Use This Scheduling Hack To See Another Destination For Free On Your Next Vacation

Traveling with long layovers can be a nightmare. While you can try and avoid them by staying away from the airports that are particularly guilty of long stopovers, sometimes you can't help it and end up spending hours of your vacation waiting for your next flight. Luckily, instead of wasting time at the airport, it is possible to turn your long travel day into an opportunity to explore an entirely new destination at no extra cost. This works because many international airlines offer long layovers in major hub cities.With the right booking strategy, you can turn a wasted day at the airport into a free visit to a new destination on your next vacation. 

For this scheduling hack, all you have to do is select a flight with a long layover that allows you plenty of time to leave the airport so you can enjoy a mini-vacation in a new city before heading to your final destination. This could be a stop in Tokyo or Osaka on Japan Airlines, a short visit to Iceland on your way to Europe, or even transiting through Turkey when visiting North Africa. However, to make sure you get the most out of your layover, there are a few simple tricks that can help you identify the best cities for a multi-day stop as well as search and book the flights that will allow you enough time to get out and explore.

While many of the longest flights in the world are bound to have layovers, the key to making the most out of this travel hack is to identify the best cities to break up your trip. Many airlines tend to stopover in the cities they are based out of, such as Turkish Airlines stopping in Istanbul International Airport (which just so happens to be one of the best airports in the world for layovers). Furthermore, Emirates Airlines tends to have layovers in Dubai while British Airways stops in London and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines stops in Amsterdam. By researching which airlines go to your final destination, you'll be able to find different layover hubs and decide on the city you want to spend time exploring.

Some airlines even have stopover programs where they encourage travelers to extend their layovers and visit the airline's home city or country. For example, Icelandair gives passengers the chance to stay in Reykjavik for up to seven days with no additional airfare cost,Turkish Airlines even provides free accommodation for long layovers in Istanbul, andEtihad Airlines encourages passengers to stopover in Abu Dhabi by paying for hotels for up to two nights.

But, most importantly, before choosing a stopover destination, check the visa and entry requirements for the country to ensure that you will be able to leave the airport and explore. Keep in mind that some countries, like China, that normally require travel visas do allow short visa-free visits for travelers from many countries. Other countries (such as the UAE, Turkey, and England) offer a transit visa for certain nationalities to be able to enter the country for a short period.

If you are having a hard time finding the stopover cities you can choose from for a specific destination, there is a simple way to figure out your options. Start by searching for your flights as usual on a platform such as Skyscanner and enter your departure and final destination cities in the search box. Just make sure that the "Direct Flights" option is left unchecked. This will give you all the flights available, including those with one or two layovers. In many cases, using the "Cheapest" filter will give you results for flights with the longest layovers (which are sometimes 24 hours or more). Then, all you need to do is scroll through the results and select the flight with an extended layover in a city that is most appealing to you.

Just be sure to keep an eye out for changes in luggage policies, terminals, and carriers. In some cases, a change of airline could mean different baggage policies which could include hidden fees, especially if you're traveling on a budget airline. Other times, airlines might require that you collect and recheck your luggage which needs to be factored into the extra time required at the airport during your stopover. However, with these tips in mind, you'll be able to travel to an extra city for free and enjoy an unforgettable experience.