Four programs still make a stopover free or cheap: Icelandair adds a stop in Iceland at no added airfare, Singapore Airlines includes free stopovers on KrisFlyer awards, Turkish Airlines gives free hotel nights on long layovers in Istanbul, and Air Canada Aeroplan charges 5,000 points per stopover. Each has its own rules on routing, fares and booking, so confirm them on the airline's page before you ticket.
Here's how each one works, the rules that catch travelers, and which to pick for your trip.
What a Stopover Is
A stopover is a planned stay in a connecting city, longer than an ordinary layover. Airlines draw the line differently. Aeroplan counts a gap of more than 24 hours between flights, and Singapore Airlines counts a stop of 24 hours or more. Anything shorter is a layover and comes with the ticket.
Icelandair: Up to Seven Nights in Iceland
Icelandair says you can add a stopover in Iceland to a transatlantic trip at no additional airfare. Pick the "Stopover in Iceland" option when you book, then choose how many nights you want. The booking engine handles stays of up to seven nights, and longer stays go through Icelandair's service center.
Add it at booking if you can. Icelandair says adding a stopover to an existing booking goes through its service center and fees may apply. The total fare can also move, because flying the second leg on a different day can price differently.
Singapore Airlines: Free Stopovers on KrisFlyer Awards
Singapore Airlines' November 2025 KrisFlyer redemption FAQ lists how many complimentary stopovers each award type allows. A Saver award gets one on a round trip and none one-way. Advantage and Access awards get two on a round trip and one one-way. Singapore adds that the offering depends on the destination you pick.
Complimentary stopovers can last up to 30 days and are added on singaporeair.com. Promotional fares often exclude stopovers, so read the fare rules before you commit. Awards on partner airlines follow their own rules.
Turkish Airlines: Free Hotel Nights in Istanbul
Turkish's stopover benefit is accommodation. Passengers flying between two international points through Istanbul with a layover of at least 20 hours and up to seven days are eligible for a free hotel stay. Economy passengers get one night in a 4-star hotel, and Business passengers get two nights in a 5-star or boutique hotel. It covers the room and breakfast only.
The voucher has to be issued before your journey starts, and a request made after you land in Istanbul isn't eligible. Tickets in N and R fare classes are excluded. Touristanbul, Turkish's free city tour for transfers of 6 to 24 hours, is a separate program, and you can't use both on the same layover. Turkish updates these terms, so check its stopover page at booking.
Aeroplan: 5,000 Points Per Stopover
Air Canada's Aeroplan page says each stopover adds 5,000 points to the fare between two cities. You can add one per direction of travel on a one-way, round-trip or multi-city award, which makes it the most flexible of the four. A stopover has to be more than 24 hours, can last up to 45 days, and has to be in a city outside Canada and the U.S. Air Canada's Flight Reward Policy also excludes China.
Choose "Multi-city/Stopover" when you search for a flight reward on aircanada.com, or book through the Aeroplan Contact Centre. Those terms are written for Air Canada flight rewards. Check the Flight Reward Policy for how partner awards price a stopover before you plan around one.
Booking Rules That Catch People
- Build the stopover into the ticket from the start, since adding one later can mean fees or a rebook.
- Check the fare class. Turkish excludes N and R fares, and sale fares at other airlines can exclude stopovers.
- Look up entry rules for the stopover country separately from your destination.
- Price the trip with and without the stopover, because a different second-leg date can change the fare.
Which One to Pick
For a transatlantic trip where you want a second destination without paying more airfare, start with Icelandair. If you hold KrisFlyer miles, a Saver round trip includes one free stopover. If your route runs through Istanbul with a long layover, price Turkish and claim the hotel before you fly. If you have flexible points and want the most routing freedom, Aeroplan at 5,000 points a stop is the one to price first.
Updated October 17, 2026: stopover rules.
