How to save on long-haul flights with stopovers

Got your eyes on that well-deserved long-haul holiday or maybe you just want to visit your friend who lives on the other side of the world? Well we’ve got some good news for you… According to our latest research, travellers who have the flexibility to fly indirect to their chosen destination can half the price of their airfare and double the destinations they visit by incorporating a city stopover along the way. Sounds pretty amazing, right?

Read on to find out how you can save on long-haul flights with stopovers…

London to Hong Kong

So, let’s take a look at this popular route – London to Hong Kong. We found that flying with British Airways in June would set a couple back more than £2,350. But, if you opt to fly indirectly on the same dates – via Helsinki with Finnair – a return ticket would cost just £1,233 for two people – and that also includes an overnight hotel stay. This equates to a saving of £1,027 per couple – that’s 44% cheaper.

London to Cape Town

The London to Cape Town route also offers some interesting stopover options and hefty savings versus flying direct.  A non-stop, return flight for two passengers with British Airways in November is an eye-watering £2,033. But, if a couple were to fly on the same dates via Istanbul with Turkish Airlines, they could get two return tickets and a hotel stay in Istanbul for just £1,029 – saving a staggering 46% or £928.

London to Beijing

The Chinese capital of Beijing is an increasingly popular destination and the price of direct flights definitely reflects that. However, there are savings to be made if you stopover in Warsaw, with Polish national carrier LOT. Flying this way will cost you two-thirds of the price of flying direct.

London to New York

You can also save a considerable amount of money if you decide to reach New York via Reykjavik with Icelandair. Thanks to Icelandair and their heavy promotion, it’s never been cheaper to travel to North America as it is now. Flying with this stopover can save you 9% versus flying direct – plus you’ll get the chance to experience 24-hours in the cool Icelandic capital.

Use Cheapflights.co.uk to search for flights with stopovers

Use Cheapflights.co.uk‘s search engine if you’ve got any other far-away destinations in mind. Routes like London and Manchester to Bangkok can be way cheaper if done with a stopover in one of the Middle East’s airport hubs, such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Muscat. And the good news is, when you search on Cheapflights.co.uk, the search result will automatically show you the cheapest possible flights, and you can use our handy search filters to remove those pesky and expensive direct flights.

There are loads of possible routes to consider – whether you are booking one-way or searching for return flights – where there are great savings to be made. For example, if flying London to Los Angeles, consider stopping in Amsterdam. Bound for Rio de Janeiro? Go there via New York. Heading from London to St Lucia, a stopover in Paris is a great option. And if it’s Johannesburg you’re visiting, then try going from Abu Dhabi. There’s a whole host of indirect flight options available on long-haul routes. And when you get there, all you have to do is to step beyond the transit area of your ‘layover’ destination and experience a city you might not have otherwise visited.

And a few more tips…

Bear in mind that most airlines will allow passengers to spend 24 hours or more in the layover city, at no extra cost, before continuing their onward journey. These indirect flights are often significantly cheaper than a non-stop fare, even when you factor in the cost of a hotel stay in the stopover destination. So you’re basically getting two holidays for the price of one!

Flying indirect is a great way to bag a bargain flight and enhance your holiday experience. We recommend that you do your homework in advance, to ensure you’re fully aware of any visas, ESTAs or other documentation that might be required to get through customs and immigration in the stopover city.

*The prices we listed are good as of May 2017 – to get the latest prices, launch a flight search now.