Airlines embrace stopover itineraries in Hawaii, Panama and beyond

By Robert Silk |Jun 30, 2026 Travel Weekly

Airlines are increasingly leaning into stopover programs as they compete for connecting international traffic. 

This month, Panama-based Copa Airlines extended the maximum length of its stopovers to 15 days from the previous limit of seven.

Across the Atlantic, Emirates, looking to re-engage with travelers scared away by the Iran war and related flight disruptions, has partnered with the JW Marriott Marquis to offer free lodging in Dubai for up to two days during stopovers.

Meanwhile, here in the U.S., sister carriers Hawaiian and Alaska have taken a first step toward increasing awareness of their little-known stopover program through Honolulu for flyers headed to Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, the Cook Islands and the mainland U.S.

The longstanding Hawaiian Airlines program, which has been expanded to include Alaska since Alaska Air Group acquired Hawaiian two years ago, got a dedicated web page in February. And Alaska Air Group is evaluating a more dedicated program, which would include partnerships with hotels and destination marketing organizations, spokeswoman Tara Shimooka said.

Icelandair a stopover pioneer

Stopover programs enable connecting flyers to take a break in their flight itinerary for days or sometimes weeks. They are especially popular with airlines that serve a high proportion of one-stop international flyers.

Airlines often team up with local hotels, tour operators and attractions on cross-promotions related to their stopover programs, which they market as an opportunity to visit two distant destinations on one fare. 

Carriers earn commissions from tour, lodging and package bookings made through their stopover merchandising channels while hoping the option of a free stopover will draw passengers. The programs often draw support from DMOs. 

Icelandair, with its one-stop transatlantic network, was a pioneer, having begun promoting its #MyStopover campaign in 2012. Currently, 20% to 25% of the flyers the airline connects between the U.S. and Europe do a free stopover in Reykjavik, which the airline allows for up to a week.

Among Icelandair's many stopover partners are the tour operator Icelandia and the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa.

"It really has a measurable impact. Icelandair is one of the most significant distribution partners that we have, and that includes OTAs," Icelandia marketing manager Vigdis Guojohnsen said. 

The program has made Iceland more accessible, said Blue Lagoon account manager Raquel Diaz. It has introduced Iceland and the Blue Lagoon to travelers who otherwise might not have visited.

"The program has helped broaden Blue Lagoon's international visitor base, increase awareness of the Blue Lagoon in key markets and support off-season tourism," she said.

Other airlines with stopover programs are Turkish, Qatar, TAP Air Portugal, Iberia and Air Canada, which offers stopovers of up to a week in Toronto for flyers transiting to Europe or Asia.

For Copa, the addition of a stopover program in 2019 was, in part, an effort to win tourism market share for Panama from neighboring Costa Rica, said David DeFossey, the carrier's regional commercial manager for North America. 

Copa's route network from North America to South America via Panama now includes 17 U.S. destinations, with popular connecting itineraries continuing on to Brazil, Colombia and Chile, DeFossey said. This year, the airline anticipates 250,000 stopover customers, up from 215,000 last year. In extending stopovers to as many as 15 days, the airline enables customers to explore more of Panama in conjunction with approximately 80 stopover program partners, he said.

Why not U.S. airlines?

Despite the success of stopover programs at some airlines, they haven't been adopted by the U.S. network carriers and aren't deployed at all within the enormous U.S. domestic market. 

U.S. carriers just don't need stopover traffic the way other airlines do, said industry analyst Brett Snyder, who writes the Cranky Flier blog. 

"TAP and Icelandair are airlines that need a lot of transfer passengers to be able to support their local flying," Snyder said. 

A key downside is that stopover programs tend to draw leisure travelers and not the higher-yielding business travelers sought by the U.S. Big Three, said consultant Bob Mann of R.W. Mann and Co., so promoting stopovers might not be worth the effort.

Nevertheless, one could imagine flyers enjoying stopovers in many U.S. cities. 

Visit Denver said, "We would jump at the opportunity to support one of our airline partners in creating a stopover program in Denver." 

Denver's airport is a hub for United and a base for Southwest and Frontier.

The DMO added that stopover programs can be a logistical challenge for airlines juggling heavy flight schedules.