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Again within the day, most airline loyalty packages allowed free stopovers on award tickets. This was the coverage with American AAdvantage, Delta SkyMiles, and United Mileage Plus. Sadly these days fewer and fewer packages are providing this distinctive alternative that may stretch your miles additional.
On this put up I wished to recap the frequent flyer packages that proceed to permit free stopovers on award tickets, although admittedly they arrive with various levels of generosity. In fact let me acknowledge that we proceed to see some sophisticated journey restrictions associated to the pandemic, so these nonetheless aren’t as straightforward throughout the board as they was.
Stopovers, open-jaws, and connections
First let’s focus on a number of the vital terminology. What’s a stopover, what’s an open jaw, and what’s a connection? These phrases imply very various things, so let’s cowl these upfront.
Stopover
A stopover is often outlined as a keep of 24+ hours in a connecting metropolis between your origin and last vacation spot. That might be an airline’s hub, or any metropolis enroute to your vacation spot.
You possibly can oftentimes get artistic with routings and stopover in locations you won’t ordinarily assume to journey by means of. For instance, if touring from america to Asia it could be attainable to route through Europe, and have a stopover there.
Connection
A connection is often a cease in a metropolis for lower than 24 hours, although relying on this system the utmost connection time will be as brief as 4 hours for award itineraries. Award packages typically use the phrase switch to imply connection when writing out award guidelines or program phrases and circumstances.
Open-jaw
An open-jaw is once you fly into one metropolis and out of one other. For instance, say you’re flying from america to Asia and need to fly into Singapore and return out of Bangkok. That will be thought-about an open-jaw, as illustrated beneath.
Stopovers on award tickets
With the above fundamentals out of the best way, let’s check out a number of the airline loyalty packages that proceed to permit stopovers on award tickets. I’ll record these roughly primarily based on how beneficiant the insurance policies are, beginning with probably the most beneficiant.
Alaska Mileage Plan
Alaska Mileage Plan is probably probably the most beneficiant in relation to its stopover coverage. Alaska will let you’ve a stopover on an award ticket, so long as you’re touring between areas. Alaska Airways has a wide range of airline companions, so for example, this implies you might fly Japan Airways from Los Angeles to Singapore through Tokyo, with a stopover in Japan.
Since a stopover is allowed on a one-way, this implies you might probably have two stopovers on a roundtrip ticket. There are many great uses of Alaska Mileage Plan miles.
There’s no payment to ebook the stopover, and you’ll ebook these instantly by means of Alaska Airways’ web site by utilizing the multi-city function.
Air Canada Aeroplan
Air Canada Aeroplan might be my single favorite frequent flyer program, due to the massive number of airline companions that Air Canada has. Aeroplan will let you add a stopover on a one-way award for simply 5,000 further factors. You possibly can embody a stopover with every one-way award.
Stopovers should not obtainable on awards for journey wholly inside North America. Needless to say Air Canada Aeroplan is considerably a distance primarily based program. With that, the additional you fly the dearer your award can be. You may get artistic along with your routings, however chances are you’ll find yourself paying extra miles for it.
The Aeroplan web site doesn’t allow you to ebook stopovers on-line for this value, so that you’ll need to name to ebook these awards (the performance will finally be obtainable on-line).
Emirates Skywards
Emirates Skywards is the perfect program by means of which to book Emirates first class awards. Emirates permits you to book stopovers in Dubai on one-way tickets, however solely when reserving “Flex Plus” awards. Be aware that each one first-class awards ebook into the “Flex Plus” fare band, whereas enterprise class and economic system class awards typically ebook into this when reserving a one-way (whereas there could also be decrease pricing when reserving roundtrips).
This may be an effective way to cease in Dubai enroute to your last vacation spot — Dubai is in fact a straightforward and common stopover metropolis.
All Nippon Airways Mileage Membership
ANA Mileage Membership is a profitable and sophisticated program, and is even an Amex Membership Rewards switch associate. ANA has affordable redemption charges — for instance, you’ll be able to ebook an award in enterprise class between america and Europe for as little as 88,000 factors roundtrip (frustratingly this system doesn’t enable one-way awards, although).
ANA Mileage Membership permits a stopover on a roundtrip, no matter whether or not you’re touring on All Nippon Airways or a associate airline (the one exception is in the event you’re originating in Japan, through which case you’ll be able to’t have a stopover). Mileage Membership additionally has around the world awards that enable as much as eight stopovers.
Most awards (together with stopovers) will be booked on-line, though the interface appears tremendous outdated. Pay attention to associate surcharges, which will be fairly excessive, although.
Asiana Membership
Asiana Membership is one other airline with a beneficiant stopover coverage. For award journey on Asiana Airways, you’ll be able to have a stopover in Seoul, even on one-way awards.
Award journey on Star Alliance carriers get a bit trickier. In concept the stopover guidelines are much more beneficiant, however your mileage might fluctuate once you truly go to ebook these awards. You’re allowed as much as eight segments on a roundtrip award, and you’ll have as much as seven stopovers. Meaning you’ll be able to cease for so long as you’d like in every connecting metropolis.
Nonetheless, there are limits on the variety of segments for sure awards, and also you might need to pay for reservations individually in the event you exceed the MPM (most permitted mileage). Asiana Club award rules are a bit of a black box, and don’t rely on them being interpreted how they’re written.
Asiana Membership miles are onerous to accrue, as solely Marriott Bonvoy factors switch to Asiana Membership. In any other case you’ll need to earn them by means of good quaint flying.
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles generally is a surprisingly helpful program, each for journey on Cathay Pacific, in addition to for journey on associate airways. Cathay Pacific Asia Miles permits a stopover on a roundtrip award, although these sorts of tickets have to be booked by cellphone. Stopovers are allowed each when touring on Cathay Pacific, and when touring on associate airways.
Etihad Visitor
Etihad Visitor permits stopovers in Abu Dhabi for award tickets, however it’s a must to ebook the awards by cellphone. You will need to notice that Etihad Visitor typically restricts you to connections of as much as solely eight hours, whether or not touring with Etihad or a associate. Meaning a connection of something longer than eight hours is taken into account a stopover.
Etihad has plenty of companions you’ll be able to redeem miles for, and there are distinctive charts for every associate. Etihad Visitor permits stopovers when touring on Air Canada, Air Europa, Air Seychelles, All Nippon Airways, American, Asiana, Gulf Air, Hainan Airways, Korean Air, Malaysia Airways, Oman Air, and Royal Air Maroc.
Whereas that’s how the foundations are written, reserving associate awards with Etihad Visitor will be an journey, so I’d anticipate to need to work onerous to get a stopover on a associate airline.
Japan Airways Mileage Financial institution
Japan Airways Mileage Financial institution has among the many most beneficiant stopover insurance policies, however provided that you’re touring with companions. The airline has a distance primarily based award chart, that means the worth of your award depends upon the whole distance you journey. Having a beneficiant stopover coverage is sensible, as you’ll pay extra miles to journey additional distances and every phase ought to in concept add to the whole journey value.
This system has totally different guidelines relying on the way you’re redeeming your miles. Primarily Mileage Financial institution provide three totally different award sorts:
- JAL awards, for journey completely on Japan Airways
- Accomplice awards, for journey on a single JAL associate
- oneworld award tickets, for journey on two or extra oneworld airways
For journey on JAL, stopovers aren’t permitted.
When you’re touring on a single associate award, you’ll be able to have as much as three stopovers on an award. With just a few exceptions, you’re allowed six complete segments. There are some limitations for particular companions, although:
- When you’re touring on Korean Air, you’re solely allowed two segments, however you’ll be able to embody a stopover
- When you’re touring on China Jap, you’re solely allowed 4 complete segments and you can’t have a stopover in China
- When you’re touring on Hawaiian Airways, Royal Air Maroc, or Vistara Airways, you’re solely allowed 4 complete segments
When you’re touring on a oneworld award, you’re allowed a whopping seven stopovers. You possibly can solely have eight segments in complete on an award, in order that does restrict the practicality of the stopovers. When you had been to maximise all seven stopovers, you’d need to stopover in every metropolis through which you make a connection.
Whereas JAL has an extremely beneficiant program and coverage, the draw back is that the one factors that switch to Japan Airways Mileage Financial institution are Marriott Bonvoy factors. In any other case you’ll need to earn JAL miles by means of flying.
Singapore Airways KrisFlyer
Singapore KrisFlyer permits stopovers when touring on Singapore Airways, although solely on sure sorts of tickets:
- When reserving a Saver award, you’re allowed one stopover on a roundtrip, however no stopovers on a one-way
- When reserving an Benefit award, you’re allowed two stopovers on a roundtrip, or one stopover on a one-way
Be aware that your stopover can solely be for as much as 30 days, or else it is going to be thought-about two separate awards. Singapore Airways used to permit further stopovers for $100, however sadly that’s now not attainable.
Turkish Miles & Smiles
Turkish Miles&Smiles is a Citi ThankYou switch associate, and can be an incredibly valuable program. This system permits a free stopover in Istanbul on a roundtrip award, although you do need to ebook by cellphone, and that may be a little bit of a ache.
Turkish Miles&Smiles additionally permits stopovers on Star Alliance associate awards — you’ll be able to have one stopover on a roundtrip. Nonetheless, that is solely obtainable if the award prices a minimum of 60,000 miles for journey in economic system, 90,000 in enterprise, or 135,000 in first.
TAP Air Portugal Miles & Go
TAP Air Portugal Miles & Go doesn’t enable stopovers when redeeming for journey on TAP, although this system does enable stopovers when redeeming on associate airways. Particularly, you’ll be able to have one stopover per roundtrip. Whereas TAP is a part of the Star Alliance, the airline additionally has some distinctive companions, like Emirates.
Korean Air Skypass
Korean Air SkyPass was one in all my favourite frequent flyer packages — it was a Chase Final Rewards associate, stopovers had been allowed on one-way awards, and award prices had been affordable. Sadly this system isn’t what it as soon as was.
Korean Air SkyPass now not permits stopovers, besides on “SkyTeam Round the World” awards. You possibly can journey in enterprise class around the globe for 220,000 SkyPass miles and make as much as six stopovers. Outdoors of that area of interest award, no stopovers are permitted for award journey. I don’t see a lot worth in that, given how onerous it may be to search out SkyTeam associate award area for thus many segments.
Honorable mentions
There are two different packages which might be price mentioning — British Airways Government Membership and United MileagePlus. Whereas they don’t enable “free” stopovers within the conventional sense, they could be helpful for these making an attempt to go to a number of locations on one journey.
British Airways Government Membership
British Airways Executive Club is a unique program in that the worth of your award is calculated by the space and cabin of service for every phase. You possibly can ebook as many segments as you’d like on a single ticket, however you’ll pay for every one in all them, as the worth is cumulative.
In lots of instances the fee for brief segments is low, so you’ll be able to go to a number of locations at an inexpensive value.
British Airways Government Membership additionally has a “secret” multi-carrier award chart. When you’re touring on two or extra oneworld airways (three or extra if any segments are on British Airways), you need to use this award chart and pay fewer Avios than in the event you had been to ebook every phase individually.
You possibly can ebook as much as eight flight segments this manner, and have a stopover in every metropolis in the event you’d like. You’re not allowed to backtrack, and also you’re solely permitted a single open-jaw. With a little bit of flexibility and creativity these awards can provide a improbable worth for redeeming Avios.
Many brokers don’t even know this chart exists, so it usually requires calling just a few instances to search out somebody who is aware of learn how to ebook multi service awards or being insistent and having the agent double verify the coverage for reserving multi service awards.
United MileagePlus
Whereas United MileagePlus doesn’t explicitly allow you to ebook stopovers on awards, this system has what’s referred to as an “Excursionist Perk.” That permits you to add a free one-way phase to a roundtrip award, in the event you meet sure circumstances.
These are the foundations to ebook this, all primarily based on United’s outlined award areas:
- The Excursionist Perk can’t be within the area the place your itinerary begins
- Journey should finish in the identical area the place it originated
- The origin and vacation spot of the Excursionist Perk have to be inside a single area
- The cabin of service of the Excursionist Perk have to be in the identical cabin or decrease than the one-way previous it
There’s one other unpublished rule that’s vital to focus on. When you’re reserving a combined cabin award and the primary phase of your itinerary is in economic system class, the free one-way can solely be in economic system class. When you attempt to choose enterprise class, you’ll pay the usual enterprise class award fee. That creates issues once you’re flying United domestically to attach with a global award, because the service releases comparatively few premium cabin award seats lately.
It’s vital to notice you’ll be able to solely get one free one-way on a reservation, so in the event you construct in two Excursionist Perks that meet the entire guidelines, solely the primary one can be free.
Backside line
Stopovers will be an effective way to stretch your miles & factors additional. Sadly many airline packages have eradicated this chance over time, although there are nonetheless some packages that enable this.
Personally I get probably the most worth from the Alaska Mileage Plan and Air Canada Aeroplan stopover insurance policies. Past that, I fairly admire the coverage of Emirates Skywards, because it’s a option to get a stopover in Dubai when redeeming an award between two different factors.
There are a number of different packages that also provide stopovers, although they’ve of various levels of usefulness.
What has your expertise been with airline award ticket stopovers?
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