A stopover turns a connection into a second destination. Aeroplan makes them cheap and flexible, and once you understand how routing and distance bands interact, you can often see two cities for close to the price of one.
What counts as a stopover
A connection is a quick change of planes. A stopover is when you stay longer at that intermediate city, long enough to leave the airport and spend real time there. The line between the two is a set number of hours, and crossing it turns a layover into a visit.
On an Aeroplan flight reward, you can add a stopover to a one-way for a fixed extra points fee. Instead of booking two separate awards to see two places, you fold the second city into a single redemption.
The rules that matter
One stopover per one-way. A single one-way award can carry one stopover for the fixed fee.
Two on a round trip, booked as two one-ways. Book the outbound and the inbound separately and each can have its own stopover, giving you two on the round journey.
The stopover city has to sit on the path. The stopover has to be a sensible point between your origin and your final destination, not a detour to somewhere off the route.
No stopovers inside North America. Aeroplan does not allow a stopover on travel within Canada and the US. A long layover there just prices as two separate trips, not a single award with a stopover.
The stopover fee is fixed. It is a flat points add-on, not a percentage, so it costs the same regardless of how far you fly.
The base award still follows distance. Partner awards price in distance bands. The routing you choose decides the band, and the band decides the points.
Two one-ways beat one round trip for flexibility. Booking each direction separately lets you carry a stopover both ways, mix partners, and build an open-jaw. The points cost is usually the same as a round trip, and the control is much greater.
How routing changes the price
Because partner awards sit in distance bands, the path you take is part of the price. A routing that adds a lot of extra distance can tip you into a higher band and cost more points. A tighter routing can keep you in a lower band and cost fewer.
Ways to use this
Add a city without adding much distance. A stopover that sits roughly on the way costs you the fixed fee and little else.
Watch the band edges. A slightly different connection point can keep the total distance under a band threshold and save points.
Use an open-jaw to skip a backtrack. Flying home from a different city than you arrived in avoids retracing your steps and can shorten the total distance.
Plan the routing before you book. Award routings are easier to get right the first time than to change later, especially on partners. Decide where the stopover and the open-jaw go before you confirm. The partner booking guide covers how to search and compare routings.
How to actually book one
The reliable way to add a stopover is to build the trip yourself in the multi-city search. Enter your origin to the stopover city on one date, then the stopover city to your final destination on a later date. When both legs have award space, the booking engine prices the whole thing as a single award and adds the fixed stopover fee for you.
Let the online engine price it, not an agent. There is a known wrinkle right now: the website is the only thing that reliably prices a stopover at the flat fee. If you book a simple itinerary and then call to add a segment, the booking can split into two separate one-ways at full price instead. If the multi-city search prices it correctly online, book it there. If you do need to call, confirm the stopover fee is still applied before you let the agent reissue anything.
If a complex routing will not price online, the partner booking guide covers searching each leg separately first.
Common questions
How does an Aeroplan stopover work?
It lets you stay longer than a normal connection at an intermediate city, turning a layover into a visit. On a flight reward you add one stopover to a one-way for a fixed points fee, instead of booking two separate awards.
Can I add two stopovers on a round trip?
Yes, by booking the round trip as two one-ways. Each one-way can carry its own stopover, so you get two on the return journey, plus more routing flexibility.
Does a longer routing cost more points?
It can. Partner awards price in distance bands, so a routing that pushes the total into a higher band costs more, while a shorter routing can cost fewer. The stopover fee itself is fixed.
What is an open-jaw?
Flying into one city and home from another, covering the gap yourself. It lets you enter and exit a region at different points, which pairs well with a stopover for a multi-city trip on one award.
Why did my stopover price as two separate flights?
Two common reasons. Stopovers are not allowed within North America, so a long layover on a domestic or transborder trip always prices as two trips. The other is a current quirk where only the online multi-city search reliably applies the flat stopover fee, while calling to add a segment can split the booking into two full-price one-ways. Build it online and confirm the fee before anyone reissues the ticket.