Many airlines and even airports are offering incentives to get you to stay longer when transiting. Photo / 123RF
Many airlines and even airports are offering incentives to get you to stay longer when transiting. Photo / 123RF
One of the newest trends taking over the travel world is multi-stopping.
In the past, if you wanted to visit multiple locations in one trip, you’d have to book several one-way flights in order to get more bang for your buck.
In recent years though, many airlines and travel agents have started offering single-ticket trips that still allow you to visit more than one place.
And now, many airports that serve as big international transit hubs are getting in on the trend, treating a layover as a bonus extra holiday at the start or end of your main travel.
Travel blogger Megan Singleton told Lorna Riley on the these’s travel podcast, Trip Notes, that these trips can be great ways to see countries that might not be top of your list.
She highlighted Changi Airport in Singapore, which makes a point of offering direct hop on, hop off buses from the airport to the city-state’s big attractions.
“These 24 or 48-hour bus tickets kind of serve as your Uber, because you can do the first loop just to get your bearings. And then the second time, or the next day even, you’d use it again and this time you hop off at the Gardens by the Bay or the Botanicals or wherever you want to stop and then jump on again when you’re done.”
The airport also offers buses for those transiting through with a long layover, where you have to stay on board but still get to see the main sites.
While many Kiwis may enjoy the benefit of direct flights to places like Los Angeles, Singleton said there are plenty of opportunities to transit through the Pacific Islands.
“So say you’re talking Fiji or Tahiti, they’re often cheaper going up to Los Angeles than a direct one anyway. So why wouldn’t you? You’d absolutely get two holidays for the price of one,” she said, calling it a “fly and flop” to detox after a busy trip.
Ensure your policy includes coverage for lost luggage*
Airlines also are keen to get you to spend a bit longer in countries, and many, including Emirates transiting through Dubai, will put together package deals to get the most from your holiday.
Singleton experienced that going through Dubai last year to and from Europe.
“On the way back, we had three nights and we chose a resort with pools... and then there’s malls as well, and you’ve got the camel riding and the dune bashing and the Bedouin experiences if you want to go out.
“So it’s definitely worth talking to your travel agent if you are heading to Europe for any reason and looking at all your airline options, whether there is a deal on any of the airlines, particularly to stop over.”
Listen to the full episode for more tips on multi-stopping, including why travel agents are best to sort these deals for you, and recommendations on which airports and cities are best to transit through.
Trip Notes is an NZ Herald podcast hosted by Lorna Riley, a keen travel writer and enthusiast and host of Coast Days. New episodes are available every Tuesday.
