Page Contents<\/p>
- What Is a Stopover?<\/a><\/li>
- Icelandair Stopovers: The Basics<\/a>
- Stopover conditions<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- How to Book an Icelandair Stopover<\/a><\/li>
- Best Cards to Book Icelandair Flights<\/a>
- American Express Platinum Card\u00ae<\/sup><\/a><\/li>
- Chase Sapphire Reserve\u00ae<\/sup><\/a><\/li>
- Citi Strata Premier\u00ae<\/sup> Card<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Final Thoughts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n
What Is a Stopover?<\/span><\/h2>\n
A stopover is essentially an extended layover. Rather than spending an hour or two sitting in the airport when you connect through a city, you spend up to a few days exploring the connecting city before continuing on to your final destination. Booking a stopover is generally cheaper than booking two one-way flights.<\/p>\n
If an airline doesn't offer stopovers, you could book two one-way tickets. Say you live in Chicago and want to visit Istanbul. You could break up the journey by booking a flight from Chicago to Paris, then Paris to Istanbul. But booking two one-way flights can be a lot more expensive than if you had just booked a flight from Chicago to Istanbul.<\/p>\n
A stopover would allow you to spend a few days in Paris for the same price as if you booked one ticket.<\/p>\n
Related: Layover vs. Stopover: What's the Difference?\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
Icelandair Stopovers: The Basics<\/span><\/h2>\n
Icelandair allows you to book a stopover in Iceland on any flight across the Atlantic. So, if you are traveling from the United to Europe, or vice versa, you can add a stopover. Icelandair has impressive connectivity between the U.S. and Europe, so odds are you could find an option that works for you.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\")
Icelandair route map. Credit: FlightConnections.com<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n Stopover conditions<\/span><\/h3>\n
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- If you book an Economy Light fare (Icelandair's cheapest fare), you can only book a one, two, or three night stopover.<\/li>\n
- If you book any other fare, you can book a stopover up to seven nights.<\/li>\n
- If you book an Economy Flex or Saga Premium Flex ticket, you can book a stopover up to 21 nights.<\/li>\n
- Stopovers between eight and 21 nights cannot be booked online. You must contact the service center.<\/li>\n
- You can add a stopover on an existing reservation by contacting the service center.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
For the most part, there aren't many restrictions associated with booking a stopover. You can even book a stopover on both directions if you feel you need more time to experience Iceland. This is a notable difference compared to booking a stopover with Singapore Airlines, which only allows one stopover per round-trip ticket, and you can only book a stopover using miles.<\/p>\n
Related: Beginner's Guide: What is a Stopover & What is an Open-Jaw?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
How to Book an Icelandair Stopover<\/span><\/h2>\n
Here's how it works in practice. When you visit the Icelandair website<\/a>, you can begin searching for your flight. Be sure that “stopover in Iceland” is selected at the top. Enter your departure and arrival airports, departure date, and the number of nights you'd like to spend in Iceland.<\/p>\n
Credit: Icelandair<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n Once you search, you'll see your flight options. It's displayed as if you were booking a flight with a layover. For instance, on the flight from Boston (BOS) to Paris (CDG) with a stopover in Iceland, it shows a “2d 9h 50m” layover to indicate a layover of 2 days, 9 hours, and 50 minutes.<\/p>\n
Other airlines will show you stopover options as if you were booking two one-way flights. Icelandair showing it as a layover makes scheduling a lot easier.<\/p>\n
Credit: Icelandair<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n In this example, a one-way flight from Boston to Paris with a three-day stopover in Iceland is just $569 in economy standard. To see your savings, try to book two one-way flights: Boston to Reykjav\u00edk and Reykjav\u00edk to Paris. You'd spend $426 on the first leg and $326 on the second leg, for a total of $752. In other words, you'd spend an additional $183 by booking a stopover vs. two one-way flights.<\/p>\n
If you didn't add a stopover, your one-way flight from Boston to Paris with a short layover in Reykjav\u00edk would cost $551. The additional ~$18 to add a stopover is simply due to fluctuating prices on the second flight since it's on a different day. Still, paying a few extra dollars to explore a new country is worth it.<\/p>\n
You can get an even better value when booking a round-trip ticket. In this example, I can fly from Raleigh (RDU) to Rome (FCO) in March with a one-night stopover in Reykjav\u00edk on the return for just $579 total in economy light.<\/p>\n
Credit: Icelandair<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n You can add a stopover on either leg of your trip, although it is often cheaper to do so on the return to the U.S.<\/p>\n
Related: Guide to Southwest's Icelandair Partnership: How to Book, Earn Points, and Add a Stopover<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
Best Cards to Book Icelandair Flights<\/span><\/h2>\n
Since Icelandair stopovers are only available on cash bookings, you\u2019ll want to use a credit card that earns strong rewards for airfare purchases. Most stopovers must be booked directly through Icelandair, so the best cards are those that reward purchases made directly with airlines, not through travel portals.<\/p>\n
American Express Platinum Card\u00ae<\/sup><\/span><\/h3>\n
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- Earn:<\/strong> 5x Membership Rewards\u00ae<\/sup> points on flights booked directly with airlines (or through AmexTravel.com), up to $500,000 per calendar year.<\/li>\n
- Perks:<\/strong> Travel protections like trip delay coverage, plus access to a slew of lounges through the American Express Global Lounge Collection\u00ae<\/sup><\/a><\/li>\n
- Why it\u2019s great for Icelandair:<\/strong> Top-tier 5x earnings on paid flights while also offering coverage for flight delays or cancellations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n\n\nAmerican Express Platinum Card\u00ae<\/sup><\/div>\n<\/div>\n How to Apply<\/a><\/div>\nRates & Fees<\/a>
(Terms apply)<\/span><\/div>\nWelcome Offer<\/strong>\r\nAs High As 175,000 points. Find Out Your Offer. You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards\u00ae<\/sup> Points after spending $12,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n American Express Platinum Card\u00ae<\/sup><\/strong>\nWelcome Offer<\/strong>\r\nAs High As 175,000 points. Find Out Your Offer. You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards\u00ae<\/sup> Points after spending $12,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.<\/div>\nAnnual Fee:<\/strong>$895<\/b><\/div>\nShow more<\/a>Why We Like It<\/a>Highlights<\/a>Earning Rates<\/a>Cardholders can access more than 1,550 airport lounges worldwide, take advantage of up to $200 in annual airline fee credits, up to $209 in CLEAR+ credits, and TSA PreCheck\u00ae<\/sup> or Global Entry fee credits. The card also includes an annual hotel credit worth up to $600 on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts\u00ae<\/sup> or The Hotel Collection bookings (The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay), Hilton Honors\u2122 and Marriott Bonvoy\u00ae<\/sup> Gold Elite status, and a suite of benefits with Fine Hotels + Resorts\u00ae<\/sup>. Additional perks include $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership credit (with applicable sales taxes and Plus Ups not include), up to $300 in annual digital entertainment credits, up to $300 Equinox credits, and up to $200 annual Uber Cash and $120 Uber One Credit. Enrollment required for select American Express benefits.<\/div>\n\n\n- You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $12,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you're approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount - all with no credit score impact. If you're approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.<\/li>
- Get more for your travels with 5X Membership Rewards® points on all flights and prepaid hotel bookings through American Express Travel®, including Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings. You earn 5X points on flights purchased directly from airlines or through American Express Travel® on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.<\/li>
- With over 1,550 airport lounges - more than any other credit card company on the market* - enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection®, over $850 of annual value, with access to Centurion Lounges, 10 complimentary Delta Sky Club® visits when flying on an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations), Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required), and other select partner lounges.* As of 07\/2025.<\/li>
- $200 Uber Cash + $120 Uber One Credit: With the Platinum Card® you can receive $15 in Uber Cash each month plus a bonus $20 in December when you add your Platinum Card® to your Uber account to use on rides and orders in the U.S when you select an Amex Card for your transaction. Plus, when you use the Platinum Card® to pay for an auto-renewing Uber One membership, you can get up to $120 in statement credits each calendar year. Terms apply.<\/li>
- $300 Digital Entertainment Credit: Experience the latest shows, news and recipes. Get up to $25 in statement credits each month when you use your Platinum Card® for eligible purchases on Disney+, a Disney+ bundle, ESPN streaming services, Hulu, The New York Times, Paramount+, Peacock, The Wall Street Journal, YouTube Premium, and YouTube TV when you purchase directly from one or more of the providers. Enrollment required.<\/li>
- $600 Hotel Credit: Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection* bookings through American Express Travel® using the Platinum Card®. *The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.<\/li>
- $400 Resy Credit + Platinum Nights by Resy: Get up to $100 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card® to make eligible purchases with Resy, including dining purchases at U.S. Resy restaurants. Enrollment required. Plus, with Platinum Nights by Resy, you can get special access to reservations on select nights at participating in demand Resy restaurants with the Platinum Card®. Simply add your eligible Card to your Resy profile to book and discover Platinum Nights reservations near you.<\/li>
- $209 CLEAR+ Credit: CLEAR+ helps get you to your gate faster by using your face to verify you are you at 55+ airports nationwide. You can cover the cost of a CLEAR+ Membership* with up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR+ with your Platinum Card®. *Excluding any applicable taxes and fees. Subject to auto-renewal.<\/li>
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to the Platinum Card® Account. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.<\/li>
- Start your vacation sooner, and keep it going longer. When you book Fine Hotels + Resorts® through American Express Travel®, enjoy noon check-in, when available, and guaranteed 4PM check-out.<\/li>
- $300 lululemon Credit: Enjoy up to $75 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card® for eligible purchases at U.S. lululemon retail stores (excluding outlets) and lululemon.com. That's up to $300 in statement credits each calendar year. Enrollment required.<\/li>
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Receive a statement credit* for one monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) after you pay for Walmart+ each month with the Platinum Card®. *Up to $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Ups not eligible.<\/li>
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24\/7.<\/li>
- $895 annual fee.<\/li>
- Terms Apply.<\/li><\/ul><\/body><\/html>\n<\/div>
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- Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel\u00ae<\/sup> (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).<\/li>\r\n
- Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel\u00ae<\/sup>.<\/li>\r\n
- Earn 5X points on Fine Hotels + Resorts\u00ae<\/sup> and The Hotel Collection bookings.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
- Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel\u00ae<\/sup>.<\/li>\r\n
- Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel\u00ae<\/sup> (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).<\/li>\r\n
- Perks:<\/strong> Travel protections like trip delay coverage, plus access to a slew of lounges through the American Express Global Lounge Collection\u00ae<\/sup><\/a><\/li>\n
- Earn:<\/strong> 5x Membership Rewards\u00ae<\/sup> points on flights booked directly with airlines (or through AmexTravel.com), up to $500,000 per calendar year.<\/li>\n
- Chase Sapphire Reserve\u00ae<\/sup><\/a><\/li>
- How to Book an Icelandair Stopover<\/a><\/li>
- Icelandair Stopovers: The Basics<\/a>
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