Your next connection doesn’t have to be time you lose. It can be time you use. The choice, as it turns out, is entirely yours.
Essential Questions Answered
Do stopovers increase ticket prices?
The base airfare typically matches direct flights, sometimes costing less. You may pay $20 to $50 more in airport taxes due to additional takeoffs and landings, but free or heavily discounted hotels more than offset this. I’ve never paid more for a stopover ticket than I would have for the direct equivalent.
How long can you actually stop over?
It varies by airline. Turkish Airlines and Icelandair allow up to 7 days. Qatar Airways permits up to 4 nights. TAP Portugal offers the longest at 10 nights. Singapore Airlines allows up to 30 days on award tickets. Minimum durations are typically 24 hours.
What about visa requirements?
This depends entirely on your passport and stopover country. Turkey requires e-visas for most nationalities but the process takes 10 minutes online. Qatar offers free transit visas for citizens of over 100 countries. Iceland and Portugal follow Schengen Area rules, with U.S., Canadian, and most European citizens not requiring visas for short stays. Always verify before booking.
What happens to checked luggage?
For stopovers over 24 hours, you’ll collect your bags, clear customs, and re-check them before your continuing flight. This differs from short layovers where bags transfer automatically. Pack stopover essentials in your carry-on so you’re not entirely dependent on checked luggage.
Can you book through travel sites like Expedia?
You can book the flights, but you won’t receive stopover program benefits. Free hotels, city tours, and discount cards only trigger when booking directly through airline websites. Third-party sites can’t access these programs.
Which program offers the best value?
It depends on your route and priorities. Turkish Airlines offers the most comprehensive free package including hotels and tours. Qatar Airways provides the best luxury-to-price ratio with five-star properties at budget rates. Icelandair and TAP give you the most time to explore. Singapore Airlines maximizes frequent flyer mile value. Choose based on where you’re flying and what matters most to you.
For detailed strategies, booking walkthroughs, and program-specific tips, visit our complete stopover guide.
