Can / Do you have to / Is it recommended to leave the plane during a stop?
Next month I'm going for a long-haul flight. After the first 10 hours there is a stop scheduled. I don't have to change planes, before flying to my final destination. I've never had a flight with a stop before, so I'm a little bit unsure how this works. Do you leave the plane? Do I have to leave the plan? Do I have to stay inside?
And typically, how long are these stops?
Best Answer
I agree with what Kate Gregory has already written and I want to add a bit of my personal experience.
- flight Milan - Mombasa (charter company, I think): we stopped in Assuan for fuel and nobody was allowed to get off the plane (nobody boarded it, either);
- KLM flight Amsterdam - Lima : we stopped over in Aruba, were told to get off while the tanks were filled for the last leg; I don't know whether it was so because Aruba is in practice still Dutch territory (or at least it was in 1999);
- Air France flight Paris - Mumbai : we stopped in Delhi and everybody was told to get off, then those who continued to Mumbai re-embarked, disinfectant was sprayed and some new people boarded the plane.
I suppose you could enquire with the airline and get the information from them.
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Do I have to get off the plane during a stop?
They cannot exit the aircraft if passengers stay on. But if all passengers continuing on get off they are also able to get off and get food. So if time permits I highly recommend getting off. They have to get a head count before.Can you leave the plane during a stopover?
Yes, you can leave the airport during a layover, provided your passport allows you visa-free entry to the country you're in and you have enough time between flights. In fact, some people intentionally book flights with longer layovers (which are often cheaper) so they get to see a new city.Do you have to change planes in a stopover?
What Is a Layover? A layover is when you have to change planes part-way through your journey. For example, if you bought a flight from New York City to Los Angeles and it had a layover in Houston, you will have to get off the plane in Houston and transfer to a new plane at the airport there.Do you get off the plane during a technical stop?
Hello. A technical stop is not a layover or transfer airport. It will be just a stop for refueling and passengers may or may not be asked to disembark the plane.A Basic Guide to Layovers
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