Unless you live on the Coast or at a major hub, it is unlikely you have many direct longhaul flight options. Instead you will have to connect en route to your vacation. Generally, airlines will offer connections with shorter connections, 90 minutes to two hours, to ensure you have enough time to clear arrivals and a bit of padding in case of minor delays.
Not all destinations have the frequency to be this optimized so you may end up with longer gaps. Three or four hours may not be a big deal to adults - you can enjoy a leisurely meal and catch up on emails - but for young children, that is a long time to spend in the airport without driving everyone nuts. Terminals aren't designed with children in mind. Although more innovations like play areas, family bathrooms, and child-friendly restaurants are becoming more commonplace, even those helps have their limits.
Benefits of Layovers
Long layovers have several benefits:
You can explore an additional city on your vacation
It can break up the rigors of travel, especially for young children
Less than ideal schedules can net big savings
Layovers are allowed for up to 24 hours in the US. Some airlines in Europe offer multi-day stopovers with no additional fees. These are schemes to encourage tourism in gateway cities like Reykjavik, London, and Lisbon. Stopovers can be added when booking directly with the airline giving you time to enjoy the sites.
In the US, we've enjoyed days in Staten Island (Newark connection), Baltimore (BWI), Washington DC (transfer from IAD to DCA), Manhattan (transfer from LGA to JFK), and Miami (transfer from MIA to FLL). In Europe, Reykjavik (Keflavik, Iceland), London (Heathrow), Madrid, Lisbon, Amsterdam, Munich, and Frankfurt all are accessible to the center of town for long layovers. Are these places we would visit anyways? Of course, but having a long layover lets you enjoy a beloved city without dedicating a full vacation. Or it can give you an opportunity to scout out your next trip!
We are fortunate to have nonstop options out of Texas, but we are not located on the coasts so we frequently need to connect to arrive at our final location. When we have a nonstop as an option heading to Europe, it is usually worth doing as the children can sleep overnight. But those return flights are SO long during the day. We have found that breaking up a long travel day is very beneficial for our young children. They are more regulated and typically sleep better with a full day of fun and not just travel. I feel better, too, getting out in the fresh air!
In addition to enjoyment, less than ideal schedules can next big savings, both for paid and award tickets. On our Newark connection, we scored a 27k mileage ticket on United to leave at 6:30 in the morning and continuing to Europe at 8:30 in the evening. Typical summer tickets were 58 to 70k for optimised connections. Taking the early flight made our miles go more than twice as far - think two trips for the price of one! On another trip, we have an overnight in London. Stopping over on a Saturday night saved $237 per person - with four people that is almost a $1,000! We were able to score a one-night hotel stay on points, but even the cash rate is the same as one person's savings.
Layovers also allow for positioning flights. A positioning flight is taking a separate carrier to reach a more ideal airport for a cheap paid or awards ticket. We've used Southwest points more than once to get to the East Coast to take advantage of very inexpensive European tickets. If you choose to use a positioning flight, give yourself plenty of time in case of cancellation or delay.
Logistics to Consider
The amount of time you will need to leave the airport depends on a few factors like luggage, security lines, and connections to the city. In general, a minimum of six hours is necessary to make it worth getting out of the airport.
Luggage: If you carry-on, you will need a spot to store your bags for the day. Some airports have luggage checks, but this has become rarer since 9-11 and even more so with Covid. In this case, you will need to look for left luggage options in the city. Train stations commonly have storage facilities. If you have an overnight stop, your hotel should be willing to keep your luggage even if your room isn't ready. Some museums will store baggage during your visit. Confirm availability before your trip.
Transportation: Many airports are linked directly to the city center by train or metro with varying efficiency. Taxis are more expensive, but may be worth the cost when you are short on time. Depending what you would like to do while you are on your layover, you can rent a car. I would only recommend this for lengthy layovers because there is an extra time commitment.
Security: Give yourself plenty of time upon return for security. Airlines are not responsible for missed connections outside operational issues. Before you leave, make sure you already have boarding passings for your connection. If you do not, see an airline agent or
Visas & Documentation: As a connecting passenger, you are not required to have a visa as long as you do not leave the airport. If you do decide to enjoy your layover, check the State Department website for requirements. Although many countries have eased Covid restrictions, some do still have tracing systems in place. Check to see if there is any paperwork to file.
Ultimately, layovers can be a huge win, both for wonderful experiences and travel savings, but do take a bit of forethought!
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