Best Airline Stopover Programs in 2026
Quick answer
Among 2026 programs, Aeroplan is the strongest all-purpose stopover option: it allows one stopover per direction for up to 45 days, outside Canada, the United States, and China, for 5,000 additional points. KrisFlyer, Turkish Miles&Smiles, and Atmos Rewards can be better for specific routes, but each has tighter award, carrier, or duration limits.
Which airline has the best stopover program in 2026?
Aeroplan is the best default for most international stopover plans because its current policy is simple: one stopover per direction, up to 45 days, for 5,000 points. If you want a route-specific answer, Ask our award team to plan the itinerary ($0) before transferring or buying miles.
How does Aeroplan’s stopover policy work?
Aeroplan permits one stopover in each direction, including on a one-way ticket, with a maximum stay of 45 days. The stopover must be outside Canada, the United States, and China, and it adds 5,000 points. Aeroplan also requires travel to continue from the stopover city rather than creating an open-jaw there.
How many stopovers does KrisFlyer allow?
KrisFlyer offers different stopover counts by award type: Saver allows one stopover on a round trip and none on a one-way; Advantage allows one on a one-way and two on a round trip. Complimentary stopovers are limited to 30 days, and longer stays require separate redemption bookings under current terms.
Can you add a stopover to a Turkish Airlines award?
Turkish Miles&Smiles is narrower. For Turkish-operated award tickets, the official terms allow one stopover on either the outbound or inbound portion of a round trip. Turkish’s detailed terms also say one-way awards cannot include a stopover, so confirm the exact ticket type before planning around Istanbul.
Does Atmos Rewards still offer a free stopover?
Atmos Rewards allows one en-route stopover of up to 14 days per one-way on eligible international itineraries; a round trip can have two, one in each direction. Alaska’s current award page recommends using the multi-city search, while partner eligibility, routing, and award availability still determine whether the itinerary can be ticketed.
How do the major stopover programs compare?
Aeroplan is strongest for long stays, KrisFlyer offers the most stopover slots on Advantage round trips, Turkish is useful only within its carrier-specific rules, and Atmos Rewards provides a shorter international stopover. Use the table to match the program to the trip rather than choosing by headline stopover count.
| Program | One-way | Round trip | Maximum stay or key limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aeroplan | 1 | 2 total; 1 each way | Up to 45 days; outside Canada, the U.S., and China; +5,000 points |
| KrisFlyer Saver | 0 | 1 | Up to 30 days |
| KrisFlyer Advantage | 1 | 2 | Up to 30 days |
| Turkish Miles&Smiles | No stopover | 1 on outbound or inbound | Turkish-operated awards; one-way stopovers are not permitted |
| Atmos Rewards | 1 | 2 total; 1 each way | Up to 14 days on eligible international itineraries |
How do you decide whether a stopover is worth it?
Use the MileMarketplace Stopover Yield Test: choose a stopover when the incremental points, taxes, lodging, and ground costs are lower than the separate-trip cost or the experience value you assign. Hypothetically, 5,000 extra Aeroplan points plus $35 in taxes replacing a $180 positioning flight equals ($180 − $35) ÷ 5,000 = 2.9 cents per point before lodging.
For a route-specific comparison, Ask our award team to plan the itinerary ($0) and we can test the stopover against the complete itinerary cost.
MileMarketplace Stopover Yield Test
Incremental award cost + incremental cash cost should be compared with the cost of booking the stopover city separately. Include lodging and ground transportation before deciding that a stopover is a bargain.
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Frequently asked questions
Which program is best for a long stopover?
Aeroplan is the clearest fit: one stopover per direction, up to 45 days, outside Canada, the United States, and China, for 5,000 additional points. Exact routing and award availability still control whether the plan prices.
How many stopovers does KrisFlyer allow?
KrisFlyer Saver allows one stopover on a round trip and none on a one-way. Advantage allows one on a one-way and two on a round trip. Stopovers are limited to 30 days.
Does Atmos Rewards have a stopover limit?
Atmos Rewards allows one stopover of up to 14 days per one-way on eligible international itineraries, or two on a round trip with one in each direction.
Can a Turkish one-way award include a stopover?
No. Turkish’s detailed terms say one-way awards cannot include a stopover. For Turkish-operated round trips, one stopover is allowed on either the outbound or inbound portion.