Layovers used to mean long, boring waits in the airport, trying to nap in an uncomfortable chair, overpaying for Wi-Fi, and eating reheated sandwiches from the only restaurant open. But these days, airlines are turning those layovers into stopovers, giving travelers an easy way to explore a second city for a few days on the way to or from their primary destination. This week, we talk to Birkir Hólm Guðnason, CEO of Icelandair, whose free 3-7 day layovers in Reykjavik not only invented the airline-sponsored stayover program but turned Iceland from unknown city into major world destination. He tells us how a volcanic eruption ended up being great for tourism, gives us tips on heli-skiing, and weighs in on the ever-pressing question of whether you should visit the Blue Lagoon.
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