The TRAVELER'S JOURNAL: November twenty-ninth, making the most of bad connections.

When you're trying to get some place quickly, taking a flight that requires a connection can be an annoying, time-consuming hassle. In these days of hub and spoke airline scheduling, trips often involve multiple connections, each of which introduces the opportunity for delay. Though aggressive ticket shoppers may find roundabout routings can be cheaper ways get there, flying direct and non- stop is always the best way to go. That is, unless you're not in a hurry to get there.

Some savvy travelers use connecting flights to make more out of their trips for less. They look for routings that offer a chance to stop in other places along the way, then try to make the most of those stops.

When figuring flight itineraries, airlines usually allow passengers to make free stops of up to four hours for domestic connections and 12 to 24 hours for international travel. That could provide sufficient time to see a city or for a quick visit with friends or family or a business meeting, especially at the airport. Sometimes, carriers tack on a small fee for longer connections. Many airlines flying to Hawaii, for example, let travelers make one West Coast overnight stopover each way for just $60.

A stopover on international flights can turn a trip into a multi-city itinerary. British Airways, for example, permits no cost stopovers in London for most passengers making connections to other British airports. Icelandair lets folks connecting through Reykjavik stay up to three days. With the right attitude and a little creative planning, a long layovers can be a major advantage.

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