Travelers can enjoy free hotel stays on stopovers when flying with these international airlines.
A stopover, often used interchangeably with a layover, is a stop made during a connecting flight.
It can last from a couple of hours to a couple of days.
Many airlines allow you to book an extended stopover at no extra cost.
For example, Icelandair has a stopover program that would allow you to fly from New York to London, stopping in Reykjavik for up to a week at no extra cost (instead of a typical short layover of just a couple of hours in the airport.)
Several airlines, though, go a step further and provide you with free hotel stays if you have an overnight stopover in the country.
Below are some of the international airlines that currently offer free hotels for passengers with stopovers.
1. Etihad Airways
Etihad is the latest airline to announce a free hotel stopover program.
This UAE-based carrier just launched a stopover program in Abu Dhabi.
Passengers who book a round-trip flight on Etihad that has a layover in Abu Dhabi can extend their stop for up to two days and enjoy up to two free hotel nights in the city!
This safe, modern Middle Eastern city is the perfect stopover location.
With this program, you can book one night for free at a five-star hotel or two nights at a mid-range hotel in Abu Dhabi.
2. Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines has one of the most generous stopover programs, offering free hotel stays.
Passengers flying in business class are entitled to three free nights (!) at a five-star hotel in Istanbul, while those traveling in economy can still get two free nights at a four-star hotel.
This is a great way to explore the fascinating city of Istanbul en route to your final destination.
3. Ethiopian Airlines
Another airline that offers free hotel stays for stopovers is Ethiopian Airlines.
If you’re flying on this airline and have a connection in Addis Ababa, you can get one free night at a hotel in the city if you have a layover that’s between eight and 24 hours.
While Addis Ababa isn’t a popular tourist destination or a place you’d want to spend multiple days, it’s a cool opportunity to see this sprawling capital city during your stopover.
4. EgyptAir
EgyptAir also offers free hotels in Cairo for one night, but they don’t advertise it that well.
I personally tried this out in February when I had an overnight layover in Cairo flying from Larnaca, Cyprus to Casablanca, Morocco.
To take advantage of this offer, you’ll need to be booked on an international flight with a layover of more than eight hours, but it must be the shortest available connection.
So you can’t book a flight with a 24-hour layover if there’s one available that only has a two-hour layover.
When you get off your flight in Cairo, you’ll go to the transfers office and receive your free hotel voucher, as well as a free transit visa (so you avoid paying the $25 visa fee for Egypt.)
5. Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways also offers free hotels in Doha for travelers with a layover of up to 24 hours (as long as a shorter connection isn’t available.)
However, the airline also offers Qatar Stopover, a program that allows you to book a multi-day stopover in Doha for no extra cost and take advantage of extremely discounted hotel prices.
You can get between one and four nights at a four-star hotel in Doha for as little as $14 a night if you book through this program.
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