While it’s getting more and more difficult to redeem our frequent-flier awards, there is a silver lining…and it’s one that airlines don’t like to reveal. I’m talking about stopover flights, where you can get two trips out of one award ticket.
A stopover means you can get off in a connecting city, spend a few days, and continue to your final destination.
It’s considered a stopover if you stay longer than 4 hours domestically and more than 24 hours internationally.
The rules vary by airline. For example, on United-Continental, stopovers are allowed on international travel. The airline also allows stopovers on domestic travel to Hawaii—so you could fly New York to Hawaii with a stopover in Los Angeles.
On American Airlines, they’re allowed on flights from North America to Europe, Asia and South America…but you can only stop over in a North American gateway city. That mean you could fly from Los Angeles to Brussels, and stop over in New York.
Confused yet? Multiple stopovers are also allowed on round-the-world tickets.
Bottom line: You can get more out of your miles if you think creatively and know the rules before you go.
For more of Peter’s can’t-miss tips, check out our travel tips section.
