What is the stopover rule?

The rules of stopover and layover duration vary across airlines. Generally, for international trips, a layover is anything from 30 minutes to 24 hours, while a stopover is longer than 24 hours. In domestic travel, a stopover would be anything longer than 4 hours.



The stopover rule in aviation refers to a break in a journey that lasts longer than 24 hours (for international flights) or 4 hours (for North American domestic flights). Unlike a "layover," which is a short pause to connect between planes, a stopover allows you to leave the airport and stay in a city for several days before continuing to your final destination. Many airlines, such as Icelandair, Emirates, and TAP Air Portugal, use "Free Stopover" programs as a marketing tool to encourage tourism in their hub cities. For example, if you fly from New York to London via Reykjavik, Icelandair allows you to stay in Iceland for up to seven days at no additional airfare cost. From a ticketing perspective, a stopover can significantly change the price of a ticket unless it is specifically permitted by the fare rules. In the world of frequent flyer miles, stopover rules are highly sought after, as they allow travelers to visit two or three destinations for the price (in miles) of a single round-trip ticket.

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Stopovers can range from as short as 24 hours to as long as 10 days, with no added cost to your airline ticket, depending on the program. To get the most out of a stopover, look for a program that offers other complimentary perks, too.

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A stopover is a stop at a transitional point of a journey. It's typically related to the break between the flight legs of the connecting flight. Stopover is often used interchangeably with layover but there's one important difference – the stop duration.

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Travel advisers say there's a lot to take into account when booking connecting flights, but a general rule of thumb is 60-90 minutes between domestic flights and at least two to three hours for international itineraries.

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Do you stay on the plane for a layover? In most cases, you'll have to switch to another plane, but sometimes (rarely) if the plane you are on is continuing to your next destination, you'll stay in your seat.

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Airline stopovers offer the chance to see an additional city, and come with free hotel stays, sightseeing discounts, and other perks. There's no doubt that international airfares have gotten more expensive.

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Layover flights are usually cheaper than both direct and non-stop flights. Though you might spend a lot of time landing, disembarking and with layovers, you get to rest and stretch in between your journey. A long layover is called a stopover.

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Booking a flight with a stopover is therefore a good alternative to see several countries in one trip. Take advantage of a stopover to visit places that are either not worth a whole trip or you don't have the time, but you still want to see them. Who knows, you might discover your new favorite destination!

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When layover flights are booked with the same airline, your baggage will be automatically transferred through to your final destination. However, if the two flights are with different airlines, you may have to claim and re-check your baggage during your layover.

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If your itinerary was purchased as one ticket (as in: you have only one itinerary and one confirmation number), and the connection time was too short and you miss the second (or third) flight, you can rest easy, no matter what happens. The airline will simply put you onto the next available flight, free of charge.

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While skiplagging isn't illegal, American Airlines filed a civil lawsuit earlier this month against Skiplagged.com, accusing the company of unauthorized and deceptive ticketing practices and tricking customers into believing they've gained access to a secret loophole.

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And what's the difference between 'transit' and 'stopover'? Thank you. Transit usually means just changing planes at the airport. Stopover usually means at least 24 hours or overnight between flights and you get out of the airport.

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When layover flights are booked with the same airline, your baggage will be automatically transferred through to your final destination. However, if the two flights are with different airlines, you may have to claim and re-check your baggage during your layover.

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Skiplagging, also known as hidden city ticketing, is when an air traveler buys a ticket for a flight with a layover before the final destination and departs at the layover airport. A travel website called Skiplagged.com allows people to find and book tickets for flights with hidden city ticketing.

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Is skiplagging illegal? No, but it's against most airlines' contracts of carriage or the rules people must follow to fly with the airline. American Airlines and Southwest Airlines both put skiplagging first on their lists of prohibited booking practices.

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While these terms are often used interchangeably, they are not the same thing. A layover is the time you spend at the airport between two flights. A connecting flight is the next flight in your itinerary that you're waiting at the airport to take.

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