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Stopover programs are offerings made by airlines to make a layover more compelling. Sometimes, when travelers are booking a flight that stops in an airline’s hub, they are given the option to stay for anywhere from a few hours to a few nights in that city, at no added cost; others offer discounts on hotel stays and excursions when flight routes require a stop one way or another. And who doesn’t want to explore an additional destination on a trip—especially if you’ll be passing through anyway?
With rising ticket prices this summer, the programs are seeing renewed interest from travelers as a way to make the most of their airfare. On a recent trip from Chicago to Singapore, my layover qualified for the Turkish Airlines’ stopover program in Istanbul, which recently started up again post-pandemic.
The airline offers two options for travelers. The first, Stopover Istanbul, is designed for those who have a layover exceeding 20 hours, and the second, TourIstanbul, caters to passengers with a stopover of 6 to 24 hours. When booking, look for the “Stopover Istanbul” logo on the Turkish Airlines website which marks flights that are eligible for the program. Flights that are eligible for the free tour will have the logo “TourIstanbul.”
Because my layover was just over 20 hours, I could choose between a tour of the city or a hotel room (economy passengers get one free night at a four-star hotel, while business class passengers get two nights at a five-star hotel). I opted for the room because I already had scouted out my tours of choice through Airbnb Experiences.
To actually get my hotel reservation, I reached out to the dedicated email address associated with my departure country to secure the offer. (The airline’s stopover page lists the email address for each country of departure.) Although Turkish Airlines suggests reaching out with at least a 72-hour notice, hotels are sometimes available even later. Luckily, within days of my email, my hotel reservation was confirmed in the form of a voucher.
There was a bit of work I had to do on my own: To visit Istanbul as an American citizen, I needed a visa. It’s a straightforward online process that allows for multiple entries (especially handy if you have layovers on both ends of your trip), though, and the cost was just $50 at the time of my visit.
Upon clearing customs at the Istanbul airport, I could have taken the hotel shuttle, but thanks to the availability of Uber in the city, I was in my hotel room under 30 minutes. I chose to stay at the Pullman İstanbul Hotel and Convention Center, one of the partner hotels for the stopover program, and I was impressed at how nice the view of the city was from my room. As much as I wanted to enjoy the queen-sized bed, the pool, and the free breakfast, I was already running late for my tours. I had booked some Airbnb Experiences, which is my favorite way to experience cities on a short timeline—I’ve always found these tours to offer a quick dive into the culture, with local experts who are both laidback and knowledgeable.
Weaving through the streets of Paris on a stranger’s motorcycle was thrilling, something out of a movie.
With only 20 hours, I chose to skip the classic attractions like the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and the Grand Bazaar, choosing instead to dive into the stomach of the city. I booked a highly rated street food tour that spanned both the Asian and European sides of the city divided by the Bosphorus.