The Method
How to build it yourself, on any airline.
Airlines With Free Stopovers: Every Program Compared (2026)One table, every airline stopover program that matters in 2026: what's actually free, what's just cheap, how long you get, and the one rule that kills the perk if you miss it.The Backwards Ticket: Book Past Your Destination and Turn It Into a Free StopoverWhen there's no cheap fare TO your dream city, there's often a cheap fare THROUGH it. How to make your real destination the stopover on a ticket that officially goes somewhere else, and the one version of this trick that gets tickets canceled.
How to Break Up a Long Flight (and Actually Beat Jet Lag Doing It)Why a 10+ hour layover with a real bed beats a 17-hour nonstop, which routes this matters for, and the airlines that will pay for your reset night. The honest version, including when not to bother.
How to Book Your Own Stopover on Any Airline (No Program Required)Most airlines don't run a stopover program at all. You don't need one. The multi-city search method, the fare-construction logic behind it, and the 24-hour line that decides whether your stop is free.Award Ticket Stopovers Explained in Plain English (Aeroplan, Alaska, JAL, ANA)You have a points card and a login. You've never redeemed for anything but a plain round-trip. Here's what an award stopover actually is, what it costs on the four programs that matter most, and how to book one without the jargon.The Stopover Cheat Sheet
Every airline that gives you a free country, one page.
A single-page checklist of the programs, minimum layovers, and booking deadlines. Updated when the rules change.