Quick answer:
- Airline stopover programs let you spend a day to two weeks in an airline’s hub city on the way to your destination, usually for no extra airfare beyond taxes.
- Turkish Airlines and Etihad still include free hotel nights; Icelandair, TAP Air Portugal, Copa and others add the stop at no extra fare and you arrange the hotel.
- Aeroplan and Flying Blue let you add stopovers to award tickets, and rules change often, so confirm current terms before you book.
An airline stopover program lets you pause in the airline’s hub city for a day to two weeks on the way to your destination, usually for no extra airfare. A few airlines also cover your hotel. One ticket, two trips: three days in Lisbon on the way to Rome, a night in Istanbul before Cape Town, a week in Iceland before Paris.
This guide covers the major airline stopover programs running in 2026, what each one includes, the stopovers you can add to award tickets with points and miles, and how to book them. Program terms change often, so treat the details below as a starting point and confirm on the airline’s site before you buy.
Image courtesy of Aayush Gupta on Unsplash
What is an airline stopover?
A stopover is any stop longer than 24 hours on an international ticket. Anything shorter is a layover. Normally, stretching a layover into a stopover reprices your ticket, sometimes by hundreds of dollars. A stopover program waives that, so the extra city costs little or nothing beyond taxes.
Programs fall into three groups:
- Free stopover, hotel included: the airline pays for one or more hotel nights (Turkish Airlines, Etihad, Saudia).
- Free stopover, discounted hotel: no added airfare, plus partner deals on hotels and attractions (TAP Air Portugal, Qatar Airways, Iberia, Copa).
- Free stopover, flights only: you book the stop at no extra fare and arrange your own hotel (Icelandair, Finnair, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines).
The best value usually comes from routing a trip you’re already taking through a hub you’ve wanted to see.
Middle East and Turkey stopover programs
A note on Gulf stopovers in 2026: the conflict involving Iran that began in late February 2026 disrupted flights across the region, and Gulf hubs spent the spring and summer rebuilding schedules. Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad are flying and selling stopovers again, but some routes, particularly to and from Saudi Arabia, are still being cancelled or adjusted, and European aviation regulator EASA’s Gulf airspace advisory remains in effect at the time of writing. Check your government’s travel advisory and your flight status before you book, and buy travel insurance that covers disruption.
Qatar Airways (Doha)
Qatar’s Doha stopover isn’t free, but it can be inexpensive: hotel packages have been advertised from roughly $14 per person per night for four-star and $24 for five-star, based on two adults sharing, for transits of 12 to 96 hours. Prices and availability change, so check the current rate when you book. You can book up to four nights per direction and one stay in each direction per ticket. Qatar Airways, codeshare and oneworld tickets qualify. Book your flight first, then add the hotel through Qatar Airways or Discover Qatar. For a single overnight connection of about 8 to 24 hours, ask about Qatar’s separate transit hotel at least 72 hours before departure.
Image courtesy of Dean Zhang on Unsplash
Emirates (Dubai)
Emirates has no standing free multi-day stopover. Its paid Dubai Stopover packages bundle hotels, transfers and visas, and Dubai Connect provides a hotel, meals and transfers on long connections (roughly 6 to 26 hours in premium cabins or 8 to 26 hours in economy) when no shorter connection exists. Over the summer of 2026, Emirates ran a limited free-night promotion for return tickets with a 24-hour Dubai stop; that offer ended on September 30, 2026. Similar promotions come and go, so it’s worth checking for a new one before you book.
Etihad Airways (Abu Dhabi)
Etihad has offered one or two free nights at selected three- and four-star hotels on a round-trip ticket with a stop of at least 24 hours in Abu Dhabi, plus a paid Premium Stopover option with discounted five-star stays. Flights must be operated and ticketed by Etihad, the free stay doesn’t include transfers, and you pay a small tourism fee to the hotel. Reserve at least 72 hours before arriving, and confirm the current terms on Etihad’s site, since some Etihad routes are still being adjusted.
Turkish Airlines (Istanbul)
Turkish Airlines’ Stopover program is the most generous free-hotel offer still running: at least one free night in a four-star hotel for economy passengers and two in a five-star or boutique hotel for business, with extra nights for trips that start in certain countries, including the U.S. You need a round-trip itinerary on one reservation, operated entirely by Turkish Airlines, with an Istanbul connection of 20 hours to seven days. Codeshare segments void the benefit, and some of the cheapest fare classes don’t qualify. Apply through the Stopover Istanbul page with your ticket number at least 72 hours before departure. Shorter connections can join the free Touristanbul city tours instead.
Image courtesy of Pourya Gohari on Unsplash
Saudia (Riyadh and Jeddah)
Saudi Arabia has offered a free 96-hour stopover visa to passengers on Saudia and flynas, applied for during booking, and Saudia has added a free hotel night. Riyadh has been the hub hit hardest by the 2026 disruptions, and several governments, including the UK, Australia and Canada, have been advising against travel to Saudi Arabia, so hold off on this one for now.
Gulf Air (Bahrain)
Gulf Air has offered a free hotel on 7- to 24-hour Bahrain connections for higher-value tickets. Request it through the contact center at least 24 hours before departure and confirm eligibility when you do.
Ethiopian Airlines (Addis Ababa)
Ethiopian sells Addis Ababa stopover and transit packages. Hotels aren’t automatically included, so compare the package price with booking the hotel yourself.
Europe and North Atlantic stopover programs
Icelandair (Reykjavik)
Icelandair invented the modern stopover and still runs the simplest one: stay in Iceland up to seven days between North America and Europe at no additional airfare. Some flexible fares have allowed longer stays, so ask when you book. Select the stopover in the booking engine; adding it later can trigger a change fee. Hotels are on you. My insider’s guide to Iceland covers what to do with those extra days, and if you’re flying from the Upper Midwest, see how to plan Iceland and Scandinavia from Minneapolis.
Image courtesy of Oskar Kadaksoo on Unsplash
TAP Air Portugal (Lisbon and Porto)
TAP’s Portugal Stopover adds Lisbon or Porto to a connecting trip through Portugal with no extra base fare, plus partner discounts on hotels and attractions. Older guides list a 10-day maximum, but more recent terms cap the stop at about five days, so check the current limit when you book. The trip must start and end outside Portugal. Choose the stopover when TAP’s booking flow asks, or use multi-city search. Award tickets booked with United or Aeroplan miles can’t use it.
Azores Airlines (Azores)
Azores Airlines lets you stop in the Azores for up to seven days on the outbound trip, the return, or both. It’s an easy way to add volcanic islands and whale watching to a Europe trip from Boston or Toronto.
Iberia (Madrid)
Iberia’s Stopover Hola Madrid has allowed up to nine nights in Madrid on long-haul tickets, along with discounts on transit and domestic Iberia flights. Select it when booking on Iberia.com.
Finnair (Helsinki)
Finnair no longer markets a stopover program, but multi-city tickets can still include a stop in Helsinki of a few nights on its more flexible fares (not the cheapest Light fares). Book through multi-city search on finnair.com.
SWISS (Zurich and Geneva)
SWISS adds a Switzerland stop of two to five days in one direction at no extra airfare for a small booking fee, with optional packages that bundle a hotel and Swiss Travel Pass. Book through the Stopover Switzerland site a few weeks ahead.
LOT Polish Airlines (Warsaw)
LOT allows a stop of up to several days in Warsaw on international round trips, with discounts on domestic LOT flights. Choose the LOT Stopover option on lot.com.
SAS (Copenhagen)
SAS allows stopovers in Scandinavia on eligible fares with no extra airfare. Call SAS before ticketing to add one.
Asia-Pacific stopover programs
Singapore Airlines (Singapore)
Singapore Airlines’ stopover offer is strongest in premium cabins, which have received hotel nights and Changi credit, while economy passengers have received transit vouchers. Longer connections can qualify for a free guided Singapore tour. Book the stop through multi-city search on singaporeair.com.
Image courtesy of Hu Chen on Unsplash
Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong)
Cathay Pacific allows up to seven days in Hong Kong at no extra airfare on many trips from North America, Europe and Australia to Asia, with hotel discounts and airport-run tours for longer transits. Book through multi-city on cathaypacific.com.
Japan Airlines and ANA (Tokyo, Osaka and beyond)
Japan Airlines allows up to six nights in Japan in one direction, plus domestic connections to more than 30 cities; travelers from the U.S., Canada and Mexico pay a stopover fee (about $100 at the time of writing). ANA gives one free stopover per direction across 40-plus Japanese cities, with a second available for a fee. Both work through each airline’s multi-city search.
Korean Air and Asiana (Seoul)
Korean Air runs free Seoul city tours for 4- to 24-hour connections (you pay entrance fees and meals) and sells K-Stopover packages with hotel, meals and tours. Many travelers need a K-ETA or visa to leave the airport. Asiana has offered hotels on select routes and business fares, requested in advance.
China Airlines and mainland Chinese carriers
China Airlines offers free half-day Taipei tours for 7- to 24-hour transits. Air China, China Southern and China Eastern provide a transit hotel night on qualifying 6- to 30-hour connections at their hubs. Most must be reserved before you land.
Fiji Airways, Hawaiian and Qantas (Pacific)
Fiji Airways allows up to 96 hours in Nadi, a natural break on the way to Australia or New Zealand. Hawaiian Airlines lets mainland U.S. travelers add a Honolulu stop in each direction for a small fare difference. Qantas allows stopovers on paid multi-city tickets.
Latin America stopover programs
Copa Airlines (Panama City)
Copa’s Stopover in Panama got a big boost in June 2026: you can now stay from 24 hours up to 15 days, up from seven, with no added airfare on one leg of your trip. You pay Panama’s entry and exit taxes, and the stopover must be requested when you first buy the ticket; adding it later means a fare difference. Partner hotels and attractions offer discounts to stopover travelers.
Image courtesy of Daniel Mckenzie on Unsplash
Award stopovers: free stops with points and miles
Some of the best stopovers aren’t airline programs at all. They’re built into the rules of frequent flyer programs, so you can add a city to an award ticket for a small fee or nothing.
Air Canada Aeroplan: 5,000 points
Aeroplan charges 5,000 points to add a stopover of up to 45 days to a one-way award, bookable online through the Multi-City/Stopover option on aircanada.com. Stopovers aren’t allowed in Canada, the U.S. or China, and you can’t open-jaw at the stopover city. Because Aeroplan prices one-ways across Star Alliance partners, a single award can include, say, four days in Istanbul on the way to Asia. Booking by phone adds a service fee.
Air France-KLM Flying Blue: free, by phone
Flying Blue added stopovers on award tickets in December 2022 after removing them in 2017. The stop must last at least 24 hours and usually adds no miles when the whole itinerary prices in the lowest available award class, though taxes rise slightly. You can’t book it online: call Air France or KLM, and expect a call-center fee unless you hold elite status. Promo Rewards can’t include a stopover, and since September 2026, every segment on the ticket shares one award fare type (Light, Standard or Flex).
Other programs worth knowing
- Alaska Atmos Rewards: one free en-route stopover on one-way awards.
- Singapore KrisFlyer: stopovers of up to 30 days; one on one-way Advantage awards, and up to two on round trips.
- ANA Mileage Club: one free stopover on round-trip awards that start outside Japan.
- Turkish Miles&Smiles: awards can include an Istanbul stop, which may qualify for the stopover hotel if the ticket meets the program rules.
- United MileagePlus: the Excursionist Perk ended in 2025, so United awards no longer include a free stop.
- American AAdvantage and Delta SkyMiles: no free stopovers on awards.
Airline stopover programs compared
A quick reference for the main programs, compiled in fall 2026. Terms change often, so confirm on the airline’s site before booking.
| Airline | Stopover city | Max stay | Free hotel? | How to add it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkish Airlines | Istanbul | 7 days | Yes, 1+ nights economy, 2+ business | Apply online 72 hrs before departure |
| Etihad | Abu Dhabi | Varies | Yes, 1 to 2 nights | Etihad.com with flights, 72 hrs before arrival |
| Saudia | Riyadh, Jeddah | 96 hours | Yes, 1 night | On hold given 2026 disruptions |
| Qatar Airways | Doha | 4 nights per direction | Low-cost packages | Add after booking flights |
| Emirates | Dubai | Package-dependent | Paid packages | Dubai Stopover packages |
| Copa | Panama City | 15 days | No, discounts | When buying ticket |
| Icelandair | Reykjavik | 7 days | No | In booking engine |
| Iberia | Madrid | Up to 9 nights | No, discounts | Iberia.com |
| LOT | Warsaw | Several days | No, discounts | Lot.com |
| Azores Airlines | Azores | 7 days | No | Azores Airlines stopover page |
| Cathay Pacific | Hong Kong | 7 days | No, discounts | Multi-city search |
| Japan Airlines | Tokyo, Osaka | 6 nights | No | Multi-city (fee from North America) |
| TAP Air Portugal | Lisbon, Porto | About 5 days | No, discounts | In booking flow |
| Finnair | Helsinki | A few nights | No | Multi-city, flexible fares |
| SWISS | Zurich, Geneva | 5 days | Paid packages | Stopover Switzerland site |
| Aeroplan (award) | Most Star Alliance cities | 45 days | No | 5,000 points, online |
| Flying Blue (award) | Air France-KLM network | No published max | No | Free, by phone |
How to book an airline stopover
- Pick the hub, then the airline. Decide which city you want to add, then find the airline that connects through it on your route. Lisbon means TAP, Istanbul means Turkish, Reykjavik means Icelandair.
- Search multi-city, not round trip. On the airline’s own website, enter each leg separately: home to the hub, the hub to your destination, and back. Some airlines (TAP, Icelandair, Iberia) show a stopover option inside the normal booking flow instead.
- Compare against the plain round trip. A true stopover program adds little beyond taxes. If the multi-city price jumps, try different dates, because the cheapest fare class must be available on every flight.
- Book with the airline or an advisor. Several programs, including Etihad’s hotel offer, exclude online travel agency bookings. Book on the airline’s site or through a travel advisor who can ticket the itinerary as one reservation.
- Claim the hotel separately. Free and discounted hotels usually aren’t part of the ticket. Turkish, Etihad and Qatar each have their own request page with a deadline, typically 72 hours before you travel.
- Check entry rules. A stopover means clearing immigration. Confirm visa or e-visa requirements for the stopover country, such as Turkey’s e-visa, Korea’s K-ETA or Saudi Arabia’s stopover visa.
- For award tickets, use the program’s multi-city tool. Aeroplan stopovers book online for 5,000 points. Flying Blue requires a phone call.
Tips for getting the most from a stopover
Put the stopover on the outbound leg when you want to break up jet lag, or on the return when you’d rather end the trip slowly. Keep the whole trip on one ticket so a missed connection is the airline’s problem, not yours. And avoid Light or Basic fares, which often exclude stopovers or hotel benefits.
Starting from North Dakota or Minnesota? Your feeder flight adds a leg before the long-haul even begins, so build in some slack. My guide to flying international from Fargo explains when to start at FAR, GFK or MSP.
Airline stopover FAQ
Is a stopover free?
Most stopover programs add no extra airfare, but you still pay taxes and fees for the added flight segment. Turkish Airlines and Etihad also include free hotel nights on qualifying tickets.
What’s the difference between a layover and a stopover?
On international tickets, a layover is a connection under 24 hours. A stopover is any stop of 24 hours or more.
Which airline has the best stopover program?
For free hotels, Turkish Airlines and Etihad lead. For the longest stay, Copa now allows up to 15 days in Panama. For inexpensive hotel packages, Qatar’s Doha stopover is hard to beat.
Can I add a stopover to an award ticket?
Yes, with the right program. Air Canada Aeroplan charges 5,000 points per stopover and Air France-KLM Flying Blue allows free stopovers by phone. United, American and Delta don’t offer free award stopovers.
Are Gulf stopovers safe to book in 2026?
Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad are operating and selling stopovers, but the region is still recovering from conflict-related disruptions that began in February 2026. Check your government’s travel advisory and your flight status before booking, and carry travel insurance.
Plan a stopover with Erons Travel
Stopover rules change constantly, and the best routing depends on your dates, fare and where you want to go. From our base in Fargo, North Dakota, Erons Travel can help you compare routings, put the stopover on the same ticket as the rest of your trip and line up hotels in both cities. As a Fora Travel advisor, I also have access to preferred-partner programs at many hotels around the world; reach out and I’ll walk you through what may be available for your dates.
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