In the ever-evolving landscape of airline loyalty programs, free stopovers on award tickets have become increasingly rare. Once a standard feature across major programs like American AAdvantage, Delta SkyMiles, and United MileagePlus, these valuable opportunities to visit multiple destinations on a single award ticket have largely disappeared from many frequent flyer programs.
However, several airline loyalty programs still offer this benefit, allowing savvy travelers to maximize their miles and essentially get two (or more) destinations for the price of one. This comprehensive guide explores which programs continue to offer stopovers, how generous their policies are, and how you can take advantage of these opportunities.
Before diving into specific programs, it’s essential to understand the key terminology used when discussing award ticket routing rules:
A stopover is typically defined as a stay of 24 hours or more in a connecting city between your origin and final destination. This could be an airline’s hub or any city along your route. With creative routing, you can often include destinations you might not ordinarily think to visit.
For example, if traveling from the United States to Asia, you might route via Europe and enjoy a several-day stay there before continuing to your final destination.
A connection (sometimes called a transfer in program terms) is a stop in a city for less than 24 hours. Depending on the program, the maximum connection time can be as short as four hours for award itineraries.
An open-jaw occurs when you fly into one city and out of another. For instance, you might fly from New York to Paris, travel overland to Amsterdam, and then fly from Amsterdam back to New York. The gap between Paris and Amsterdam would be the “open-jaw” in this itinerary.
Let’s explore the airline loyalty programs that continue to offer stopovers on award tickets, ranked roughly from most to least generous:
Stopover Policy: One free stopover on a one-way award ticket
Flying Blue offers perhaps the most generous stopover policy currently available. You’re allowed a free stopover on a one-way award, including for travel on partner airlines. You can even mix and match partners, as long as you’re traveling between valid city pairs.
This is particularly valuable because no other major program allows stopovers for free on all types of awards, including partner flights. The only catch is that you currently need to book these stopovers by phone through the Flying Blue call center.
Example: Fly from New York to Bangkok with a stopover in Paris for several days.
Stopover Policy: One stopover on a one-way award when traveling between regions
Alaska’s Atmos Rewards program offers one of the most generous stopover policies. You can include a stopover on a one-way award ticket when traveling between regions, effectively allowing two stopovers on a roundtrip journey.
The program partners with numerous airlines, creating excellent opportunities for creative routing. Best of all, you can book these stopovers directly on Alaska Airlines’ website using the multi-city feature.
Example: Fly Japan Airlines from Los Angeles to Singapore with a stopover in Tokyo for as long as you’d like.
Stopover Policy: One stopover on a one-way award for 5,000 additional points
Aeroplan allows you to add a stopover on a one-way award for just 5,000 additional points. While not free, this represents excellent value considering you’re essentially getting an additional destination for minimal extra cost.
The only restriction is that stopovers are not available on awards for travel wholly within North America. Since Aeroplan uses a distance-based award chart, keep in mind that more creative routings might increase the base award cost.
A major advantage of Aeroplan is that stopovers can be booked directly on aircanada.com, making the process straightforward.
Example: Fly from Chicago to Istanbul with a stopover in Zurich for 5,000 additional points.
Stopover Policy: Stopover in Dubai on one-way “Flex Plus” awards
Emirates Skywards allows stopovers in Dubai on one-way tickets, but only when booking “Flex Plus” awards. All first class awards automatically book into this fare band, while business and economy class awards generally fall into this category for one-way bookings.
This is perfect for travelers who want to experience Dubai en route to their final destination. Emirates Skywards is generally considered the best program for booking Emirates first class awards, especially for members with elite status.
Example: Fly from New York to Johannesburg with a stopover in Dubai.
Stopover Policy: One stopover on a roundtrip award
ANA Mileage Club allows one stopover on a roundtrip award, regardless of whether you’re traveling on ANA or a partner airline. The only exception is for itineraries originating in Japan, which cannot include a stopover.
While ANA’s redemption rates are often very attractive, be aware of potentially high partner surcharges. Most awards, including those with stopovers, can be booked online, though the interface is somewhat dated.
Example: Fly from Chicago to Bangkok with a stopover in Tokyo.
Stopover Policy: One stopover in Seoul on Asiana one-way awards; up to seven stopovers on Star Alliance roundtrip awards
Asiana Club offers a generous stopover policy, particularly for Star Alliance awards. For travel on Asiana Airlines, you can have a stopover in Seoul, even on one-way awards.
For Star Alliance awards, the rules are theoretically even more generous—you can have up to seven stopovers on a roundtrip award with up to eight segments. However, the practical application of these rules can be inconsistent, and you might face limitations based on maximum permitted mileage (MPM) rules.
The main drawback is that Asiana Club miles are difficult to accumulate, with Marriott Bonvoy being the only major transfer partner.
Example: Fly from Los Angeles to Sydney with stopovers in Seoul, Bangkok, and Singapore.
Stopover Policy: Stopovers in Abu Dhabi; stopovers on select partner airlines
Etihad Guest allows stopovers in Abu Dhabi for award tickets, though these must be booked by phone. The program defines any connection longer than eight hours as a stopover, which is more restrictive than most programs.
According to program rules, stopovers are permitted when traveling on numerous partner airlines, including Air Canada, American Airlines, ANA, and Korean Air. However, booking partner awards with Etihad Guest can be challenging, and the practical application of these stopover rules may vary.
Example: Fly from London to Sydney with a stopover in Abu Dhabi.
Stopover Policy: Up to three stopovers on single partner awards; up to seven stopovers on oneworld awards
JAL Mileage Bank offers one of the most generous stopover policies for partner awards, though stopovers aren’t permitted on JAL-operated flights. The program uses a distance-based award chart, with pricing determined by total travel distance.
For travel on a single partner, you can have up to three stopovers (with some partner-specific limitations). For oneworld awards involving two or more oneworld airlines, you can have up to seven stopovers, though you’re limited to eight total segments.
The main challenge with JAL Mileage Bank is earning the miles, as Marriott Bonvoy is the only major transfer partner.
Example: Fly on a oneworld award from New York to Sydney with stopovers in London, Doha, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
Stopover Policy: Varies by award type:
Singapore KrisFlyer allows stopovers when traveling on Singapore Airlines, though the policy varies depending on the award type. Stopovers are limited to 30 days; longer stays are considered separate awards.
Previously, Singapore allowed additional stopovers for $100 each, but this option is no longer available.
Example: Fly from Los Angeles to Bali with a stopover in Singapore.
Stopover Policy: One free stopover in Istanbul on roundtrip awards; one stopover on qualifying Star Alliance partner awards
Turkish Miles&Smiles allows a free stopover in Istanbul on roundtrip awards. For Star Alliance partner awards, you can have one stopover on a roundtrip, but only if the award costs at least 60,000 miles in economy, 90,000 in business, or 135,000 in first class.
These awards must be booked by phone, which can sometimes be challenging.
Example: Fly from Chicago to Cairo with a stopover in Istanbul.
Stopover Policy: One stopover per roundtrip on partner airlines
While TAP Air Portugal Miles & Go doesn’t allow stopovers on TAP-operated flights, the program does permit one stopover per roundtrip when redeeming on partner airlines. TAP partners with Star Alliance carriers and also has unique partners like Emirates.
Example: Fly from New York to Dubai on Emirates with a stopover in Lisbon.
Stopover Policy: No free stopovers, but multi-carrier awards allow multiple destinations
British Airways Club uses a distance-based award chart where each segment is priced individually. While there are no “free” stopovers, the program’s “secret” multi-carrier award chart can offer excellent value for complex itineraries.
If you’re traveling on two or more oneworld airlines (three or more if any segments are on British Airways), you can use this special chart and pay fewer Avios than booking each segment separately. You can book up to eight flight segments and include a stopover in each city if desired.
Many agents aren’t familiar with this chart, so persistence may be required when booking by phone.
Example: Fly from London to Tokyo with stopovers in Doha, Singapore, and Hong Kong using the multi-carrier award chart.
Stopover Policy: Stopovers only on “SkyTeam Round the World” awards
Korean Air SkyPass has significantly restricted its once-generous stopover policy. Currently, stopovers are only permitted on “SkyTeam Round the World” awards, which allow up to six stopovers for 220,000 miles in business class.
Given the difficulty of finding SkyTeam partner award space for so many segments, this option has limited practical value for most travelers.
Example: Round-the-world business class ticket with stopovers in Paris, Amsterdam, Dubai, Bangkok, and Tokyo.
To make the most of these stopover policies, consider these strategies:
While free stopovers on award tickets have become less common over the years, several airline loyalty programs still offer this valuable benefit. The most generous options are currently Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Alaska Atmos Rewards, and Air Canada Aeroplan, each offering different advantages depending on your travel needs.
For travelers looking to maximize their miles and experience multiple destinations on a single award ticket, understanding these stopover policies can lead to significant value. Whether you’re planning a quick city break en route to your main destination or want to create a complex multi-destination itinerary, these programs provide the flexibility to do so without redeeming additional miles.
As airline programs continue to evolve, it’s worth taking advantage of these opportunities while they still exist. With some creative planning and flexibility, stopovers can transform a simple point-to-point journey into a rich, multi-destination adventure.
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