Originally Posted by redtop43

In airline parlance, a "connection" is when you fly into a city and leave from that city no more than four hours later, or on the first available flight. A "stopover" is when you stay an indefinite amount of time (typically not more than a year, but it could be weeks or even months).

You will very often have connections. The shortest connection of course will be the minimum time to get from one gate to another, usually 30-50 minutes, depending on the airport. If your flight arrives at 5:00 and there are outbound flights at 6:30 and 8:59, you can take either one. If you take a flight at 9:01 or later and there are earlier flghts, your ticket will be priced as two separate trips.

A stopover is when you stay longer than that in one city. Many award tickets allow a stopover (or more than one), usually only in a "gateway" city, of which New York is usually one (but it may not be, depending on the airline). Assuming the flights are available, you can fly to New York, stay there a day or two or ten, then continue to Paris, and it will be considered a single ticket.

Paid tickets may not be so liberal, you would have to check with the airline.

As an example, my wife is flying from New York to Bucharest and returning to Raleigh. Outbound she connects in Paris, staying only 6 hours (that was the first flight available). Coming back she is flying to Paris, staying there 6 days, then continuing to Atlanta and Raleigh. The OTP-CDG-ATL-RDU ticket is treated as a single journey, because she is allowed a stopover.

Funny though that you and I have the same idea... I am going with her to New York, and then meeting her in Paris on the way back!

Originally Posted by stinger101

Most airlines also allow the layover to be no greater than 23:59 hrs. This can be a really great tool to use as well if you only want to spend one night somewhere. United is great because it allows one stopover and two open jaws. If booking with miles...add that last segment on to Hawaii or Alaska just for fun.