Flight with stopover or non-stop!
Key points to remember
Direct flight or with stopover? Direct: time-saving but often more expensive (50-200€ difference). Stopover: cheaper, additional fatigue, sometimes better airline. For long-haul flights (>10h), a short stopover (2-3h) is often comfortable.
Advantages of flights with stopover:
- The price is often more advantageous; you generally find cheaper tickets
- Allows you to stay a few days where the stopover is for the same ticket price or even cheaper if you take an early flight (outside school holiday periods). If you have time, it’s ideal for visiting another country!
In this example, it is very clear that it is cheaper than the non-stop flight (see photo below) and that you can stay 3 days in Dubai!
Disadvantages of non-stop flights:
- Loss of several hours waiting for the next flight, so jet lag is harder to overcome!
- Anxiety about catching the next flight and finding the next boarding gate.
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Now that I have proven to you that tickets are cheaper with a stopover.
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I will tell you what to look for to avoid mistakes!
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After deciding that you will stay to visit another country during the stopover but you haven’t yet decided which country, you now need to see which country would be good to visit but there are 2 things to check!
My experience
I saved 250€ on a Paris-Tokyo flight by taking an 8-hour stopover in Helsinki via Finnair. Time to briefly visit the city by metro, have a decent meal. On long-haul flights, well-planned long stopovers are almost bonuses.
How to choose a flight with stopover or non-stop
Did you know?
The fastest recorded stopover is 27 minutes (Frankfurt-Vienna). But airlines impose a MCT (Minimum Connection Time) of 45 min to 2h depending on airports. You take a risk if you book two separate flights yourself with less than 3 hours between them.
- Does this country require an entry Visa ? A concrete example from my trip to Sydney: I had a stopover in Beijing, but China requires an entry visa, so in my case, it is not beneficial to pay for this visa unless I have the time because these visas often cost money ! You can do it knowingly and stay in the city for a few days then depart from there a few days later, but if you want to spend money, I strongly recommend doing it ! The visa application for China is done at the embassy, make the necessary request if you do it ! This case can apply to all countries where the visa application takes time !
- Is the visa on arrival paid ? The point is to save or use as little money as possible, unless you want to pay for the visa because you think it’s worth it, go ahead ! It is often worth it ! For example, in the case of Dubai, French citizens are given free visas on arrival for a 30-day visa.
Now that you know you are going to make a stopover, and that you have the necessary information to choose which country you will go to. I will advise you on which countries it is beneficial to stopover in! ?
Advantages
- Direct: time-saving, less fatigue
- Stopover: often lower price
- Long stopover: possible bonus city visit
- Wider choice of airlines
- Possibility of upgrade with miles
Disadvantages
- Risk of lost luggage during stopover
- Tiring waiting times
- Risk of missing connection in case of delay
- Not always time-efficient
- Unpleasant airports during long stopovers
If you want to buy a ticket and make a stopover, it usually only works on long trips and long vacations: example of Bangkok with a stopover in Dubai. Avoid flying on weekends, buy your tickets on Tuesday or Thursday !
If you want to buy a ticket to Australia, making a stopover costs nothing, you can land in Beijing with Air China, Seoul with Asiana Airlines, Singapore with Singapore Airlines, Hong Kong with Cathay Travel, London then Dubai with British Airways, Kuala Lumpur with Malaysia Airlines, Dubai with Emirates.
The classic trap to avoid
Never book 2 separate flights without ticket insurance or if the stopover is less than 4 hours. In case of delay on the 1st flight, you lose the 2nd without recourse. Prefer a single ticket with stopover (airline responsibility).
In a future article, I will give the advantages and disadvantages by choice of stopover for each of the cities above !
If you are preparing your departure, take a look at our guide on stopover in Beijing which complements the topic well. The feedback around stopover in Asia also provides useful benchmarks to avoid unpleasant surprises. And for further inspiration, the article on my choices for is worth a detour.
And you, where do you stopover? Which stopover has left the biggest impression on you?
Should you prioritize a direct flight?
Yes, if the price difference is less than €200 for a long-haul flight. Comfort and safety justify the difference.
What is the minimum layover time?
At least 1h30 for the same terminal, 2h30 to change terminals, 3h+ to change airports or book 2 separate tickets.
What happens if I miss my connection?
With a single ticket: the airline puts you on the next flight for free. With 2 separate tickets: you lose the 2nd ticket.
| Type | Advantage | Disadvantage |
|---|---|---|
| Direct | Fast, simple | More expensive |
| Short layover (<3h) | Cheaper | Connection stress |
| Long layover (>6h) | Rest, city visit | Added fatigue |
| 2 separate flights | Maximum savings | Total risk if delay |
