Stopovers: How They Can Make Business Class Flights Cheaper

Business class flights are one of the best ways to comfortably travel over great distances by plane. More spacious seats, exquisite meals, lounge access, priority boarding, and much other perks can transform your flight from torture into something you look forward to.

The downside is that business class tickets almost always cost more than economy tickets.

But many seasoned travelers have learned a secret: sometimes the way you book your flights can drastically impact the cost.

One of the best tricks is booking stopovers. Although counterintuitive, booking a flight with a stopover in another city can drastically reduce the price you pay for business class, and can even let you explore that city along the way.

If you want to learn how stopovers can save you money on business class flights, this guide will teach you:

• Why stopovers exist
• How airline ticket pricing works
• How to save money by booking stopovers 

What Is a Stopover? 

In order to get a better idea of how stopovers work, you first need to know what they are.

In a nutshell, a stopover is any break between two flights where the connection time exceeds that of a standard connection.

Connections between flights on the same itinerary usually take no longer than 3 hours. Stopovers, on the other hand, are essentially longer layovers that can go beyond 24 hours.

For example:

• Flight 1: New York to London 
• Stopover: Spend 2 days in London 
• Flight 2: London to Rome 

While you normally just pass through London during a layover, passengers book stopovers when they intentionally extend their layover.

Stopovers are permitted on most airlines as part of multi-city itineraries. Some airlines even offer incentives for booking stopovers as part of their programs.

Why Stopovers Can Make Flights Cheaper

It may seem odd that flying further to one destination could cost less than flying straight there. Flight pricing, however, doesn’t always work logically. 

That’s because airline pricing is determined by market dynamics, not how far you’re flying. Distance is only one small factor. 

Some of the reasons for stopovers being this cheap include the four described below.

1. Airlines Price Tickets Based on Supply and Demand 

Basically speaking, the most direct flight between two points will be the easiest option and, thus, in highest demand.

This is how airlines know travelers are willing to pay more for non-stop flights. Hence, they often drop prices in order to fill seats on flights with connections and stopovers.

Airline ticket pricing research shows that fares with one or more stopovers were anywhere from 30% to 50% cheaper than their non-stop competitors on the same route.

For the savvy traveler, that can equal hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars in savings, especially when flying in premium cabins, such as business class.

2. Airlines Hub Systems Create Incentives for Connecting Flights

Did you know that almost every major airline has a hub-and-spoke system?

Instead of flying directly from Point A to Point B, airlines funnel passengers from small, regional airports through a major hub airport before flying them to their final destination.

This allows airlines to mix-and-match passengers from many different cities onto the same long-haul flight. It also allows airlines to run each flight with maximum efficiency, thereby lowering costs.

But this also means that airlines need connecting passengers to fill seats. To compensate, airlines will often price connecting flights more competitively.

In fact, airlines will sometimes intentionally slash prices on connecting flights just to funnel more passengers through their hubs.

For that reason, you will sometimes see the following crazy scenario:

• Direct flight cost: expensive 
• Same route with stopover through airline’s hub city: cheap

3. More Routes Create More Competition

When you fly direct, you typically only deal with one airline and one single route.

When you introduce stopovers, that number grows exponentially. Many more airlines and airline alliances can compete for your business on each leg of your journey.

As a result of this competition, prices tend to drop.

Instead of seeing one flight option, you might see:

• Airline A via Frankfurt 
• Airline B via Doha 
• Airline C via Istanbul 

As you can see, three different airlines are now competing to service you on that single route. As a result, lower prices are almost guaranteed.

4. Airlines Use Algorithms to Price Flights 

Want to know the secret behind airline ticket pricing?

It’s not economists. It’s algorithms. 

Flight pricing is determined by incredibly sophisticated computer programs that analyze massive spreadsheets containing information on passenger demand, competition, and historical booking trends.

Amazingly, when researchers compile huge spreadsheets of airline tickets, they will often find tickets that defy all logic.

You know those tickets. Flights with two stops costing less than a ticket where the plane flies directly to your destination.

Fares like this happen more often than you might think. So common, in fact, that savvy travelers go out of their way to find them.

Stopovers are one example of how these fares populate real-world markets.

What Frequent Travelers Say about Stopovers

You won’t find many travelers who complain about using stopovers to save money or get more out of their ticket.

Many talk about how connecting through busy hub airports can sometimes be cheaper because demand for those routes is constant and flights will typically sell out.

As one traveler puts it: 

“If both legs are popular flights, the airline can sell more seats on connecting flights compared to less popular direct routes. That means airlines can sometimes offer lower prices.”

Others talk about booking longer layovers or multi-city itineraries to explore a city you were already traveling through without paying full price for a ticket to that destination.

Traveler Tips and Tricks

Like we mentioned before, stopovers tend to work best when you’re booking flights between certain destinations.

Long International Flights 

Stopovers work best on long-haul international flights like:

• North America to Europe 
• Europe to Asia 
• North America to Asia 

These flights typically fly through major airline hubs with lots of inbound and outbound connecting flights.

Through Hub Cities 

As you might have guessed from the previous example, stopovers work best when you connect through major airline hubs.

Unless you’re trying to explore a small city for a day, large hubs are the best places to book stopovers. These cities see the most passenger traffic and are central to each airlines’ international network.

Some of the best airlines for stopovers include:

• London 
• Dubai 
• Istanbul 
• Frankfurt 
• Doha 
• Singapore 

Flexible Dates

If you can be flexible with your travel dates, you have a much better chance of finding cheap business class flights with stopovers.

Changing your dates, stopover city, and length of stay can drastically impact the price of your ticket. Making small itinerary changes can lead to big changes in prices.

The Benefits of Booking Stopovers 

Free money isn’t the only benefit of booking stopovers. They can also: 

Allow You To Visit Two Destinations 

Stopovers can give you the opportunity to visit two destinations on a single ticket.

Many people like to book stopovers as “mini vacations” where they spend an extra day or two exploring the city they would otherwise spend dozens of hours layover-ing in.

Condense Long Flights 

Want to break up an ultra long-haul flight?

Booking a stopover can allow you to: 

• Stretch your legs 
• Explore a new city 
• Get a taste of the local culture 
• Reset your time zone 
• Help avoid jet lag 
• Sleep 

For many people, this makes a long flight much more enjoyable.

Allow You To Find More Flight Options 

By adding stopovers to your search, you can dramatically increase the number of flight combinations you’ll find.

This opens up your opportunities to find: 

• Better flight times 
• More comfortable planes 
• Cheaper business class fares 

Discover How Travel Business Class Can Help You Find Stopover Flight Deals

Let’s say you want to book a flight from New York to London with a stopover in Iceland.

Where do you look? How do you know which airlines to search? What about fare combinations that you can’t see when booking online?

There are too many airlines, routes, and booking options to search manually.

That’s why many travelers use flight search services like Travel Business Class.

Travel Business Class specializes in finding travelers discounted business class tickets. We do this by searching for fare options that you’ll never see when booking online.

Industry consolidator fares can offer discounts of up to 60% on premium class tickets when compared to standard prices. You’ll never know these prices exist unless you talk to a travel expert.

Our advisors also assist with booking itineraries that have ideal connections, airline alliances, and stopovers so you can experience maximum comfort while minimizing costs.

Rather than spending days comparing every flight combination yourself, let us do the work for you. Fill out a form, send us a message, or give us a call and we’ll help you find the best flight options for your travel dates, destinations, and budget.

How To Save Money With Stopovers 

Now that you know how stopovers work and why they can save you money, you might be eager to book your first flight.

Before you go running to your booking engine of choice, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

Search for Multi-City Flights

Instead of booking a traditional round-trip flight, search for flights that allow you to add stopovers.

You can manually add your own stopovers and instantly compare prices between one-stop and two-stop routes.

Compare Multiple Stopover Cities 

Prices can change dramatically if you book your stopover in one city vs. another.

If you have the flexibility, compare a few different cities to see which offers the cheapest rates.

Book Longer Layovers 

Believe it or not, but longer layovers can cost you less.

Because not as many people book lengthy stopovers, airlines often charge less for these flights. In some cases, extending your layover can actually decrease the price of your ticket.

Be Flexible 

If there’s one secret to booking cheap business class flights, it’s flexibility.

The more flexible your dates are, the better your odds of finding cheap business class tickets that include stopovers.

Wrapping It All Up 

Stopovers can be a great way to reduce the overall cost of flying business class.

Since airline tickets are priced according to consumer demand, route competition, and airline hub dynamics, you can often find flights with one or more stops that are cheaper than their direct competitors.

If you have the time, stopovers allow you to enjoy that extra time in your favorite city or explore a new destination for cheap.

Keep in mind that it can take years of experience to discern which flights are worth booking. Fortunately, you don’t have to learn by yourself.

Travel Business Class is here to help you find the best fares and route combinations so you can start taking advantage of stopovers right away.