If you’re booking a flight, there are a few details you’re probably mulling over: Will I have to wake up at 4 am to catch my flight? Are only middle seats available? And, of course: Will there be a long layover to contend with? Most of us dread the idea of a long layover: sitting around an airport for hours is no one’s idea of a good time. But if you think of it a little differently, you can turn that layover into part of your vacation. All you have to do is consider the 23:59 connection rule.
What is the 23:59 Rule?
The “23:59 rule” means that you can spend under 24 hours in the city of your choice, along the way of your final destination, without paying anything extra. It’s an opportunity to add another destination to your trip for free. But it must be under 24 hours—over that and it will however count as a stopover, which you’d have to pay extra for.
Find Long Connections in Fun Cities
If you already know that the destination you picked will include a long layover, stop somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit. If you’re lucky enough and the flight you booked already includes a connection in a city you’ve wanted to see, all you’ll have to do is plan activities accordingly. If not, you’ll need to do some research on which cities you could stop along the way by checking your trip’s route.
How to Use Multi-City
If you have to create your trip from scratch and add the connections you want, you can book a trip as a “multi-city” instead of a round trip. You’ll enter your departure location to the place you want to stop along the way for up to 23:59 hours. Then, you will depart from the connecting stop you chose, back to your original departure destination—unless you want to add another connection.
Google Flights is a helpful tool to find the cheapest flight options from various airlines. For instance, if you’re traveling to Asia and headed to Bangkok, an exciting layover could be in Hong Kong. San Francisco is also a great connection for a trip to Australia. If you decide to stay within the US, cities like Chicago, Denver and Atlanta are always fun to visit. As for Europe, you wouldn’t want to miss out on Amsterdam, Brussels or London.
Look Into Layover Programs
Many airlines started launching layover programs in order to offer travelers the chance to visit and explore other cities. To benefit from those programs and their perks, you’l have to travel with the airline assigned to the program and your layover will have to be a certain minimum of hours.
Here’s a list of some layover programs across the country:
Doha, Qatar: You have to fly with Qatar Airways and have a minimum eight-hour layover. You can only make a booking for free tours 48 hours prior to your flight arrival, subject to availability. All the information on how to proceed is on their website.
Istanbul, Turkey: You have to be a passenger of Turkish Airlines and have at least a six-hour layover. Turkish Airlines is partnering with Touristanbul to offer free tours of The Blue Mosque, The Grand Bazaar, Hagia Sophia and more.
Lisbon, Portugal: TAP Air Portugal offers you the possibility to discover Lisbon or Porto with its layover program offered by the country’s airline. You are allowed a maximum of five days at no additional fare cost and you’ll get exclusive discounts when booking a hotel room.
Toronto, Canada: Air Canada offers free accommodation for customers flying with the company with a a layover of at least six hours. With the program, you’ll get a free stop in Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver.
Where to Keep Your Stuff
Depending on how long your layover is, you might not need to book a hotel room. In that case, certain airports will let you leave your suitcase in secure lockers. Make sure to check ahead: not all airports offer this service.