Are airlines required to take you to your stopover location or only to your final destination?
The airline has a responsibility to get you to your destination. If your flight is cancelled or you miss a connection due to a delay (with flights on the same ticket) they have to make (and pay for) alternative arrangements.
But what about stopovers? are they required to provide transport to your stopover location? or only to your final destination?
This is potentially significant because as pointed out in this answer, the "destination" from a ticketing point of view may not be the same as what the traveller thinks of as their main destination.
Best Answer
The airlines are contractually obligated to transport you to your destination stations (usually an airport but a train station is also possible).
Keep in mind, a Stopover is different from a Connection.
So, if you're flying from New York to Los Angeles and book JFK-PHX-LAX with PHX as just a connection, the airline can cancel PHX-LAX and put you on a direct JFK-LAX flight and still meet their obligation. There's nothing you can really do about this if you really wanted to go to PHX.
However, a stopover is really just a long connection but since it's specifically part of the fare rules, it acts like a destination. For example, I've seen Cathay Pacific offers trans-pacific fares with a Stopover in Hong Kong that allows you to stay there for several days for the same fare as a connection.
But, if one flight is cancelled, you will probably have the option of going direct, or rescheduling to include the Stopover if you really want to go to Hong Kong.
Pictures about "Are airlines required to take you to your stopover location or only to your final destination?"
Do airlines have to get you to your destination?
Officials say the request is being reviewed. The airline contract of carriage, the legal agreement between the passenger and airline, specifically says the airline isn't required to keep its schedule. That's wrong, says Paul Hudson, president of FlyersRights.org, the advocacy group spearheading the reciprocity effort.Does a direct flight make a stopover before reaching its final destination?
A direct flight is from one airport to another, but includes stops in one or more cities along the way. The flight number or aircraft and your boarding pass remain the same, however, until the final destination is reached.Can I get my luggage checked to a layover city instead of final destination?
Finding Out at the Check-in CounterIf it says that it's heading to the layover destination, not the final one, then you'll get your checked luggage when you land at the layover destination. You can also ask the airline employee at the check-in desk to confirm its destination.Do I have to take my connecting flight?
Technically, yes, but if you skip a flight on a multi-flight itinerary, any subsequent flights on your itinerary will be canceled\u2014including your return flights. It's also important to note that if you skip your connecting flights often, the airline may impose penalties such as voiding your frequent flyer miles.HOW TO FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS - My Best Tips After Booking 500+ Flights
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Brett Jordan, Mathias Reding, Laker, Andrea Piacquadio