This article is reprinted by permission from NerdWallet. When Megan Gieske flew from Uganda to Thailand, she had to choose whether her layover in Cairo would be for four hours or for eight. She chose the latter. An eight-hour layover might feel like a curse for travelers eager to get to their destination. Yet for others, long layovers are preferable.
A long layover can quell anxieties about sprinting through airports to catch the next flight, especially for complicated itineraries spanning multiple countries. But for more adventurous folk, long layovers afford opportunities to escape the confines of the airport and explore a new city — sometimes even for multiple days — without having to pay extra for airfare. Here’s the case for intentionally choosing a longer layover, how to book flights with spacious time frames, and how to save money in the process.The benefits of a long layoverLess risk of a missed flight The on-time arrivals rate for the first seven months of 2022 was the worst that it’s been since 2014, according to data collected by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Only 76% of U.S. airline flights arrived on time in the first seven months of 2022, down from 82% for the same period in 2021 and 81% in 2020. Given the increased chances of a delayed departure flight, additional buffer time can mitigate the stress of potentially missing a connection. Scott Keyes, founder of flight-deal site Scott’s Cheap Flights, says he builds in longer layovers when he can’t risk missing the connection, such as having a business meeting at his final destination, or when weather will be unpredictable. “I’m more likely to build in a longer layover if I’m tra …