Layover – Travel term definitions

Layovers, what are they?

A worldwide phrase, a layover is defined in the Cambridge dictionary as a “short stay in a place that you make while you are on a longer journey”.  For domestic flights, a Layover is usually defined by a stop of fewer than 4 hours, whilst longer waiting times are often called a ‘Stopover’. If a flight has a layover of 24 hours or more, this is defined as a “stopover”.

Here’s an example of a layover: a flight from Birmingham to Florence includes a 2/3 hour wait in Frankfurt before flying to Florence. This is known as a layover. This “Layover” might occur due to the low, if not zero, direct flights to the desired destination.  The lack of direct flights are often due to the lowered demand for the journey, and thus not enough financial incentives for the airline to run that flight.  This is where we’ve seen some Ortharize customers choose a direct flight, and avoid the hassle of longer journey times accompanied by layovers.  However, layovers should not always be seen as a negative.  

Whilst the concept of a layover is easily understandable, the stress that arises from a layover can make you feel rushed and can fill you with a lack of confidence ahead of your journey.  New airports can be a scary place for an infrequent flyer, and the uncertainty of finding the correct gate or terminal can take away the chance to relax and explore the opportunities a layover can offer.  Although a 2 hour layover is probably not enough time to leave the airport and explore the city, it is a chance to stretch those legs and wander around, or to see if the McDonalds menu is different in the new city.   

However, if the layover is over 3 or 4 hours, then the traveller could use the occasion to step out of the airport frenzy and take a moment to see a new park, try a new coffee or grab something a bit healthier for lunch.  In fact, WOW airlines and IcelandAir offer Americans flying to Europe the chance to have an unlimited number of days layover/stopover in Iceland with no added cost to their trip, which is a powerful marketing and tourism tool, but also an option for explorers who wish to make the most of their trip. It should be noted that if you leave the airport you may have to go through security or check-in again, so we recommend that you leave yourself plenty of time to re-enter and find your gate to avoid any unneeded stress on your travels.   

To help with removing that unneeded stress, Ortharize easily compiles all hotel, flights and transfer information (including layovers) into one easily manageable screen.  Also, if you fancy taking some time out of your business travels to explore new places, our system allows users to select which flight suits them more, and details the layover times and the respective city it is in.   

If you want to understand more about how Ortharize can help ease the stress of booking your business journeys, you can simply book a demo on our website and let us show you how we can design your corporate travel around you. 

For more travel term definitions, check out our blog page.