Can you have extra long transit times to explore a city?
Say you're in transit in an airport in a country you're allowed to visit without a visa. Could you plan a trip with a 3 day stopover, and stay in the city for that period with your carry-on? This seems like an easy way to get a "free" visit somewhere.
Is it legal/possible/practical?
Best Answer
Yes, completely possible but depends on your ticket.
Just one example, Korean Air allows stopovers for up to a month in Seoul if you travel between two cities (Say London and Sydney) with them. Do note that the cheapest fares often do not permit this, and it is quite hard to find travel websites that will cater for these stopovers. (Go direct to the airline or travel agency)
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What is the longest stopover allowed?
A layover is a broad term that means any connection between flights. This could include a stop as short as 30 minutes (depending upon the airport) or as long as four hours (or up to 23 hours and 59 minutes on international flights). Airline crew use this term, slightly differently.Can you extend your transit?
Yes, completely possible but depends on your ticket. Show activity on this post. I've done this a few times. My experience (with US airlines most recently) is that you can only do it for "free" if you keep the stopover below 24 hours.How many hours is considered transit?
In aviation, transit passengers are defined as passengers who use other airports for less than 24 hours to get to their destination to complete their journey.Can you choose your layover city?
As for how you layout your trip, that's entirely up to you. Just remember to include your layover city as your middle destination in the multi-city search. You can book your long layover for the beginning of your trip or on the way home. Example: Let's say that you're planning a trip from Chicago to Bangkok.Designers Explore How Changing Transit Could Change Cities for the Better
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Answer 2
I've done this a few times. My experience (with US airlines most recently) is that you can only do it for "free" if you keep the stopover below 24 hours. Beyond that they start charging double or triple fares.
The other (hopefully obvious) requirement is that you need to pick a city that's a normal stopover on the route between your origin and destination otherwise, again, the fare will go up dramatically.
Most airlines have a "multi-leg trip" booking form that lets you book unusual journeys. Put in the flights separately - i.e. origin to stopover city, then stopover city to destination, and the same for the return flight(s).
You'll probably have to do a lot of experimenting with dates and times to find flights that work and also have reasonable fares.
Answer 3
Yes it is possible. And it is not necessarily more expensive than the"normal" flight. Two years ago I went from Brussels to Johannesburg, via Abu Dhabi. The carrier from Abu Dhabi had at that time been advertising with "free" stopovers. I remember that I had to pay a fee to enter Abu Dhabi, but this had nothing to do with the flight ticket.
Moreover, the Icelandic flag carrier had a similar scheme for flights from Europe to the United States, via Reykjavik.
You should check these possibilities with the airlines.
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