Colombo

The big-ticket item is genuinely free: SriLankan Airlines covers a 1-night stay at a 3-star hotel in Colombo. But "free" has edges worth knowing: you still typically pay for meals beyond anything included, any city or tourist tax, and a transit-visa fee if your passport needs one. Compare the total fare too: adding a stopover doesn't always cost the same as a plain connection.

Passengers flying SriLankan Airlines on a ticket issued by the airline, with a qualifying layover in CMB between 8 and 24 hours. Eligible booking classes: see airline. Free hotel or meal voucher (not both, one direction only) for connections of 8-24 hours in Colombo. You must arrive and depart on SriLankan (UL) flights on a single through-ticket PNR. A minimum ticket fare applies (fare + YQ): USD 375 one-way / 750+ round-trip for 8-12h transits, USD 390 / 780+ for 12-24h. Request at least 48 hours before your journey. The Sri Lanka transit visa is free (2-day validity) but you arrange it yourself.

Your connection in CMB should fall between 8 and 24 hours. Two things travelers get caught by: flight-search sites usually show the shortest connection by default, and that's often too short to qualify. You may need to deliberately pick a longer-layover flight. And the layover shown isn't all usable: clearing immigration and any baggage steps eats into it, so give yourself comfortable margin above the 8-hour minimum.

Stopover programs are run by the airline, so the safest route is a ticket booked directly with SriLankan Airlines on an eligible fare. Award and miles tickets, and bookings made through online travel agencies or other third-party sites, often follow different rules: sometimes they don't qualify, sometimes the stopover has to be arranged another way. Before booking like that, confirm directly with SriLankan Airlines that your specific ticket type is eligible.

To leave the airport for your stopover you must meet Sri Lanka's transit or entry rules, and this matters before you even fly: if your passport requires a transit visa and you don't have one, the airline can deny boarding. The good news: many nationalities get visa-free transit, visa-on-arrival, or a quick e-visa, and some stopover programs include the transit visa. Select your nationality on this page to see the exact requirement for Sri Lanka, and arrange any visa well before departure.

Airlines do sometimes adjust schedules after you book. A change can shorten or lengthen your layover. If it drops the connection below the 8-hour minimum, or past the maximum, it can affect your eligibility. If you get a schedule-change notice, re-check your layover against the program's window and contact SriLankan Airlines to rebook or re-confirm the stopover. It's worth re-checking your itinerary a few days before departure.

On a single SriLankan Airlines ticket, your checked bags are normally tagged straight through to your final destination, so you head into Colombo with just your carry-on, and your luggage continues on the onward flight. You'd only collect and re-check bags if part of your trip is on a separate ticket. If you'd like a checked bag with you for the overnight stay, ask SriLankan Airlines when you arrange the stopover.

Request at least 48 hours before your journey — email reservations@srilankan.com (subject: Transit Hotel Accommodation / Meal Voucher - TKT number/s - required date) or call the 24-hour contact centre (+94 117 77 1979). Choose the hotel or the meal voucher. At Colombo, present your confirmed booking to the Transfer desk.

Up to 1 days. You can extend your layover without paying additional airfare, as long as it fits within the program's rules.

Yes. You must request the stopover At least 48 hours before your journey.