The 23 hours and 59 minutes rule that allows you to multiply your vacation (for free)
We have often talked about how many airlines offer the opportunity to book even free of charge a stop over, that is, to stop in [...]
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We have often talked about how many airlines offer the opportunity to book a stop over free of charge as well, that is, stopping in a city where you have a stopover for a few days and then departing to your final destination. However, the rules for these "mini-vacations within a vacation" are often full of caveats And when they are not free they are sold at a high price.
Recently there are companies, such as Singapore Airlines, which have decided to drastically reduce these possibilities to those who book an award ticket (previously the Asian carrier was one of the most generous in this regard).
The 11:59 p.m. rule
In the world of commercial aviation, when a stopover ticket is booked, it can be short or long. In any case, the time between the landing of the first flight and the takeoff of the second flight must be contained within 23 hours and 59 minutes. Otherwise, it is no longer a stopover flight, but a stop over, and this also involves "breaking" the itinerary. Many airports do not allow to stay in the transit area for more than 24 hours forcing the passenger to leave, with the consequent problems of being able to enter the country (i.e., having a visa or necessary permits).
It may therefore happen that you land in London at 7 p.m. and leave at 9 a.m. the next morning, in which case it is considered a "long transfer," but the ticket will not cost more, quite the contrary. Often these combinations push the company to offer a better price precisely because of the inconvenience of having to spend a night at the airport.
Likewise, however, it can also be a way to spend a night out in London visiting a friend or hanging out at some nightclub, then sleeping in a hotels near Heathrow like the Moxy, wake up and go to the airport to board the flight to the final destination.
The time I had the most fun is when I created an ad hoc itinerary that involved land in Las Vegas at 4 p.m. and leave at 12 p.m. the next day bound for London. I treated myself to a stopover that allowed me to earn more qualifying points to gain status in the loyalty program and A night in sin city at no cost.
The point is that by "playing" with this rule, it is possible to give yourself the gift of a day of shopping in Paris, a romantic dinner in New York City, perhaps at the TWA Hotel near JFK. It is very simple: using Google Flights or other search engines, you can try to construct the perfect combination of schedules. Just consider for that particular airport the time it takes to travel to/from downtown and the time it takes to go through security again, and you're done.
I recently took advantage of the 24-hour rule To organize my world tour. In this case, however, I needed the rule so that I could not go outside and be able to make my trip without any problems. The point is that Japan is still closed, so the country's entrances are restricted and very restrictive; in contrast, nothing is required if you simply make a stopover and then continue outside the Land of the Rising Sun.
My stay at Haneda, the Japanese capital's second intercontinental airport, will be 13 hours. With this itinerary, therefore, my stopover is considered a long layover, but I will have no problems whatsoever. In contrast to my previous ticket, which instead included 2 nights in downtown Tokyo and, with the rules in effect today, I would absolutely not even be allowed to leave.
In conclusion
The 11:59 p.m. rule allows you to treat yourself to a full day in one place without having to spend anything extra and without the stress of having to pick up your luggage, carry it around all day, or pay for storage at the airport. It is possible to land in Dubai at 8 a.m. and depart at 7:58 a.m. the next day without anyone forbidding us to leave the airport, without having to spend an extra euro (indeed probably taking advantage of a cheaper fare precisely because of the very long layover).
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