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Stopovers and Open-Jaws on Award Tickets

Not financial advice. Program rules change, so check the official page before you transfer or book. Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by Kevin.

One award ticket, two destinations. That's the appeal of stopovers and open-jaws.

Definitions

  • Stopover: you stay in a connecting city longer than a normal layover before continuing.
  • Open-jaw: you fly into one city and home from another, or fly home to a different city than you left from.

Programs that allow stopovers

Rules vary a lot by program and change over time. Aeroplan is one of the clearest. It says:

  • Each stopover adds 5,000 points.
  • One stopover is allowed per direction, including on one-way trips.
  • A stopover starts when you stay more than 24 hours, and can last up to 45 days.
  • Stopovers aren't allowed within Canada, the US, or China.
  • You can't have an open-jaw at the stopover point.

(Aeroplan and Aeroplan Flight Reward Policy.)

For other programs, check their routing-rules pages before you plan.

Open-jaw examples

  • Fly into Rome, travel by train, fly home from Paris.
  • Fly into Tokyo, home from Osaka.

How to book multi-city online

On Aeroplan, choose the "Multi-city/Stopover" option when you search. Other programs often have a similar multi-city tool. If the site won't price it, the program's call center may.

Fees and limits

Watch for added points for the stopover, extra taxes from the extra city, and any partner booking fees.

Two cities for one trip

Plan the trip around the stopover city you'd actually enjoy. Then search each leg's award space separately before you book the whole thing. See the business-class award walkthrough for the search-then-transfer order.

Sources

All guides