What is the difference between a stopover and a layover?


What is the difference between a stopover and a layover? The main difference between a stopover and layover is length of time. Stopover rules vary by airline, but are essentially longer layovers — at least 24 hours in length. Layovers, meanwhile, are connections less than a day in length depending on if you're flying domestically or internationally.


Can you get off at a stopover?

The short answer is yes. It is possible to exit and reenter the airport. Whether or not you should depends on a range of factors, including if you're traveling internationally or domestically and how much time you have between flights.


What is the minimum time for a stopover?

Travel advisers say there's a lot to take into account when booking connecting flights, but a general rule of thumb is 60-90 minutes between domestic flights and at least two to three hours for international itineraries.


Where do you leave luggage during a long layover?

Use Luggage Storage or Delivery at Airports Most airports have a luggage storage facility or service. You can check bags into the storage center and leave them any length of time, from a few hours to several days. Time limits and fees vary from airport to airport and some have size restrictions.


What is layover vs stopover luggage?

On layover flights, during the aircraft changeover your baggage is transferred to the new aircraft by airport staff. If a journey is broken at a certain point in order to drop passengers off or for operational reasons and then continues on to the destination using the same aircraft, this is referred to as a stopover.


Is 3 hours a long layover?

FYI: A long layover isn't one that's less than 3 hours, so let's not get dramatic! In fact, we recommend that you book at least an hour or more of a layover to give both you and your luggage time to catch your connecting flight.


Is a 40 minute layover too short?

In most cases, a 30-minute layover for domestic flights and an hour for international flights is considered a minimum, or short, layover.


What is considered a stopover?

A stopover can be a layover, but it can also be a much longer stop – often a second destination on part of a multi-stop itinerary. If traveling domestically, a stopover typically qualifies as anything that lasts longer than four hours.


Why do airlines do stopovers?

Airline stopovers offer the chance to see an additional city, and come with free hotel stays, sightseeing discounts, and other perks. There's no doubt that international airfares have gotten more expensive.


What is a flight with a stopover called?

A layover flight is also called a connecting flight. If you book a layover flight, it means the plane will make a stop en route, with passengers disembarking the flight and changing services.


How long can you stay on a stopover?

Stopovers can range from as short as 24 hours to as long as 10 days, with no added cost to your airline ticket, depending on the program. To get the most out of a stopover, look for a program that offers other complimentary perks, too.


Can I stay on the plane during a stopover?

In theory, absolutely! In practice, whether you leave the airport during a layover is tricky. If you're traveling domestically, you won't have to worry about customs or visas, but you're still leaving the airport, and returning gives you zero priorities over other passengers who are checking in on that flight.


What happens to luggage during a stopover?

When layover flights are booked with the same airline, your baggage will be automatically transferred through to your final destination. However, if the two flights are with different airlines, you may have to claim and re-check your baggage during your layover.


Is 3 hours a good layover time?

For domestic flights, a short layover is usually 1-1.5 hours, as you will not have to go through security. For the reasons mentioned above, for international flights 2 to 3 hours layover is a good time to calculate. But often, flights come with 4-7 hours or even 10 hours and longer in this case.


Can I get off plane at layover instead of destination?

“Hidden city ticketing,” or booking a flight with the intention of getting off at the layover city rather than the final destination, is perfectly legal, but there are some factors to consider before making it a habit.


Do you pick up luggage for overnight layover?

If luggage has been checked through to its final destination, it will generally remain in the baggage system and will not need to be claimed despite a layover. This is true whether the layover is several hours overnight or the same amount of time during the day.


Is skiplagging illegal?

Is skiplagging illegal? No, but it's against most airlines' contracts of carriage or the rules people must follow to fly with the airline. American Airlines and Southwest Airlines both put skiplagging first on their lists of prohibited booking practices.


Do you have to check in again for a connecting flight?

In most cases, you'll receive your boarding pass for your connecting flight already when you check in for your first flight. This means you don't have to check in again for your next flight. If you haven't received it, you can go to the transfer desk or kiosk of the airline you're flying with to collect it.


Do you have to pick up baggage between connecting flights international?

If you checked a bag, you'll have to collect it from baggage claim from the international flight. You'll need to clear customs and immigration. Next, you'll recheck your luggage for the domestic flight.


What is the difference between a stopover and a layover?

The main difference between a stopover and layover is length of time. Stopover rules vary by airline, but are essentially longer layovers — at least 24 hours in length. Layovers, meanwhile, are connections less than a day in length depending on if you're flying domestically or internationally.


Is 1 hour layover enough for international flight?

What is the recommended layover time for international flights? International flights require longer connections as you will often have to go through immigration and customs upon arrival. For international layover flights booked on one airline, two hours is often recommended to make your connection.