In the travel industry and especially with frequent flyers and travel aficionados there are a few strategies that are used to enhance a trip and maximize the value of airfare. The following post is designed to help you understand the language and strategies that you can also implement on your African Travel Adventures.
Layovers, stopovers, open-jaws, and destinations are all terms used to describe airfare options when booking and reserving flights.
These can be used when booking a traditional ticket or a mileage reward ticket. A mileage reward ticket is a type of airline ticket that allows you to fly for free and just pay the taxes on the airfare. It’s a strategy that I used to save hundreds of thousands in airfare on my journey to visit more than 50 countries. I’ve organized the terms below to help you learn how to maximize your airfare value. If you would like to learn more and gain the secrets I used to save hundreds of thousands of dollars simply click here and you’ll gain access to a special program built for travelers like you.
The Differences Between Layovers, Stopovers, Open-Jaws, and Destinations
- Layover: a connecting flight that requires a stop or “ layover” that is typically less than 24 hours between two flights on the same ticket.
- example: Chicago – Addis Ababa via Washington D.C, the layover is in Washington since you are connecting through that city
- Stopover: A connection or Stop in a city en route to your final destination that is usually more than 24 hours
- example: Washington D.C. – Addis Ababa – Mahe, Seychelles. When you stop in Addis Ababa for more than 24 hours that would be the stopover
- Open-Jaw: Departing from a city that you did not arrive at.
- example: Washington D.C. to Addis Ababa- Johannesburg to Washington D.C. all on one ticket, the open-jaw is between Addis Ababa and Johannesburg as you do not have connecting flights booked between the two cities leaving you to find your own transportation
- This is a great tool to use if you want to enhance a travel experience with an extra stop in an additional country. Let’s say you are visiting family in Addis Ababa and buy a roundtrip ticket with an open jaw from Johannesburg. This will allow you to fly one way to South Africa for a few days and explore there prior to returning to Washington D.C.
- Destination: This is simply your final destination on the ticket
- example: Los Angles – Washington D.C. – Addis Ababa, your destination would be Addis Ababa (Washington D.C. could be a layover or stopover)
Layovers
A layover is a connection of less than 24 hours in a different city than your departure. Tickets can have more than one layover or connection. Layovers under 24 hours are a great way to experience a new city and allows you to explore for the day. Using layovers effectively will allow you to visit another city for a whole day without using up a stopover or paying for two tickets.
I often incorporate trips that have two or more layovers. When flying long distances (flights over 6 hours) it’s tough to connect quickly and then fly another six hours or longer flight. By utilizing layovers you can gain some powerful benefits to your trip and truly improve the overall flight experience.
- Reduce Jet Lag- by using a long layover it gives your body more time to adjust to the different time zones and can reduce jet lag.
- Ability to shower & refresh- When I land I’ll use a layover to shower and refresh after an overnight flight. This allows me to avoid a hotel night as well by having a layover and then departing later that day on another overnight flight. By using the airline lounge I can get access to shower facilities, resing areas, food and drinks, as well as luggage storage all for free. Click here to learn more about gaining lounge access.
- Opportunity to Visit a New City/Country- by using a layover you can gain access to extra destinations and gain a quick taste of a city to help you decide if you want to commit to doing a return trip and spending more time there.
Stopovers
A stopover is a stop in a city for more than 24 hours. For example flying from Washington D.C. – Addis Ababa – Mahe, Seychelles. When you stop in Addis Ababa for more than 24 hours that would be the stopover. Not all airlines permit stopovers on tickets, and some airlines only allow stopovers on round-trip tickets. It’s best to confirm with the airline to learn the rules and regulations as they do change occasionally. TAP Portugal has now incorporated Stopovers into standard tickets on their website allowing you to spend up to 5 days in Portugal. Also you can visit China without a Visa for up to 144 hours by using a stopover as long as you fly through china from one country and depart to a different country. Airlines and now Countries see the benefit of allowing travelers to transit through their country as it brings more tourism revenue and exposes more travelers to all the country has to offer.
Open-Jaws
An Open-Jaw is a ticket that has a departure from a city that you did not arrive at. An example flight option would be: Washington D.C. to Addis Ababa- Johannesburg to Washington D.C. all on one ticket, the open-jaw is between Addis Ababa and Johannesburg as you do not have connecting flights booked between the two cities leaving you to find your own transportation
You do not have to always book open-jaws on one ticket. In addition, not all airlines permit them. However, you can book the desired itinerary as two separate one-way tickets. The concept is still the same to depart from a different city that you arrive at and you will be responsible for transportation to the departure city. The benefit of the open jaw is to change how you perceive air travel and realize you have more options than one way or round-trip. At times it can be a cost-saving method as well when compared with buying all separate one-way tickets.
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- This is a great tool to use if you want to enhance a travel experience with an extra stop in an additional country. Let’s say you are visiting family in Addis Ababa and buy a roundtrip ticket with an open jaw from Johannesburg. This will allow you to fly one way to South Africa for a few days and explore there prior to returning to Washington D.C.
Destinations
The destination on your ticket is the place you ultimately want to arrive at after any layovers or stopovers. It is the purpose of the trip and the location you are traveling to. You can only have one destination on one ticket as for a roundtrip ticket the destinations can vary based on the use of an open jaw as well as if you are returning to the same city you departed from.
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Viktor Forgacs
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