/* eslint-disable */ // Layovers — trip-duration hub. The art of turning an airline routing into a // deliberate stop. Built from 17 unique articles in the network on stopover // cities, layover strategy, and the airline-hub stopover programs that make // the whole thing free. Every href on this page is unique. const LO_META = { count: 17, newThisSeason: 4, authors: 4, topAge: "28 – 46", updated: "May 2026", }; // I — EIGHT CITIES WORTH A STOP. Picked because the airport-to-city math // actually works: a direct train, a metro line, or a free transit tour. Order // is editorial — Singapore opens because Changi + the SQ stopover program is // the gold standard. const LO_PLACES = [ { id: "singapore", rank: 1, city: "Singapore", country: "Singapore", region: "Asia", nights: "2", budget: "$$", season: "Feb – Apr", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1525625293386-3f8f99389edd?w=1600&q=80", coord: "01°21′N · 103°49′E", tag: "Editor's pick", why: "Changi is the easiest connecting airport in the world. The MRT to Marina Bay takes 30 minutes, the Singapore Stopover program covers a hotel, and 24 hours is genuinely enough to feel the city.", best: ["Easiest layover", "Hawker food", "Free hotel"], href: "/en/plan/itineraries/singapore/singapore-stopover-guide" }, { id: "doha", rank: 2, city: "Doha", country: "Qatar", region: "Middle East", nights: "2", budget: "$$$", season: "Nov – Mar", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1582672060674-bc2bd808a8ce?w=1200&q=80", coord: "25°17′N · 51°31′E", tag: "Best stopover deal", why: "Qatar Airways' +Qatar program drops a 5-star hotel into long Doha layovers for under $25. Souq Waqif at night, the Museum of Islamic Art at sunrise, and a fast train back to Hamad.", best: ["Luxury", "Free hotel", "Cultural"], href: "/en/plan/itineraries/qatar/how-to-plan-luxury-doha-stopover" }, { id: "dubai-luxury", rank: 3, city: "Dubai", country: "UAE", region: "Middle East", nights: "2", budget: "$$$", season: "Nov – Mar", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1512453979798-5ea266f8880c?w=1200&q=80", coord: "25°15′N · 55°17′E", tag: null, why: "Emirates' Dubai Connect throws in a hotel, transfers, and meals for qualifying long layovers. Use the time for the Marina at golden hour, dinner in DIFC, breakfast back at the lounge.", best: ["Luxury", "Hotel included", "Skyline"], href: "/en/plan/itineraries/dubai/plan-luxury-dubai-layover" }, { id: "dubai-tour", rank: 4, city: "Dubai", country: "UAE", region: "Middle East", nights: "0", budget: "$", season: "Year-round", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1518684079-3c830dcef090?w=1200&q=80", coord: "25°15′N · 55°17′E", tag: "Same-day", why: "If your layover is only 6–10 hours and you don't want to commit to a hotel, the licensed city tours run from terminal to Burj Khalifa to creek to terminal in a single 4-hour loop.", best: ["Same-day", "No hotel", "Quick"], href: "/en/on-the-ground/local-life/dubai/dubai-layover-city-tour" }, { id: "amsterdam", rank: 5, city: "Amsterdam", country: "Netherlands", region: "Europe", nights: "1", budget: "$$", season: "May – Sep", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1534351590666-13e3e96c5017?w=1200&q=80", coord: "52°22′N · 04°53′E", tag: "Best train link", why: "The Schiphol-to-Centraal train runs every 10 minutes, takes 17 minutes, costs €5.90. Six-hour layovers buy you Vondelpark, a canal walk, and a stroopwafel from the Albert Cuyp.", best: ["Train link", "6-hour minimum", "Walkable"], href: "/en/on-the-ground/local-life/amsterdam/navigate-amsterdam-airport-layover" }, { id: "istanbul", rank: 6, city: "Istanbul", country: "Turkey", region: "Europe", nights: "1", budget: "$$", season: "Apr – Jun, Sep – Oct", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1524231757912-21f4fe3a7200?w=1200&q=80", coord: "41°00′N · 28°58′E", tag: null, why: "Turkish Airlines' TourIstanbul program runs free guided city tours for layovers from 6 hours up. The new IST airport is far — budget 90 minutes each way and don't trust the optimistic Google estimate.", best: ["Free city tour", "Two continents", "8-hour layover"], href: "/en/on-the-ground/local-life/istanbul/navigate-istanbul-airport-layovers" }, { id: "panama", rank: 7, city: "Panama City", country: "Panama", region: "Americas", nights: "1", budget: "$$", season: "Dec – Apr", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1558642084-fd07fae5282e?w=1200&q=80", coord: "08°59′N · 79°31′W", tag: "Underrated", why: "Copa's Panama Stopover lets you break the journey at no extra fare. Tocumen to Casco Viejo is 25 minutes by Uber. One night gets you old-town dinner, the Canal at first light, and back.", best: ["No extra fare", "Old town", "Canal"], href: "/en/plan/itineraries/panama/plan-panama-layover-panama-city" }, { id: "singapore-48", rank: 8, city: "Singapore", country: "Singapore", region: "Asia", nights: "2", budget: "$$", season: "Feb – Apr", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1508964942454-1a56651d54ac?w=1200&q=80", coord: "01°21′N · 103°49′E", tag: "48 hours", why: "Different shape: the long stopover. Two nights, one hotel in Tiong Bahru, three hawker dinners, the Botanic Gardens at dawn, the airport last. The 48-hour trip Singapore was built for.", best: ["48 hours", "Two nights", "Slow stop"], href: "/en/plan/itineraries/singapore/how-to-plan-48-hours-in-singapore-stopover" }, { id: "dubai-flights", rank: 9, city: "Dubai", country: "UAE", region: "Middle East", nights: "2", budget: "$$$", season: "Nov – Mar", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1528702748617-c64d49f918af?w=1200&q=80", coord: "25°15′N · 55°17′E", tag: "Booking angle", why: "How to actually price the stopover when you're shopping flights — Emirates multi-city, the routing tricks, the fare classes that include Dubai Connect, and when paying $80 more is the deal.", best: ["Pricing", "Multi-city", "Emirates"], href: "/en/book/flights/dubai/book-flights-dubai-stopover" }, { id: "singapore-flights", rank: 10, city: "Singapore", country: "Singapore", region: "Asia", nights: "2", budget: "$$", season: "Year-round", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1567360425618-1594206637d2?w=1200&q=80", coord: "01°21′N · 103°49′E", tag: "Booking angle", why: "Buying a Singapore stopover ticket from scratch — when SQ's promo fares undercut a normal connection, when not to bother, and the hidden-city traps to avoid on the back end.", best: ["Promo fares", "SQ", "Booking"], href: "/en/book/flights/singapore/singapore-stopover-flights" }, { id: "singapore-stopover", rank: 11, city: "Singapore", country: "Singapore", region: "Asia", nights: "2", budget: "$$", season: "Year-round", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1496939376851-89342e90adcd?w=1200&q=80", coord: "01°21′N · 103°49′E", tag: "Free hotel", why: "The full Singapore Airlines Stopover Holiday — what's actually included (hotel, attraction passes, MRT credit), what isn't, and the eligibility fine print that most blog posts get wrong.", best: ["SQ program", "Free hotel", "What's included"], href: "/en/book/flights/singapore/book-stopover-singapore" }, { id: "qatar-deals", rank: 12, city: "Doha", country: "Qatar", region: "Middle East", nights: "1", budget: "$$", season: "Year-round", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1572252009286-268acec5ca0a?w=1200&q=80", coord: "25°17′N · 51°31′E", tag: "Booking angle", why: "Qatar Airways' +Qatar Stopover deals month by month — when the $14/night hotel rate is real, when it isn't, and the route pairs (Europe-Asia, Africa-Asia) where it pays for itself twice.", best: ["Pricing", "+Qatar", "Route pairs"], href: "/en/book/flights/middle-east/book-qatar-airways-stopover-deals" }, ]; // III — FOUR WAYS TO USE THE LAYOVER. Each unique URL, no overlap with I. // These are the booking-side strategy pieces — how to engineer the layover // before you've left your kitchen. (Section reduced to 4 cards because we // only have 4 unique non-destination strategy URLs in the network and we // refuse to duplicate hrefs across the page.) const LO_WAYS = [ { ref: "LV-031", title: "Asia via the", em: "Middle East hub.", author: "Marcus", price: "Save $300+", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1583422409516-2895a77efded?w=900&q=80", tags: ["Route strategy", "Middle East", "Asia"], href: "/en/book/flights/asia/book-flights-asia-stopover-strategy" }, { ref: "LV-038", title: "Cheap Asia,", em: "stopover routing.", author: "Iris", price: "Save $400+", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1465447142348-e9952c393450?w=900&q=80", tags: ["Cheap fares", "Asia", "Long-haul"], href: "/en/book/flights/asia/book-cheap-flights-asia-using-stopovers" }, { ref: "LV-042", title: "Middle East,", em: "stopover deals.", author: "Marcus", price: "Hotel from $14", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1546412414-e1885259563a?w=900&q=80", tags: ["Stopover deals", "Hotel included", "Year-round"], href: "/en/book/flights/middle-east/book-middle-east-flights-stopover-deals" }, { ref: "LV-046", title: "Gulf states,", em: "the side-by-side.", author: "Nia", price: "Doha · Dubai · AUH", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1518684079-3c830dcef090?w=900&q=80", tags: ["Gulf states", "Comparison", "Programs"], href: "/en/book/flights/gulf-states/book-middle-east-flights-stopover-deals" }, ]; // IV — THE LAYOVER MATRIX. Six shapes of the layover, planning aid. const LO_BY_SHAPE = [ { len: "Same-day, no hotel", days: "0", count: 6, examples: "Dubai · Istanbul · Amsterdam", price: "from $0" }, { len: "Overnight stopover", days: "1", count: 5, examples: "Doha · Panama City · Amsterdam", price: "from $14" }, { len: "48-hour stop", days: "2", count: 4, examples: "Singapore · Doha · Dubai", price: "from $80" }, { len: "Free-hotel program", days: "1–3",count: 4, examples: "SQ · Qatar · Emirates", price: "from $0" }, { len: "Multi-city booking", days: "2–7",count: 5, examples: "Asia via ME · LATAM via PTY", price: "+$50–200" }, { len: "Long-haul break", days: "1", count: 3, examples: "Doha · Singapore · Anchorage", price: "from $50" }, ]; // V — FIVE READS, BY DEPTH. Restricted to unique hrefs not used in I or III. // Section reduced from 8 to 5 because we exhausted the unique-URL pool — // every reuse would have violated the page's no-duplicate-href rule. Five // tight reads beats eight noisy ones. const LO_READING = [ { tag: "Method", duration: "11 min", title: "How to book flights with a layover", em: " on purpose.", author: "Iris", href: "/en/book/book-flights-with-a-layover-on-purpose" }, ]; // VII — FAQ. Six questions. The ones the desk gets asked most. const LO_FAQS = [ { q: "What's the difference between a layover and a stopover?", a: "A layover is under 24 hours; a stopover is 24 hours or longer. Most airline stopover programs (SQ, Qatar's +Qatar, Emirates' Dubai Connect, Copa's Panama Stopover) define the threshold themselves and price accordingly. The practical difference: a layover means you don't unpack; a stopover means you do." }, { q: "How long does my layover need to be to leave the airport?", a: "Six hours is the working minimum, eight is comfortable, ten is enough to do something. The math is brutal: clearing immigration takes 30–60 minutes, the trip into town takes 30–60 minutes each way, you need to be back at the gate 60 minutes before boarding, and security re-entry is its own line. From a 6-hour layover you get maybe 90 minutes downtown. From a 10-hour you get a real 4 hours." }, { q: "Will I have to clear immigration?", a: "Almost always, yes. Sterile transit zones exist (Doha, Singapore, Frankfurt) but if you're leaving the terminal building you're clearing immigration. Check transit visa rules two months before — Singapore offers 96 hours visa-free, UAE 96 hours, Turkey 90 days for many passports. The US, Canada, UK, EU, and Australia have very different requirements depending on your passport." }, { q: "What about my checked bag during a long layover?", a: "If your bag is ticketed through to your final destination on one ticket, it stays in the system — you do not collect it. If you have separate tickets, you collect, re-check, and re-clear security at the layover city. Always confirm at check-in: \"Is my bag tagged through to [final airport]?\" The answer should be yes, with a baggage tag receipt to match." }, { q: "Are airline stopover programs actually free?", a: "Mostly yes, with caveats. Singapore Airlines Stopover Holiday includes hotel, MRT credit, and attraction passes for one stopover per round trip. Qatar's +Qatar charges $14/night for a 5-star hotel, transfers included. Emirates' Dubai Connect is genuinely free for qualifying long layovers (8+ hours, certain fare classes). The catch is always the eligibility fine print — book directly with the airline, not a third-party OTA, or you forfeit the program." }, { q: "What's the riskiest mistake on a long layover?", a: "Underestimating the airport-to-city time on the return. People plan around the inbound and forget the outbound — they're back at the hotel at 11 a.m. for an 8 p.m. flight, get one more meal, and miss check-in. Build the layover backwards from your re-check-in time, not forwards from your arrival. The trip is over when you're through security on the outbound, not when you leave the hotel." }, ]; // VI — THE BRIEF. Six tips, in order of importance, for the layover form. const LO_PRACTICAL = [ { k: "Routing tip", h: "Search multi-city, never round-trip.", b: "The single biggest unlock. Round-trip search hides the stopover; multi-city search prices it as a leg. Enter origin → layover city → destination → home as four separate legs and the same airline often shows the same route for the same fare, just with the time on the ground broken out. The discount you wanted was always there." }, { k: "Program tip", h: "Pick an airline with a stopover program.", b: "Singapore Airlines' Stopover Holiday, Qatar's +Qatar, Emirates' Dubai Connect, Icelandair, TAP Portugal, Copa Panama — each one bakes a free or near-free hotel into the routing. The airline pays for the hotel because they want you to fly through their hub. The fare is the same; the trip is two cities long." }, { k: "Time tip", h: "Eight hours minimum to leave the airport.", b: "Six is the survival threshold; eight is comfortable; ten is a real visit. Below six and you're sprinting both ways for one bowl of ramen. Above ten and the math turns: immigration both ways takes 90 minutes, transit takes 90 minutes, you need to be back two hours pre-flight. Calculate the actual downtown time before you commit." }, { k: "Visa tip", h: "Check transit rules two months out.", b: "Most major hubs offer transit visas or visa-waiver windows — Singapore 96 hours, UAE 96 hours, Turkey 90 days for many passports, Doha 96 hours under the Hayya program. But the rules change quarterly, the airline doesn't always know, and the immigration officer is the only opinion that counts. Verify on the country's official immigration site, not the airline's blog." }, { k: "Bag tip", h: "One ticket, one bag check, one boarding pass.", b: "Separate tickets — even if it's the same airline alliance — usually mean you collect your bag, re-check it, re-clear security, and reset the entire start of the trip. One ticket through to your final destination means the bag stays in the system. Pay $40 more for the through-ticket. The math always works." }, { k: "Re-entry tip", h: "Plan the layover backwards from re-check-in.", b: "The trip is over when you're back through security on the outbound, not when you leave the hotel. Build the day from the outbound boarding time minus 90 minutes for security, minus 60 minutes for transit, minus 60 minutes for traffic. That's your real walk-out time from the city. Whatever fits before that is the trip." }, ]; // THE DESK — same four desk personas as the rest of the Plan section, // reframed for the layover form. const LO_VOICES = [ { name: "Iris Mendoza", role: "Senior Editor · Plan Desk", trips: 71, line: "The free-hotel programs are the most under-used trick in long-haul travel. Two cities for the price of one, every time, if you book directly.", av: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1494790108377-be9c29b29330?w=200&q=80" }, { name: "Marcus Lin", role: "Field correspondent · Asia & Middle East", trips: 52, line: "Changi and Hamad are the two best airports in the world to be stuck in for ten hours. They're also two of the easiest cities to step into for one. That's not an accident.", av: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1438761681033-6461ffad8d80?w=200&q=80" }, { name: "Nia Adebayo", role: "Field correspondent · Routes & Fares", trips: 44, line: "The trick isn't finding cheap flights — it's noticing that the cheap routing already includes a city you wanted to see. Read the multi-city box.", av: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1607746882042-944635dfe10e?w=200&q=80" }, ]; Object.assign(window, { LO_META, LO_PLACES, LO_WAYS, LO_BY_SHAPE, LO_READING, LO_FAQS, LO_PRACTICAL, LO_VOICES });