mariposa85

Hi everyone,

My friend has found flights to Thailand for next year which include a stopover in Hong Kong. The stopover is only 7 hours, but my friend would like to spend a few days in Hong Kong on the way to Bangkok, if possible. She asked me for advice because I travel a lot but I've never done this myself. I know it can easily be done through a travel agent but she is on a budget and has found these flights on Skyscanner. Do you think it would be worth trying to contact the airline and asking if it would be possible to stay in Hong Kong a few nights on the way there?

DonTopaz

The airfare is likely higher to stay in Hong Kong for several days. In airline-speak, a "stopover" (on an international trip) means a connection that's longer than 24 hours, and most low fares don't permit those.

The best chance of finding a fare that does allow a free stopover is with Cathay Pacific, which is based on Hong Kong (and is also a very good airline). I'd contact them to see what price they offer for the trip.

mrwunrfl

Most booking sites have a "multiple destinations" option in addition to round-trip and one-way. I don't see that option at skyscanner.

Been awhile since I've looked at fare rules but have seen cases where stopovers are permitted, often for an extra charge ($100 or maybe $200).

I would first do a search for a simple round-trip fare to Thailand that includes the time that would be spent in Hong Kong. Then do a search that includes the stopover. For example, search for xxx-BKK for Jan 1-17 to get the best fare. Then a multi-destination search: xxx-HKG on Jan 1, HKG-BKK on Jan 6, BKK-xxx on Jan 17. Compare the two prices.

I think this is what you are asking about when you mention calling the airline. But your way would be to search for the BKK round-trip at skyscannr which then sends you to an airline or agent to book. Then you would call the airline to add the stopover.

I would also do an open-jaw search, i.e. a multi-destination search for xxx-HKG and returning BKK-xxx. And then a one-way for HKG-BKK. Wouldn't expect a savings by booking this way, but you never know.

sparkchaser

See what kayak gives you.

MissGreen

I have often done this. Each ticket is different with different conditions. You may not need to do a multi destination as suggested.

I had a recent ticket from Sydney to Vietnam with Malaysia Airlines where my first stop was Hanoi. For no extra charge on the way back I stopped at Ho Chi Minh City for 7 days and then Kuala Lumpur for 5 days.

However, I had a ticket that was for Sydney to Vancouver via Honolulu and I had to pay about $300 to stop over more than 24 hours. I was so annoyed about that as I was stopping there anyway so I refused to pay and just went straight to Vancouver.

Again, check the conditions on your ticket before you buy or query prices with a travel agent before you commit.

MissGreen

BTW my ticket from Sydney to Vietnam was a great discounted business class deal. So you can get them on cheaply. It's not all about price.