Booking flights with stopovers lets you explore additional cities at minimal or no extra cost while breaking up long journeys. The best approach depends on whether you want to use airline-specific stopover programs, multi-city booking tools, or third-party search engines to customize your itinerary. Airlines like Icelandair, Turkish Airlines, and TAP Air Portugal offer formal stopover programs with perks such as free hotel stays or discounted attractions, while tools like Google Flights, Skyscanner, and the ITAS Matrix enable manual route planning for stopovers on most carriers. The key is understanding the difference between a layover (under 24 hours) and a stopover (24+ hours), then leveraging airline policies or booking strategies to maximize value.

• Top airlines with free stopover programs: Icelandair (up to 7 days in Reykjavik), Turkish Airlines (free Istanbul hotels/tours), and TAP Air Portugal (up to 10 days in Lisbon/Porto) ^[4][8]
• Best booking methods: Use airline multi-city tools for direct bookings or Skyscanner/Google Flights to compare routes with long layovers ^[3][10]
• Critical considerations: Visa requirements, baggage policies, and city accessibility (e.g., Dubai’s metro vs. Istanbul’s traffic) ^[7][8]
• Cost-saving tip: Some airlines (e.g., Emirates, Etihad) offer free hotel stays for layovers over 10–24 hours, while others like Qatar Airways provide discounted stopover packages ^[4]

How to Book Stopover Flights Effectively

Using Airline Stopover Programs for Maximum Perks

Airlines with official stopover programs often provide the easiest and most rewarding way to add extended layovers, as they include benefits like free hotels, city tours, or discounted attractions. These programs are designed to promote tourism in the airline’s hub city, so they’re typically offered at no extra airfare cost—though you may need to cover hotel taxes or activity fees. The process usually involves selecting the "multi-city" or "stopover" option during booking on the airline’s website, then choosing your preferred stopover duration (ranging from 1 day to 10+ days, depending on the carrier).

Key airlines and their stopover policies include:

• Icelandair: Free stopovers in Reykjavik for up to 7 days on transatlantic flights, with no additional airfare. Travelers can add the stopover during booking via the "multi-city" tool ^[4][8].
• Turkish Airlines: Offers free hotel stays for layovers of 6–24 hours in Istanbul, plus complimentary city tours. Stopovers can be booked directly on their website by selecting "Add Stopover" ^[4].
• TAP Air Portugal: Allows stopovers in Lisbon or Porto for up to 10 days at no extra cost. The airline’s "Stopover Portugal" program includes discounts on hotels and attractions ^[4][10].
• Emirates: Provides the "Dubai Connect" service for layovers of 10+ hours, including free hotel stays, meals, and transit visas for eligible passengers ^[4].
• Qatar Airways: Offers discounted stopover packages in Doha, including hotel stays starting at $50/night and free transit visas for 96 countries ^[4].

To book through these programs:

1. Visit the airline’s official website and use the "multi-city" or "stopover" booking tool.
2. Enter your origin, stopover city, and final destination, then select the desired stopover duration (e.g., 3 days in Istanbul).
3. Complete the booking and check for included perks (e.g., hotel vouchers or tour credits) in the confirmation email ^[3][8].
4. Verify visa requirements—some airlines (e.g., Emirates, Qatar Airways) provide free transit visas for stopovers ^[7].

A critical advantage of these programs is the ability to explore a new city without the hassle of booking separate tickets. For example, a flight from New York to Delhi via Istanbul on Turkish Airlines could include a 3-day stopover in Istanbul with a free hotel, effectively turning a layover into a mini-vacation ^[4].

Customizing Stopovers with Third-Party Tools

For airlines without formal stopover programs—or if you want more flexibility—third-party flight search engines like Skyscanner, Google Flights, and the ITAS Matrix (via Matrix.itasoftware.com) let you manually build itineraries with extended layovers. This method requires more planning but works with nearly any airline and route. The goal is to identify flights with naturally long layovers (e.g., 24+ hours) in cities you want to visit, then adjust the timing to create a stopover.

Steps to book a custom stopover:

1. Use Skyscanner or Google Flights: - Search for your route (e.g., Los Angeles to Bangkok) and filter for flights with "1 stop." - Look for layovers in appealing cities (e.g., Tokyo, Seoul) and note the airlines/flight numbers. - Use the "multi-city" search option to input your stopover city as a separate segment. For example: - Flight 1: Los Angeles → Tokyo (3-day layover) - Flight 2: Tokyo → Bangkok ^[10][6]. - Compare prices between roundtrip tickets and multi-city bookings—sometimes the multi-city option is cheaper ^[6].

1. Leverage the ITAS Matrix for Advanced Searches: - The ITAS Matrix (matrix.itasoftware.com) allows granular control over layover durations. For example, you can set a minimum layover of 24 hours in a specific city. - While you can’t book directly on ITAS, it generates flight combinations that you can then search for on the airline’s website or via an online travel agency (OTA) like Expedia ^[2].

1. Check for Hidden Stopover Opportunities: - Some airlines (e.g., Japan Airlines, Finnair) allow stopovers at their hubs even without a formal program. For instance, a flight from Chicago to Helsinki via Reykjavik on Icelandair could include a free 7-day stopover in Iceland, even if not explicitly advertised ^[5][10]. - Use the "calendar view" on Google Flights to spot dates where adding a stopover doesn’t increase the fare ^[9].

1. Book Separate Tickets (Advanced Strategy): - For maximum flexibility, book two one-way tickets: one to your stopover city and another from the stopover city to your final destination. This works best with budget airlines or when stopover cities are major hubs (e.g., Dubai, Singapore). - Caution: Ensure the airline alliance or baggage policy allows through-checking of luggage, or be prepared to recheck bags ^[5].

Key considerations for custom stopovers:

• Visa requirements: Some countries (e.g., UAE, Turkey) offer free transit visas for stopovers, while others (e.g., USA, Schengen Zone) may require a full tourist visa ^[7].
• Baggage policies: Confirm whether your luggage will be checked through to your final destination or if you’ll need to collect and recheck it during the stopover ^[8].
• Airport accessibility: Choose stopover cities with efficient transit to the city center (e.g., Hong Kong’s Airport Express vs. Los Angeles’ traffic) ^[7].
• Cost comparisons: Occasionally, booking a stopover via an airline’s program is cheaper than piecing together separate tickets. For example, a TAP Air Portugal flight from Boston to Lisbon with a 5-day stopover in Porto might cost the same as a direct flight to Lisbon ^[4].

Example itinerary using Google Flights:

• Route: New York (JFK) → Doha (DOH) → Cape Town (CPT)
• Stopover: 4 days in Doha
• Booking method: Use Google Flights’ "multi-city" tool to input JFK→DOH (4-day layover)→CPT. Compare prices with a roundtrip JFK→CPT to ensure the stopover doesn’t add cost ^[9].