Has anyone heard of an airline paying for a passengers's hotel on a long stopover?

I see a flight with a stopover of 39 hours but wonder how airlines can offer such a lengthy flight unless they're willing to provide a hotel for the passenger. Has anyone heard of an airline that offers hotels for long stopovers?

Only if the stopover was the airline's fault (due to a problem with the plane, etc.).

Nope (or at least, not unless it was due to an airline delay, rather than a planned schedule)

People book flights knowing of these stopovers in advance.

Often these are used to fit in a city break en route; eg a short stay in Hong Kong on the way to Australia

Not going to happen.

Only if the passenger has to stay overnight because a flight is cancelled or delayed due to something the airline has control over. It has happened to me twice. Once when the incoming flight was late, I missed my outbound flight because of it and had to stay overnight since the next outbound flight was the next evening. Another time my flight was delayed due to mechanical problem, delayed so long that, again, it was too late to fly out again that night.

If the stopover is because the flights you booked are scheduled to leave at those times, the hotel expense is your problem. I live in a small place where flying long distance and getting a cheap flight almost always means I have to stay overnight in the nearest large city either on the way out or the way home. But I know that when I make my travel plans. I could have made different plans. It's not the airline's problem that I chose an itinerary and destinations that necessitated a night in a hotel.

You are right: they OFFER flights with long stopovers.
But nobody forces you to ACCEPT.
If you don't want the long stopover, don't book that flight.

If it's a scheduled layover, NO.

Only when there's a delay due to an equipment failure or some other fault of the airline, not for just a long layover

The cost of a hotel during an overnight layover is NOT included in the cost of the ticket.

Usually layovers over 24 hours happen when you are traveling to a destination that doesn't have a daily service.
you can do a couple things to avoid long layovers like this.

1 There are very few destinations served by only one airline. Try another airline.

2 Change your departure date to better match your onward flight.

No hotels on long stopover unless the plane broke down
or they cancelled the flight and gave you another flight
another day
you are expected to stay in the transit lounge during the trip

YES IT HAPPENS
Some Airlines will arrange a hotel for Scheduled long layovers. At some Airport hubs there are a few important to the Airline flights that go just once a day or a few times per week or month.To assist in keeping passengers arriving to the hub to their Airline they will in some situations arrange the layover for the passenger. From a few of the other arriving flights. It is a package deal. The passenger can choose not to take advantage and do something they choose.

The cost of the Hotel is factored into the ticket price. It is a package deal. Airlines do it and so can travel Agents. In particular holiday charter travel. Cruiseships do similar when your day before sailing sleep is arranged at a few selected places based on where you are flying in from.

There's a reason the cheap bargain fly cheap person does not get offered this. The hotel likes to make money too.

It is a way for the Airline to "show off" this stop as a potential destination for the passengers next adventure.It is way the many smaller planes gather passengers for that large long flight that the Airline makes money on when it is FULL The plane in Air costs thousands of dollars an hour just to move place to place. This long big flight is not usually daily.

Just a simple way to get some business for this special big flight they are connecting too and a reward for their better customers. NOT RARE for the regular passengers flying in the higher fare sections.

Human travel Agents and Human Airline reservation departments have been doing this for decades long before miles cards came on the scene and computer added up points .Was how that free flight or free nights stay came from your "miles" account.

It is free to you that day. You paid for it from the other business you gave the Airline.in the past. People networked before the Internet another way the Airline got some FREE advertising from the passenger.to friends and family, business associates

Those ticket search sites look for the fastest connection NOT THE BEST DEAL that can be arranged. The search site likes to make money too. They DO NOT from these packages.

There's a reason that Human Travel Agents are still around and some even have permanent jobs at large companies.

It is not a secret to those in the air travel industry for years and years.

Seriously what do you think the concept behind miles points cards was. REWARDS for your BEST customers.