Travel Tips

Flights Jargon: What’s the Difference Between Stopovers & Layovers?

25 Oct 2024

Most people, irrespective of the mode of transport would like to have their journey over at the earliest. So, if given a choice between direct flights and those with stops on the way, most will choose the direct ones where available. There is some confusion among a number of passengers about what to call this stoppage time, whether it is a stopover or a layover. These terms are used interchangeably but they have different meanings and they serve different purposes. In layman’s terms, you could say that a layover is a short stop while stopovers last much longer. These stops take place when you are on lengthy flights and not on the short ones.

Layover, the short stop

Most passengers won’t mind a short stop on the way as long as they don’t have to switch aircraft. This type of layover takes place when you are on a long-haul flight and the aircraft needs to be refueled, more passengers are boarding the aircraft, or for a change of flight staff.

Different aircraft have different-sized fuel tanks and most pilots will want to make sure that there are no issues with its quantity, particularly if there are any emergencies. So, for intercontinental flights, there can be stops on the way if the distance is too long, which means more fuel is required to reach the destination.
For most airlines, the flights are not just a service they offer but a business too for earning profits. So, if they stop on the way, it could be to offer more destinations to their passengers. It will also give them the opportunity to offer flights to passengers with more than one airport as starting point for their journey to the destination.
The airline staff, including the pilots and the air hostesses or stewards, are humans like all of us and they will be able to perform better if they get good rest. While you may be catching your flight once in a while, they will be on tens of them every month, keeping which in mind they get good breaks so they are completely charged and ready to assist you without any mistakes.

Stopover, the long stop

The stopovers on the other hand, though, they can serve all of the purposes listed above are much longer, often of over 24 hours for international flights. Unlike layovers, where you will be on the aircraft or at the least on the airport, in stopovers you may have to go out of the airport and come back in the next days to board, usually, a different aircraft. You will be expected to go through all airport procedures at the airport you are stopping when you come back to board again. This means that there are pluses and minuses of these.

The flights with stopovers are often mandatory if the direct flights between two airports are not possible for any reason, mainly the distance and the lack of the right number of passengers interested in flying regularly over this route. Also, flights with stopovers are often cheaper than those without them, hence offering flying opportunities to those with limited budgets for flights.
Some smart travelers will use this opportunity to spend some time exploring the destination of the stopover converting it into a short city break. Often you will be able to decide the duration of the stopover yourself, which will be possible with connecting flights on offer on a regular basis in the coming days. One issue that you could face is the visa situation, though most airports will offer you a transit visa there and then, as long as you have the tickets for the onward journey.

Other aspects of these stops

Yes, in case of layovers, you may have to get off the aircraft while in the case of the stopovers, this will be mandatory. In case of layovers, you may be required to get to a new departure gates and the time available for this can be a worrying factor for most passengers. In most cases, if you miss your flight you can expect to be offered a new air ticket for the next available flight to the destination from the airline you are flying with. Also, in most cases, the baggage will be taken care of by the airlines, which will be true if the stop is short like a layover. In case of long stopovers, you will have to collect your baggage and have it checked in again, the next time you come to the airport.

Some examples

All major and minor airlines in the USA have their hub at certain airports, the place from where they take off and come back. These are often stops, usually layovers for engineering stops among other reasons at these. If you consider the Emirates airline with its hub in Dubai, it offers flights over a large number of international routes. Here, flights are offered with stopovers from this airline, so a large number of international passengers can fly over the routes of their choice.

Conclusion

Whether you like it or not, the longer flights will come with stops and most of you will prefer them to be as limited in number and duration as possible. Above we have explained the terms used to classify short stops and the longer ones. The airlines too will always want these to be short as they have to pay the airports for the time their aircraft is in their complex.

By FlightsChannel Team