Best Ways to Use Stopovers and Open Jaws to Explore More Cities

For many travelers, the goal is simple: see as much of the world as possible without breaking the bank. If that’s you, there’s one powerful flight booking strategy you need to master — stopovers and open jaws. These tools let you explore extra destinations on a single trip, often at little or no extra cost.

In this article, we’ll break down what stopovers and open jaws are, how they work, and the best ways to use them to explore more cities, maximize your points, and make every trip more adventurous and efficient.

What Are Stopovers and Open Jaws?

What Is a Stopover?

A stopover is a stay of more than 24 hours (international) or more than 4 hours (domestic) in a connecting city before continuing to your final destination.

Example:
Flying from New York to Bangkok with a 3-day stop in Tokyo.
→ You stop and explore Tokyo before continuing on the same itinerary.

Stopovers can be:

• Free (on some airline award charts)
• Paid, but still cheaper than separate bookings
• Included automatically on long international routes

What Is an Open Jaw?

An open jaw occurs when you fly into one city and return from another, with overland travel (or a separate ticket) in between.

Example:

• Fly: São Paulo → Paris
• Return: Rome → São Paulo
  → You travel between Paris and Rome on your own (train, flight, etc.)

This strategy is great for:

• Regional exploration
• One-way train or bus routes
• Travelers who don’t want to backtrack

Why Use Stopovers and Open Jaws?

They allow you to:

• Visit two or more cities on one ticket
• Save money vs. booking multiple trips
• Maximize points and miles with fewer redemptions
• Explore multiple countries or regions in one trip
• Add a layer of adventure and flexibility to your itinerary

How to Use Stopovers and Open Jaws with Points and Miles

Not all programs support them, but many do — especially on international itineraries and airline alliances.

1. Use Airline Programs That Allow Stopovers

Some loyalty programs explicitly allow free or low-cost stopovers, including:

Airline	Stopover Policy
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan	1 free stopover per one-way award (even on partners)
Air Canada Aeroplan	Add stopover for 5,000 points
Emirates Skywards	Free stopovers in Dubai
TAP Miles&Go	Sometimes allows Lisbon stopovers
Qatar Airways Privilege Club	Doha stopovers often included
Singapore KrisFlyer	Stopover for US$100 on awards
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles	Istanbul stopovers available on select fares

Tip: Book over the phone or through multi-city tools if the website doesn’t show stopovers.

2. Use Alliances to Combine Airlines

With Star Alliance, Oneworld, and SkyTeam, you can:

• Fly into one city with Airline A
• Continue from another with Airline B
• Redeem miles from a single loyalty program for both

Examples:

• United miles: stopover in Frankfurt on Lufthansa, continue to Dubai on Turkish
• Avios: open jaw London → Madrid, return Rome → London

How to Book Stopovers

Step-by-Step:

1. Search your route using the airline’s multi-city tool
2. Enter your origin → stopover city → final destination
3. Choose a layover of 24+ hours for it to count as a stopover
4. Compare total cost in points or cash
5. Look for flight combinations with low taxes and fees
6. Book directly or by calling the airline if the site doesn’t support your route

Example:

You want to visit Tokyo and Seoul:

• Search: Los Angeles → Tokyo (3 days)
• Then: Tokyo → Seoul
• Return: Seoul → Los Angeles

Booking this as one award ticket could cost 70,000–85,000 miles, depending on the airline and class.

Buying each leg separately? Likely over US$1,200.

How to Book Open Jaws

Search using “multi-city” or “open-jaw” options:

1. Fly into City A
2. Return from City B
3. Travel overland or on a separate booking between A and B

Great examples:

• Fly into Amsterdam, return from Paris
• Fly into Bangkok, return from Singapore
• Fly into Vancouver, return from San Francisco

Airline Programs That Allow Open Jaws

Most major carriers allow open jaws on award tickets:

• United MileagePlus
• American Airlines AAdvantage
• Delta SkyMiles
• Air France Flying Blue
• British Airways Avios
• TAP Miles&Go

Make sure the open jaw is within the same region for better pricing.

Smart Combinations to Explore More Cities

Here are trip ideas that use stopovers and open jaws strategically:

Europe

• São Paulo → Madrid (stopover) → Rome
• Open jaw return: Paris → São Paulo
  → Overland train travel between Rome and Paris

Asia

• Los Angeles → Tokyo (stopover) → Bangkok
• Return: Singapore → Los Angeles
  → Open jaw between Bangkok and Singapore

Middle East + Europe

• New York → Dubai (stopover) → Istanbul
• Return: Athens → New York
  → Three countries in one trip

South America

• Miami → Bogotá (stopover) → Buenos Aires
• Return: Santiago → Miami
  → Explore Andean region + southern cone

Africa

• Lisbon → Casablanca (stopover) → Cape Town
• Return: Johannesburg → Lisbon
  → Visit North and Southern Africa on one ticket

Stopover Tricks with Paid Tickets

Even if you’re paying in cash:

• Use Google Flights or ITA Matrix to find creative stopovers
• Try booking through an airline’s country-specific site (sometimes cheaper)
• Search “multi-city” instead of “round-trip”
• Check open jaw return prices — often similar to round-trips

Some airlines even offer stopover packages, like:

• TAP Air Portugal: Free stopover in Lisbon or Porto for up to 5 nights
• Icelandair: Stopover in Reykjavik
• Emirates or Etihad: Dubai or Abu Dhabi hotel and tour packages
• Finnair: Helsinki stopovers available with tours

Bonus: Use Stopovers to Maximize Lounge Access

If you have elite status or travel cards with lounge benefits:

• Use your stopover to enjoy multiple lounges in one trip
• Freshen up with showers, meals, and rest before your next leg
• Extend layovers into mini-retreats (especially useful for red-eye flights)

Final Thoughts: Stopovers = Smarter Travel

Learning the best ways to use stopovers and open jaws to explore more cities unlocks the hidden power of smart itinerary planning.

Whether you’re redeeming points or booking cash fares, this strategy lets you:

• Visit more destinations
• Save money
• Stretch your vacation days
• Travel more creatively

With a little flexibility and research, a simple round-trip can become an unforgettable multi-city adventure.