{"id":96422,"date":"2026-09-23T20:10:03","date_gmt":"2026-09-23T20:10:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/?p=96422"},"modified":"2026-09-23T20:10:03","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T20:10:03","slug":"free-stopover","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/airlines\/alaska-atmos-rewards\/free-stopover\/","title":{"rendered":"See Two Places for the Price of One: How To Add a Free Stopover Using Alaska Airlines Points"},"content":{"rendered":"

We'll admit \u2014 it sounds like a trick. You book a flight for almost free using points, then add a stop in another city along the way without spending any additional points. But that's exactly what Alaska Airlines lets you do when you book a qualifying award flight!<\/p>\n

Let's get into how to book a free stopover when using Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards<\/a> points.<\/p>\n

Overview of the Alaska Airlines Free Stopover Policy<\/span><\/h2>\n

What is a stopover?<\/span><\/h3>\n

First things first \u2014 what exactly is a stopover? A stopover generally refers to a connection that is longer than what's typically allowed<\/a>. Depending on your route, a connection lasting more than 24 hours is generally considered a stopover. Instead of spending a few hours at the airport, you can stay in another city for several days before continuing your journey.<\/p>\n

Stopovers are most commonly booked on international flights. For example, if you're flying from New York to Zurich, you could book a flight from New York to London and stay for a few days. Then, you could continue on to Zurich, all for the price of the flight from New York to Zurich.<\/p>\n

\"View
Credit: Brianna Marble\/Unsplash<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n

Alaska Airlines free stopover rules and guidelines<\/span><\/h3>\n

When it comes to booking a free Alaska Airlines stopover, there are some rules and guidelines you need to be aware of:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. You must be flying an international itinerary.<\/strong> Perhaps the biggest limitation is that you must fly an international itinerary to book a stopover.<\/li>\n
  2. Most stopovers are limited to partner hubs.<\/strong> For example, you can book a free stopover by flying Iberia with a stopover in Madrid, British Airways with a stopover in London, Qatar Airways with a stopover in Doha, Finnair with a stopover in Helsinki, or Japan Airlines with a stopover in Tokyo.<\/li>\n
  3. Each one-way trip can have a stopover.<\/strong> So, you could potentially book two stopovers on a round-trip: One on the way out and one on the way back. Each stopover can last up to 14 days. This opens up even more opportunities to explore somewhere new for free.ties to explore somewhere new for free.<\/li>\n
  4. Not all flights will be available.<\/strong> It may take some searching to find flights you can book with a free stopover. Adjusting dates and airports can be helpful.<\/li>\n
  5. Taxes and fees still apply.<\/strong> Although a qualifying stopover won't require additional points, you'll still be responsible for applicable taxes and fees, which can vary depending on your itinerary.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    How To Book an Alaska Airlines Free Stopover<\/span><\/h2>\n

    Let's look at how exactly you go about booking an Alaska Airlines free stopover. First, start on the Alaska Airlines homepage. Choose “Multi-city,” then fill in each segment of your trip and your dates. You will also need to select “Use points” before searching.<\/p>\n

    \"Alaska
    Screenshot of Alaska Airlines<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n

    Click “Search Flights” and see what options appear. You may need to adjust your dates or cities if no options are available, keeping the rules we outlined above in mind. Sometimes, that's all it takes for results to show up. Once you find an eligible itinerary, select the flights for each segment of your trip.<\/p>\n

    In this example, you can fly from Los Angeles to Tokyo, stop over for a few days, and then continue on to Hong Kong for 42,500 Atmos Rewards, plus $65 in taxes and fees.<\/p>\n

    \"Alaska
    Screenshot of Alaska Airlines<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n

    As you can see below, Alaska Airlines charges the same points price as if you were flying from Los Angeles to Hong Kong. The only difference is the partner airline and therefore a layover in a different city, plus the taxes are slightly different.<\/p>\n

    \"Flight
    Screenshot of Alaska Airlines<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n

    Once you've found the flights you want, select your itinerary and click “Add to cart.” From there, you'll go to a page where you enter your information and confirm everything you've selected.<\/p>\n

    Advanced tip for finding award availability<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Instead of searching award availability day by day on Alaska's website, consider using American Airlines' website to find award availability. American Airlines and Alaska are both part of the Oneworld alliance<\/a>. So, you can use AA's award calendar search to quickly identify dates with partner award availability.<\/p>\n

    For the best results, search each flight segment individually and limit results to nonstop options. For example, search Los Angeles to Tokyo to find Japan Airlines award availability on that route. Then, search flights from Tokyo to Hong Kong to find which dates are available on that route.<\/p>\n

    Another option is to visit Seats.aero<\/a> and click on the Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards sub-page<\/a>. From there, you can filter by airline if you're looking for awards on a specific partner.<\/p>\n

    And once you find dates that work for your travel plans, search those dates on Alaska Airlines' website and follow the booking process from there.<\/p>\n

    Related: How To Find Airline Partner Award Flight Availability<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

    Earning Alaska Airlines Points<\/span><\/h2>\n

    To book an Alaska Airlines stopover with points, you will need to have an Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards<\/a> account. If you don't have one yet, you can sign up here<\/a> for free. This account is required to earn points you can use to book award flights.<\/p>\n

    So, how do you accumulate points? There are a lot of options. You can earn them by:<\/p>\n