Which scheme fits your trip
The two schemes answer different situations. The Hotel Service covers a long wait the schedule forces on you. The Stopover rewards a stop you plan into the ticket. The free Touristanbul city tour is a third option for daytime layovers, but the Touristanbul FAQ says it cannot be combined with hotel accommodation in the same layover.
| Your situation | Best fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Economy, overnight connection of 12+ hours, no shorter option on sale | Hotel Service | Free room, transfers and one hotel meal |
| Business, connection of 9+ hours, no shorter option | Hotel Service | Lower threshold for Business |
| Economy connection of 6–11 hours in daytime | Touristanbul | Below the hotel threshold; see our Touristanbul guide |
| You want 1–3 nights in Istanbul between flights | Stopover | Fixed free nights, but no transfers and you apply in advance |
| You chose a long connection although a shorter one existed | Stopover, if eligible | The Hotel Service is refused when a shorter connection is available |
The transit Hotel Service
The Hotel Service page sets these rules:
- Thresholds: Economy passengers with a layover of 12 hours or more, and Business passengers with 9 hours or more. The layover runs from your first flight's arrival to your next flight's departure.
- Shortest-connection rule: if a flight with a shorter layover is available, you cannot use the service, even if that flight is full. The page warns that shorter options can appear on the next day's early-morning flights.
- What you get: accommodation for up to two nights in a hotel Turkish Airlines picks from its contracted list. Economy passengers on layovers of more than 12 hours get transfers and one hotel meal; passengers whose flights were cancelled, delayed or overbooked get full board.
- Ticket: the connection must be on the same confirmed ticket. Codeshare flights operated by Turkish Airlines count. Passengers who change their tickets may lose eligibility.
- Where: apply at the Hotel Desk, inside the terminal on the arrivals level at Istanbul Airport.
- Minors: under-18s are not admitted to hotels unless an adult is with them.
Before you count on a room, search the airline's site for your route and dates. If an earlier onward flight appears, even a sold-out one, the desk can refuse the hotel.
The Stopover programme
The Stopover page lists stricter conditions:
- Flying from an international origin to an international destination via Istanbul Airport, with a layover of at least 20 hours and no more than 7 days (168 hours).
- A round trip in one reservation, with every flight operated by Turkish Airlines; codeshares do not qualify. The ticket number must start with 235, and N and R fare classes are excluded.
- Your departure country must be on the service list, and the trip must start and end in the same country.
- One use per trip, on either the outbound or the return leg. Under-18s travelling alone are excluded.
The free nights are bed and breakfast, consecutive:
| Cabin | Standard | From mainland China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea or the USA |
|---|---|---|
| Economy | 1 night, 4-star hotel | 2 nights, 4-star hotel |
| Business | 2 nights, 5-star or boutique hotel | 3 nights, 5-star or boutique hotel |
The Stopover covers the room and breakfast only. Getting from the airport to the hotel and around the city is your own cost, and if your layover is longer than 24 hours, you must collect your checked bags at the international baggage claim. Our Istanbul airports guide explains how to get into the city.
A worked example
Say you fly Economy from New York to Bangkok via Istanbul and want two days in the city. With a Stopover booked on one round-trip reservation and applied for at least 72 hours ahead, the page gives US-origin Economy passengers 2 free nights in a 4-star hotel. You pay for the airport transfers yourself.
If instead the airline's schedule leaves you 13 hours overnight between flights with no earlier connection, the Hotel Service gives you a room, transfers and a meal without any advance application. Ask at the Hotel Desk on arrival.
You will pass passport control
Both hotels are outside the airport. The Hotel Service page says the service is not available in the transit area and that you are responsible for your own visa and passport requirements, including any e-Visa fee; the Stopover page says the same about entry documents. Check your nationality in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' visa table, or read our Turkey e-Visa and entry rules. On the way back, our guide to how early to arrive at Istanbul Airport covers check-in deadlines.
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