Quick Tips: Experience two cities for the cost of one with stopovers

There are several fantastic sweet spots in airline award charts, but one of the most effective ways to maximize your redemptions is by incorporating stopovers into your award tickets.

Stopovers enable you to plan longer layovers on your way to your final destination. Often, they can be added for free or at minimal costs, allowing you to explore two (or even more) cities for the price of one.

Here's the catch: Typically, there's no restriction on how long you can stay during your stopover. So, with a bit of strategy in your bookings, you don't have to visit both cities in a single trip.

However, keep in mind that not all airline loyalty programs provide free stopovers. In this Quick Tips, we’ll explore which programs allow stopovers on award tickets and how to make the most of this often-ignored benefit.

Programs that permit stopovers on award tickets

The primary frequent flyer programs that accommodate stopovers include:

• Air Canada Aeroplan
• Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
• All Nippon Airways Mileage Club
• Cathay Pacific Cathay (available only on round-trip tickets)
• Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

While it doesn’t specifically label it as a stopover, United Airlines' MileagePlus program effectively allows for a stopover on qualifying round-trip awards through its Excursionist Perk.

Many of these programs collaborate with well-known transferable currencies, so you might already recognize them. For instance, American Express Membership Rewards points can be transferred to Aeroplan, Mileage Club, Cathay, and KrisFlyer.

However, each program has its own rules regarding how this benefit operates. For instance, most programs require international travel or journeys between distinct regions to qualify for a stopover.

Only a few programs, such as Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan and Air Canada Aeroplan, permit stopovers on one-way awards. While most stopovers can last as long as you like, Aeroplan and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer limit them to 30 days.

Many programs let you add stopovers for a minimal amount of miles or a small fee. For example, Aeroplan charges 5,000 points for each stopover. However, several programs, like Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan and ANA Mileage Club, offer free stopovers on international flights.

For a detailed overview of how stopovers function within each program, check out our comprehensive guide to maximizing stopovers and open jaws on award tickets.

Booking layovers

While some airlines may require a phone call to arrange layovers, others, such as ANA Mileage Club, Alaska Mileage Plan, and Singapore KrisFlyer, allow online bookings. It's often as straightforward as conducting a multicity search.

Layovers are designed to give travelers the chance to explore their connecting city while en route to their ultimate destination. You can also be inventive with your routes; for example, instead of flying directly over the Pacific to reach Asia, you might opt for a route through Europe, adding a layover there. This is a fantastic way to make the most of your journey, especially if you’re treating yourself to a premium cabin award.

However, remember that visiting multiple locations in a single trip isn’t necessary. The trick is to schedule your layover at your home airport, making your endpoint the starting point of a new journey. Essentially, you’re combining two separate trips into one award ticket.

For example, if you reside in New York City and wish to celebrate New Year’s in Paris and visit San Francisco in the summer using Alaska miles, you would book a one-way award from Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO), with a seven-month layover in New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).

When you book this itinerary with Alaska Airlines, a "one-way" award ticket would cost only 22,500 miles in economy class. That "free" flight from New York to San Francisco would typically require 12,500 miles if booked separately, offering you significant savings. These savings would increase even more if you opted for a business-class award ticket.

Keep in mind that each airline's loyalty program has specific guidelines regarding stopovers. The Alaska Mileage Plan permits stopovers only in Alaska or its partner hubs, while Aeroplan allows stopovers anywhere as long as your routing does not exceed double the direct flight’s physical mileage.

Conclusion

Some airlines permit complimentary stopovers on revenue tickets, though these usually come with numerous restrictions. In contrast, several programs provide more generous stopover policies on award tickets. This benefit allows you to explore multiple cities at the cost of one ticket. By being strategic with your bookings, you can use stopovers to effectively plan separate trips.