How to add a stopover for spring break, summer travel plans at no extra cost
Spring break is around the corner, with summer vacation plans on the horizon after that. While you make your travel plans, there's one one tip that could be worth considering when finalizing an itinerary: adding a stopover flight.
At no extra charge, travelers can book what's called a stopover ticket to get an extra leg of the journey in another destination.
Cari Elizabeth told "GMA" she took advantage of a stopover ticket on a trip last year.
"When we were going to book our flights for Europe, we saw that it was possible to stay in the cities that we had a connection through," she recalled. "And of course, we wanted to take advantage of that because who doesn't want to go to an extra city for free?"
Elizabeth said she booked her travel through the Flying Blue loyalty program via Air France and KLM to get the extra leg of her trip in Paris.
Many carriers like Tap, Iceland Air, Emirates, and Hawaiian Airlines all offer stopovers on their flights, which allows customers to visit more cities at the same price as booking a one-way ticket.
"The art of stopovers with airline tickets can basically allow you to squeeze more value out of your flights, whether you're paying for them or using your frequent flier miles," Brian Kelly, founder of the travel website and blog The Points Guy, told "GMA."
How to book a stopover ticket for spring break or summer travel
Here's how you do it. Go on the airline carrier's website and, when inputting the desired departure and arrival cities, find the tab that says 'add a stopover.' The stopover will usually be in the hub city of the airline you're planning to fly.
"Iceland is known for this for no extra fee, so you can split up your flying," Kelly said. "If you're going to Europe, you can stop in Reykjavik, which is one of my favorite destinations. Explore Iceland for a couple days and then continue on to your final destination. So you basically get two destinations for the price of one."
Elizabeth said she was able to book her stopover flights using credit card points, which saved her $2,700.
"Paris has been a dream of mine to visit since I was a kid," she said. "The flights would have cost us around $3,000, and it only cost us 28,000 American Express points, plus the taxes, which was $300."
