/stopovers

name: stopovers
description: Per-program stopover rules for award redemptions. Which programs allow free stopovers, how many, how long, and which don't. Covers Icelandair, Aeroplan, Alaska, Flying Blue, Singapore, Cathay, JAL, and the negative space (BA, AA, Delta).
category: reference
summary: Per-program stopover rules for award redemptions. Includes Icelandair free stopover, Aeroplan, Alaska Atmos, Flying Blue, Singapore tiers, plus the negative space (BA, AA, Delta, JetBlue) that have no stopover programs.
allowed-tools: Bash(jq *), Read

Stopover Rules per Loyalty Program

Reference data for which programs allow stopovers on award redemptions, how many, where, for how long, and at what cost. Sourced primarily from each airline's own award rules pages, cross-checked against Frequent Miler, OMAAT, Travel Miles 101, Prince of Travel, and Upgraded Points.

Data lives in [`data/stopovers.json`](../../data/stopovers.json). Refresh cadence is 90 days because stopover rules change rarely (much less often than transfer bonuses or program valuations).

What Is a Stopover?

A planned interruption of a journey at a point between origin and destination. The IATA standard definition is:

• **More than 24 hours** for international itineraries
• **More than 4 hours** for domestic itineraries (US/Canada)

Each loyalty program defines its own rules within or beyond this baseline. Some programs let you stop for a week. Some let you stop for 365 days. Some don't allow stopovers at all.

The headline value: a free stopover lets you visit two destinations on a single award. Iceland on the way to Europe. Tokyo on the way to Bangkok. Singapore on the way to Sydney.

When to Use This Skill

• User wants to plan a multi-city trip and asks "what's the best program for stopovers?"
• User asks about a specific program's stopover rule (e.g. "does Aeroplan allow stopovers?")
• Building a trip itinerary that could benefit from a free second destination
• Comparing programs for award redemption when stopover flexibility matters
• Identifying the cheapest "free vacation in Iceland" via Icelandair stopover
• Researching JetBlue + Icelandair partner award routings

When NOT to Use

• Cash flight stopovers (most cash fares have layover rules but not "free stopover" perks; check the airline's fare conditions instead)
• Booking the actual itinerary (use the program's website or call the booking phone)
• Award holds (use `award-holds` skill — that's a different concept)
• Round-the-world tickets (use `round-the-world` skill — different framework with global routing rules)

Quick Reference Table

The full data is in `data/stopovers.json`. Headlines:

Programs That Allow Stopovers (positive)

| Program | Max Round-Trip | Max Days | Cost | Booking | Confidence | |---------|----------------|----------|------|---------|------------| | Aeroplan | 2 (1 per direction) | 45 | 5,000 pts | Online | VERIFIED | | Alaska Atmos Rewards | 2 (1 per one-way) | unspecified | Free | Phone | VERIFIED | | ANA Mileage Club | 1 | unspecified | Free | Online | LIKELY | | Avianca LifeMiles | 1 | unspecified | Free | Online | LIKELY | | Cathay Asia Miles | 2 | unspecified | Free | Online | VERIFIED | | Copa ConnectMiles | 1 | unspecified | Free | Online | LIKELY | | Etihad Guest | 1 | unspecified | Free | Phone | LIKELY | | Flying Blue (AF/KLM) | unlimited | up to 365 | Free | Phone | VERIFIED | | **Icelandair Saga Club** | **2 (transatlantic)** | **7** | **Free** | **Online** | **VERIFIED** | | JAL Mileage Bank | 3 (partner only) | unspecified | Free | Phone | VERIFIED | | Korean SKYPASS | 1 | unspecified | Free | Phone | LIKELY | | Lufthansa Miles & More | 2 | unspecified | Free | Online | LIKELY | | Qatar Privilege Club | 1 | unspecified | Free | Phone | UNVERIFIED | | Singapore KrisFlyer | 1 (Saver) / 2 (Advantage) | 30 | Free | Online | VERIFIED | | TAP Miles & Go | 1 (partners only) | unspecified | Free | Online | LIKELY | | Turkish Miles & Smiles | 1 | unspecified | Free | Phone | LIKELY | | United (Excursionist Perk) | DISCONTINUED Aug 2025 | — | — | — | VERIFIED |

Programs That Do NOT Allow Stopovers (negative space)

These programs price each segment as its own award. Long layovers up to ~24 hours are still typically permitted but offer no perk.

• **British Airways Avios** — each segment priced separately
• **American Airlines AAdvantage** — long layovers up to 24h only
• **Delta SkyMiles** — long layovers up to 24h only
• **Iberia Plus Avios** — same as BA
• **Virgin Atlantic Flying Club** — no formal stopover program
• **JetBlue TrueBlue** — revenue-based, segment-priced

For full details, restrictions, recent changes, and primary sources for any program, query `data/stopovers.json`.

The Iceland Callout

Icelandair's stopover program is **the single best free-vacation perk built into a flight ticket in commercial aviation.** Some specifics worth highlighting:

• **Free** at no additional airfare on every transatlantic Icelandair itinerary
• **Up to 7 nights** in Reykjavík (some Saga Premium fares allow longer)
• **Same rules** apply on cash bookings AND on award redemptions through Saga Club
• **70+ year history** — Icelandair has been doing this since their founding
• **Bookable via JetBlue TrueBlue partner award** (added 2024) — so transferable points programs like Bilt, Chase UR transfers etc. can reach this
• **No tricks** — book a transatlantic Icelandair flight, choose your stopover length when booking, done

When recommending stopover-friendly programs to a US-Europe traveler with flexible plans, this should usually be near the top of the list.

Primary source: [icelandair.com/flights/stopover](https://www.icelandair.com/flights/stopover/)

Reading the Data File

# All programs that allow stopovers, sorted by max round-trip stopovers
jq '.programs[] | select(.category == "positive") |
    {name, max_rt: .max_stopovers_round_trip, surcharge: .surcharge_points, booking: .booking_method