How to Get Two Vacations for the Price of One

When Icelandair launched its stopover program in 1948, the year the airline made its debut, it was out of necessity—not savvy marketing. Without a license to travel directly from North America to Europe, the only way for the carrier to fly was to offer a layover in Reykjavik. “Back then, the airline operated flights on two separate licenses,” explained Michael Raucheisen, a spokesperson for Icelandair. “One from North America to Iceland, and another from Iceland to Europe.”

By 1955, said Raucheisen, “the thought stuck that we should let these travelers see Iceland,” and the free stopover was officially born. Being able to pit stop in Iceland for a few days between connecting flights was like getting a free vacation within a vacation—it became an instant hit with hippie backpackers through the ’60s, and though it has been offered continuously since then, a concerted marketing effort a few years ago brought it back into the spotlight.