Free Stopover Programs: Airlines That Let You Stop for Days

If your flight connects through an airline’s hub anyway, a stopover program can turn that connection into a stay of days, often for no added airfare. Fly New York to Paris on Icelandair and most fares let you spend up to 7 nights in Iceland on the way. Below are 10 programs as of October 2026: what each makes free, how to add the stop when you book, and the visa and bag catches.

Stopover vs layover: what’s the difference?

A stopover is a planned stay in a connecting city on the way to your destination, long enough to leave the airport and see the place. ANA (All Nippon Airways) defines it as a stay at a transfer point of more than 24 hours, and US rules draw the same line: 14 CFR 260.2 treats a deliberate stop of more than 24 hours at a foreign point, on a trip between the US and another country, as a break in the journey. A shorter connection is a layover.

A stopover program is the airline stretching that connection on purpose. Some add no airfare for the stop, some add a free hotel night, and a few sell the stay as a package.

Point	Layover	Stopover
Length	Up to 24 hours	More than 24 hours
What you do	Wait at the airport, or take a short trip into town	Stay in the city for days
Checked bags	Usually checked through to your final destination	May need collecting: Turkish Airlines requires it at Istanbul once the transfer passes 24 hours
Entry rules	The country’s transit rules, plus entry rules if you leave the airport	The country’s entry rules, because you enter it
An airline perk	Singapore Airlines’ free city tour on transits of 5.5 to 24 hours	TAP Air Portugal’s free stop of up to 10 days in Lisbon or Porto

Some airlines dress up the layover instead. Singapore Airlines’ Free Singapore Tour lets passengers with a transit of 5.5 to 24 hours pick one of 4 free 2.5-hour bus tours, run with Changi Airport Group, as long as their checked bags are checked through. It is a good use of a long connection, but it is not a stopover: you are back at the airport the same day.

Why airlines give stopovers away

A hub airline lives on flying people through its hub, and a free stop gives you a reason to pick its connection over a rival’s. The programs are tied to tourism at the hub: Copa runs its stopover site with Promtur Panama, Qatar sells its packages through Qatar Airways Holidays and Discover Qatar, which calls itself the destination management company of Qatar Airways, and TAP’s stopover carries more than 500 partner offers of up to 50% off. The airline sells the seat, and the country gets a visitor who would otherwise have stayed in the terminal.

10 airline stopover programs compared

These are the 10 programs as their airlines describe them in October 2026, sorted by what they make free. Where the table says airfare, the stop adds no airfare to the ticket; you still pay for where you sleep.

Airline	Stop in	How long	What is free	Main catch
Icelandair	Iceland, via Keflavik	Up to 7 nights on most fares, 21 on Economy Flex and Saga Premium Flex	Airfare	Transatlantic trips; flights only, no hotel
TAP Air Portugal	Lisbon or Porto	Up to 10 days	Airfare, plus 25% off a TAP flight within Portugal	You pay for the stay
Iberia	Madrid	24 hours to 10 days and 9 nights	Airfare, plus a 2-day public transport card	Flights over 6 hours must be Iberia, or American or British Airways to and from the US
Copa Airlines	Panama	24 hours to 15 days	Airfare	New bookings only
Aer Lingus	Dublin	Multi-day, no maximum published	Airfare, on many fares	Not every fare includes it
LOT Polish Airlines	Warsaw	1 to 8 days	Not stated; 25% off LOT flights within Poland	Offered only on eligible round trips
Turkish Airlines	Istanbul	20 hours to 7 days	Hotel: 1 night in Economy, 2 in Business (2 and 3 from the US), with breakfast	Round trips on Turkish-operated flights; apply 72+ hours ahead; N and R fares excluded
Etihad Airways	Abu Dhabi or Al Ain	Up to 2 nights free	Hotel	Return Etihad ticket via Abu Dhabi, booked direct
Qatar Airways	Doha	12 to 96 hours	Nothing: paid hotel packages	Packages from USD 14 per person for 1 night
Emirates	Dubai	Not stated	Nothing: paid hotels and tours	Discounts with your boarding pass, no free stay

Free and paid stopover programs by airline

The first 4 programs below add no airfare for the stop. Aer Lingus does the same on many fares, and LOT does not say. Turkish Airlines and Etihad add a free hotel, and Qatar Airways and Emirates sell the stay.

Icelandair: up to 7 nights in Iceland

On a transatlantic Icelandair trip you connect at Keflavik, and Icelandair’s Stopover in Iceland turns that connection into a stay at no additional airfare. Most fares include the option of up to 7 nights, and Economy Flex and Saga Premium Flex allow up to 21. Select Stopover in Iceland when you book and choose the number of nights; the booking engine handles up to 7, and longer stays go through Icelandair’s service center.

The stop covers flights only, so you book lodging yourself. The total can still move when you add it, because the onward flight now leaves on a different day at that day’s price. Adding a stop to a ticket you have already paid for also goes through the service center, with a change fee and any fare difference.

TAP Air Portugal: up to 10 days in Lisbon or Porto

TAP’s Portugal Stopover gives you up to 10 days in Lisbon or Porto, on the way out or the way back, at no extra cost on your ticket. It works on one-way, return and multi-city tickets, so the stop also fits on an open-jaw ticket that flies you into one European city and home from another.

During the stop you get a 25% discount code for a TAP flight within Portugal, such as Lisbon to Funchal in Madeira or Ponta Delgada in the Azores, and access to more than 500 partner offers of up to 50% off. Book it on TAP’s website or through its Contact Center.

Iberia: up to 10 days in Madrid

Iberia’s Stopover Hola Madrid lets you stop in Madrid without paying extra for your ticket on most routes, for at least 24 hours and up to 10 days and 9 nights, on the outbound or the return. On flights over 6 hours, Iberia must operate the flight, with an exception that matters from the US: to and from the US, Mexico and Puerto Rico, flights operated by Iberia, American Airlines or British Airways qualify.

Collect the free 2-day public transport card at the Stopover stand in Terminal 4 when you land.

Copa Airlines: up to 15 days in Panama

Copa’s Panama Stopover adds a stay of 24 hours to 15 days in Panama at no additional airfare, on the outbound or the return. It is the only program in this list on the way to Central and South America. It applies to new bookings only, so put the stop in the itinerary when you buy the ticket.

Partner hotels, tours and car rental firms give stopover passengers deals when they show the booking confirmation or Stopover voucher email with ID.

Aer Lingus: a multi-day stop in Dublin

Aer Lingus says many of its fares include the option of a multi-day stopover in Dublin at no additional airfare. It gives no maximum length or list of qualifying fares alongside that line and points you to its customer care team to build the itinerary, so ask whether your fare qualifies, and what the stop does to the price, before you pay.

LOT Polish Airlines: 1 to 8 days in Warsaw

LOT Stopover adds 1 to 8 days in Warsaw. Run a round-trip search on LOT’s site; if the itinerary qualifies, an option to add a LOT Stopover in Warsaw appears, and you choose the leg and how long to stay. The stop comes with 25% off LOT domestic flights in Poland and partner discounts.

LOT does not say whether the stop changes your fare, so price the trip with and without it before you book.

Turkish Airlines: a free hotel in Istanbul

Turkish Airlines’ Stopover in Istanbul is a free hotel, not free airfare. It applies when your round trip is on Turkish Airlines-operated flights and you connect at Istanbul Airport between 2 international flights, with at least 20 hours and up to 7 days (168 hours) between them. Turkish then puts you up for 1 night in a 4-star hotel in Economy, or 2 nights in a 5-star or boutique hotel in Business, with breakfast. When the round trip starts in the US, that rises to 2 nights in Economy and 3 in Business.

Apply at least 72 hours before the flight with your last name and ticket number, through the Booker tool on Turkish’s site or by email to the address for your departure country; the US is on the list.

Etihad Airways: 2 free nights in Abu Dhabi

Etihad’s Abu Dhabi Stopover gives you a complimentary stay of up to 2 nights in Abu Dhabi or Al Ain. Book a return Etihad flight that connects in Abu Dhabi and add the hotel in the same booking at etihad.com; if you have already booked the flight, call Etihad at least 3 days before it to arrange the hotel. Bookings made through a travel agent are not eligible.

You need a UAE visa or visa-on-arrival eligibility for the stop. A free Stopover Pass adds up to 15% off attractions.

Qatar Airways: paid stopover packages in Doha

Qatar Airways’ stopover is a hotel package, not a free stay. Qatar Airways’ Stopover in Qatar sells packages of up to 4 nights through Qatar Airways Holidays to Qatar Airways and codeshare ticket holders with a transit of 12 to 96 hours in Doha. As of October 2026 a 1-night package starts from USD 14 per person, sharing a double room, for a 4-star hotel, USD 24 for 5-star, USD 31 for 5-star with beach access and USD 83 for luxury with breakfast. The hotel is booked with the flights in one transaction; if your flights are already booked, you book it through Discover Qatar. Price the package for your dates against booking a Doha hotel yourself.

Emirates: paid Dubai stopovers

Emirates’ Dubai stopover lets you add a stop in Dubai on the outbound or the return when you book, with hotels, tours and cars sold through Dubai Experience. Your boarding pass unlocks My Emirates Pass discounts. Emirates does not advertise free airfare or a free hotel for the stop, so price it as a package: the ticket with the stop, plus whatever you buy for it.

Which stopover programs work from the US?

All 10 airlines fly to the US, so the question is direction: the hub has to sit on a sensible line between your home airport and where you are going.

• Europe: Icelandair stops you in Iceland, Aer Lingus in Dublin, TAP in Lisbon or Porto, Iberia in Madrid and LOT in Warsaw.
• Central and South America: Copa, with up to 15 days in Panama.
• Asia, Africa and the Middle East: Turkish Airlines through Istanbul, Etihad through Abu Dhabi, Qatar Airways through Doha and Emirates through Dubai.

If the destination is still open, an open-destination search from your home airport shows where fares run low that month, and a cheap fare that connects through Lisbon, Madrid, Keflavik or Panama gives you 2 places for one ticket.

What the stop costs you depends on which kind of program it is.

What the stop costs	Programs	What you still pay for
No added airfare	Icelandair, TAP, Iberia, Copa, and Aer Lingus on many fares	Lodging, food and getting around, plus any price change on the onward flight’s new date
A free hotel	Turkish Airlines (1 night in Economy, 2 in Business; 2 and 3 from the US), Etihad (up to 2 nights)	Extra nights, the visa, and the fare for the flights you pick
A paid package	Qatar Airways, Emirates	The package, or your own hotel
Not stated	LOT	Any fare difference: price the trip with and without the stop

We would start with a no-added-airfare program whenever its hub sits on your route, because the second city costs only what you spend there. The free hotels earn their place on long trips through Istanbul or Abu Dhabi, where 1 to 3 free nights cover a short stop.

How to add a stopover when you book

Most programs live inside the airline’s own booking flow. Icelandair shows a Stopover in Iceland option, LOT offers its Warsaw stopover on eligible round trips, and TAP accepts the stop on one-way, return and multi-city tickets. Where an airline has no stopover option, a multi-city search prices the stop: home to the hub, the hub to your destination a few days later, and home again.

Example fares for illustration, not a live quote: economy, May 2027, before bag fees.

The plan: fly New York (JFK) to Paris (CDG) on Icelandair, which connects at Keflavik, and turn the outbound connection into 4 nights in Iceland.

Quote	What you book	Airfare
Plain round trip	JFK to Paris via Keflavik on May 6, home on May 20, short connections both ways	$648
With a Stopover in Iceland	JFK to Keflavik on May 6, Keflavik to Paris on May 10, home on May 20	$671
Iceland as its own trip	JFK to Keflavik and back on other dates	$412

The search: on Icelandair’s site, enter New York to Paris with your dates, select Stopover in Iceland, choose 4 nights, and compare the total with the plain round trip.

Result: the stop adds $23 in this example. That is not a stopover fee: the Keflavik to Paris flight now leaves on May 10 instead of May 6, and that day’s fare is a little higher. Iceland costs $23 in airfare plus 4 nights of lodging and food, against $412 in airfare for a separate trip.

Add a free stopover to your trip

1. Pick the program by direction: a hub that sits between your home airport and your destination.
2. Search the trip on the airline’s own site with your real dates, and note the price with a normal connection.
3. Choose the stopover option, such as Stopover in Iceland or LOT’s Warsaw stopover, or build the stop as a multi-city trip.
4. Set which leg gets the stop and how long it lasts, inside the program’s limit: 7 nights on most Icelandair fares, 10 days at TAP and Iberia, 15 days at Copa.
5. Compare the new total with the plain trip, and if it rose, try moving the onward flight a day or two, since that flight is priced for its new date.
6. Arrange any free hotel: at Turkish Airlines, apply after booking and at least 72 hours before the flight; at Etihad, add the hotel when you book at etihad.com, or call at least 3 days before the flight.
7. Check the stopover country’s entry rules for your passport before you pay.

Visas and bags on a stopover

Leaving the airport for days raises 2 questions a connection never does: can you enter the country, and where are your bags?

Entry rules for the stopover country

The stopover country’s entry rules apply to you, not just your final destination’s, so check them for your passport when you choose the program. Turkish Airlines and Etihad spell this out: Turkish Airlines says visas and fees are the passenger’s cost, and Etihad requires a UAE visa or visa-on-arrival eligibility for its free nights. A hub that needs a visa you do not have can still work as a plain connection, without the stop.

Collecting your checked bags

Expect to collect your bags in the stopover city. Turkish Airlines requires it at Istanbul Airport once the transfer passes 24 hours, and LOT checks bags on a Warsaw stopover only as far as Warsaw, so you collect and recheck them. At check-in, ask whether your bags are tagged to the stopover city or to your final destination, and if they go through, pack what you need for the stop in your carry-on.

Can you make your own stopover?

Yes. Price the trip as a multi-city search, home to the hub, a few days there, then on to your destination, and compare it with the trip on a normal connection. Without a program, the airline prices each flight as it likes, so the long stop can cost more than the short connection, and you get none of the extras, such as TAP’s 25% domestic flight code or Turkish Airlines’ free hotel.

The other route is 2 separate tickets with your own stop between them. That works, but the tickets are not linked, so each one carries its own change fees and bag rules, the same trade-off as a self-transfer connection with days in the middle instead of hours.

Leaving the trip at the connection is the version airlines punish. With hidden city ticketing you book through a city and walk away there, which airline contracts of carriage prohibit and which can cost you the rest of the ticket. A stopover keeps every flight on the ticket, and the airline has agreed to the stay.