DIY Stopovers Online

Q. I’d like to book a ticket from Tampa to Hong Kong with a stopover in Los Angeles on the way out. What’s the easiest and cheapest way to buy such an airfare on the internet?

A. Some airlines sell stopovers at very reasonable fares, depending on the route. Rather than buying a multi-city fare online, I’d do it by calling the airline’s reservation department, or by calling a travel agent. In your case, you could also buy one fare round-trip from Tampa to Los Angeles and a second round-trip fare from Los Angeles to Bangkok. You might even find that this is the cheapest option, but make sure to leave enough connecting time between flights on the inbound return trip.