Planning a trip to more than one city? You could fly to New York, visit the East Coast, fly back from Boston without having to come back to the airport you arrived at. Or perhaps you’d like to visit Rome and Paris on the same vacation, without having to buy a round-trip ticket for each city. Open-jaw flights can make it easier to plan your travels and here’s how. Open-jaw tickets are when you fly into one city and return from another, or you fly between destinations separately from different airports. They are especially helpful to travelers who want more flexibility on vacations, international trips, business travel and multi-city itineraries.
This guide will tell you what are open-jaw tickets, how they work, when to use them, how they compare to regular round-trip flights and how to book one without forgetting important costs.
Updated October 13, 2026 · By the GoodForOneFare editorial team.
How open-jaw fares are priced
Airlines often price an open-jaw as half of the round-trip fare to each destination added together. When the two cities are in the same region, the result is often close to a normal round trip, and much lower than two separate one-way international tickets.
When an open-jaw is worth it
- A multi-country trip in Europe or Asia where trains or short flights connect the cities.
- Visiting family in one city and finishing the trip somewhere else.
- Landing in a city with better flights out than in, or the reverse.
What to watch for
- The gap in the middle is on you: The train or flight between your two cities is booked separately.
- Entry rules: Make sure your onward travel satisfies entry requirements for each country.
- Don’t skip legs: Missing the first flight usually cancels the rest of the ticket.
Open-Jaw Ticket: What Is It?
An open-jaw ticket is a flight itinerary where the destination of one flight and the origin of the return flight are different and part of the journey has to be made by another mode of transport or a separate arrangement.
For example, you could fly from New York to London, travel overland to Paris, and fly home from Paris to New York. Instead of returning to London just to catch your flight home, you can depart directly from Paris.
If you have searched for “what is an open jaw ticket,” the simplest answer is this: it is a flight booking that lets you arrive in one city and depart from another, without requiring you to fly back to your original arrival city.
An open-jaw itinerary may be sold as a single ticket, depending on the airline, routing, and fare rules. It is not necessarily two separate one-way tickets, although separate tickets can sometimes be used to create a similar trip.
What Is an Open-Jaw Flight Ticket Example?
Picture yourself living in Chicago and wanting to go to Spain.
Here’s a sample itinerary for you:
| Flight | Route |
|---|---|
| Outbound flight | Chicago (ORD) to Madrid (MAD) |
| Travel between cities | Madrid to Barcelona by train |
| Return flight | Barcelona (BCN) to Chicago (ORD) |
You land in Madrid, but you leave Europe from Barcelona. The train connections between the two cities are arranged separately. This is an example of an open-jaw itinerary because the city of entry and exit in Europe are different. This can save you the time and expense of going back to Madrid to catch your flight home.
Types of open jaw flights
Not all open-jaw itineraries work the same. Knowing the main types will help you make the right choice for your trip.
1. Destination Open-Jaw Flights
It is one of the most common types of open jaw ticket. You fly from your home airport to a destination and return from a different destination to your home airport;
For example,
- Departure: New York (JFK) – Rome (FCO)
- Independent travel Florence-Rome
- FLR to JFK
You can visit a few places without having to go back to the city where you first landed.
Best for: European vacations, road trips and multi-city itineraries.
2. Origin Open-Jaw Flights
An open-jaw itinerary is when you leave from one airport but come back to a different airport near your home or final destination.
For example:
- Departing: Los Angeles (LAX) Arriving: Boston (BOS)
- Return: New York (JFK) to San Diego (SAN)
The return flight does not go to the same destination as the outbound flight. If you are in Boston you will have to make your own arrangements for travel between New York and Boston.
Best for: Trips that end somewhere other than where they started, travelers visiting friends and family in other cities, regional road trips.
3. Double Open-Jaw Flights
A double open-jaw itinerary is when you have a different airport of origin and destination on the outbound leg of the trip and on the return leg of the trip.
Example:
- Outbound: New York (JFK) → London (LHR)
- London to Paris Independent Travel
- Boston (BOS) – Paris (CDG)
You start in New York, fly to London, take the train to Paris, and fly home to Boston.
The arrangement is very flexible, but the price and routing available are at the airlines and fare rules. Best for: International vacations, long trips, and travelers who want to travel to multiple cities without doubling back.
Open-Jaw Tickets vs. Round-Trip Flights
A traditional round trip ticket usually takes you from your departure airport to a destination and back on the same city pair.
Open-jaw flights: fly into one city and out of another. This is the difference between both:
| Feature | Open-jaw ticket | Regular round-trip ticket |
|---|---|---|
| Arrival and departure cities | Can be different | Usually the same destination city |
| Travel between destinations | Often arranged separately | Usually not needed |
| Trip flexibility | Greater for multi-city trips | Better for a single-destination trip |
| Ground transportation | May be required | Depends on the itinerary |
| Pricing | Varies by route and fare rules | Varies by route and fare rules |
| Best suited for | Multi-city travel | Trips focused on one destination |
An open-jaw ticket is not always cheaper than a round-trip ticket. You have to weigh in the total cost which includes the cost of traveling from city to city, airport transfer, luggage fees and any extra nights.
For a simple trip to one city, a round trip ticket might be easier. Open-jaw flights can save you from unnecessary backtracking on a multi-destination trip.
When Should You Use Open-Jaw Tickets?
Open jaw flights are ideal if you’re considering more than one destination and it’s not convenient to get back to your original city of arrival.
1. Visiting Multiple Cities in Europe
Say you are traveling from the US to Europe for two weeks. You want to go to Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris. You could fly into Amsterdam and fly out of Paris and then take the trains to get from city to city. This way you don’t have to go back to Amsterdam just to catch your flight home.
2. Planning a U.S. Road Trip
Open-jaw flights can work for domestic trips, too. For example, you might fly from Chicago to San Francisco and then rent a car to drive along the California coast and fly back home from Los Angeles. Compare the cost of a one-way rental car with the cost of returning the vehicle to the original location before booking. What will the rental fees be?
3. Combining Business and Leisure Travel
For example, if your business meeting is in Dallas but your personal vacation ends in Austin, you might be able to fly into Dallas and out of Austin. This means less needless travel, and you can make better use of the time you have. If the trip includes business expenses, check to see if your employer’s travel policy allows for the itinerary.
4. Visiting Friends and Family in Different Cities
You might want to visit family in Seattle and friends in Portland in the same trip. Flying into Seattle and out of Portland can make the itinerary a little more practical especially if you plan on traveling between the two cities by car, bus or train.
5. Taking a Longer International Vacation
Open-jaw tickets are especially handy if your vacation includes more than one country. For example, you could go from Miami to Tokyo, see Japan, then continue on to Osaka and fly home from Osaka. It all depends on the flight schedules, locations of the airports, the dates of travel and the total fare.
Are Open-Jaw Flights Cheaper?
Sometimes open-jaw flights are cheaper than a normal round-trip itinerary, but it’s not a simple answer for everyone.
The price is determined as follows:
- Airline/route: Some airlines will offer better value on multi-city itineraries, others on single routes.
- Travel Dates Airfares can fluctuate with weekends, holidays, school vacations and major events.
- Airport choice: Arriving at one airport and departing from another can provide more competitive options.
- Peak season prices: Best spots become more expensive in the peak travel season.
- GrTransport: Other costs include trains, bus, hire cars and local transfers.
- Baggage and fare rules Base fare + applicable checked baggage and change fees may impact the final price.
For example, by taking a flight to London, then back from Paris, you could save the cost of a round trip to London. But the open-jaw fare may be more expensive than a roundtrip to London.
The smartest approach is to compare both options using the same dates and similar baggage requirements.
Tip for U.S. travelers: Check nearby airports when it makes practical sense. Compare, say, the airports that service the area you’re departing from and the cities you wish to visit. Don’t just pick an airport based on cheaper airfare. Transportation and travel time count too.
Booking Open Jaw Tickets
If you’re wondering how to book an open-jaw ticket, it’s quite simple once you have your route planned. Use the Multi-city option in search: add the outbound flight to your first city and the return flight from your last city. Our step-by-step multi-city booking guide walks through it. See more on the multi-city flights page, or read about stopover flights if you want to visit a connecting city.
Step 1: Choose start and end points of your trip
Choose your departure airport, your first destination and the city you want to come back from. For instance, a traveler might fly from Los Angeles to Rome and then fly back from Venice to Los Angeles.
Step 2: Arrange Your Transportation Between Cities
From the city in which you land to the city in which you take off, chart your course. Depending on your destination you could take a train, a bus, a rental car, a domestic flight or a ferry. Make sure to check the duration and cost before you book your flights. Also consider if you need to spend a nite at the airport prior to your return flight.
Step 3: Search with Multi-City Option
Choose Multi-city instead of Round-trip at an airline website or flight-booking website. Enter your first flight (say Los Angeles to Rome). Then enter your second flight (say Venice to Los Angeles). Input your travel dates, passenger information and preferred cabin class then compare the available itineraries.
Some booking sites will allow you to do open-jaw routing in a multi-city search, but others will require you to search for other airport pairings.
Step 4: Compare The Total Cost Of The Trip
Don’t just compare flights.
I need a favor from you.
- Transport between your destinations
- Airport transfers
- Baggage and carry-on restrictions
- Applicable seat selection fees
- Accommodation overnight if necessary
- Charges, if any, for one-way car rentals
- Any other costs incurred through separate bookings
A flight that costs a little more may still be the better buy if it saves you a lot of time and money on ground transportation.
Step 5: Check Fare Rules Before Paying
Please check the conditions of change and cancelation of the ticket, baggage allowance, details of the airport and connection requirements before confirming your reservation.
If you have separate tickets as part of your plan, know the risks. If you miss a flight you booked separately, a delay on one ticket may not protect you. Make sure you have enough passport, visa and entry requirements for the route you are taking.
Step 6: Examine each flight and travel segment
Once you’ve booked, check your confirmation for the right airports, travel dates, passenger names, baggage terms and ticket details. If your flight reservation does not include your train, bus, rental car or other transportation, make separate arrangements for it.
Open-jaw tickets can I book them in one reservation?
Yes, some airlines and booking platforms permit you to book eligible open-jaw itineraries on the same reservation. Availability depends on route, airline, fare rules and booking system.
A single reservation can make it easier to manage your flight segments, but you should still read the fare conditions. A single reservation does not automatically guarantee that every possible disruption or separately arranged ground journey will be covered.
How to Book Open-Jaw Tickets Without Overpaying
Finding the right open-jaw itinerary takes more than entering two different cities. These practical tips can help you compare options and avoid unnecessary costs. Be Flexible on Dates. If you have the time, compare nearby departure dates. A change of a day or two can impact airfare. Watch out for nearby airports. Another airport may have a better fare, but do the math on the time and cost of getting there. Look at that, the whole route. Flights with a cheap initial price may be more expensive after ground transportation and baggage fees.
No unnecessary backtracking. Make sure you plan your cities in a logical order so you can spend less time traveling between destinations. Check baggage policy.If your journey includes more than one carrier, be sure to check the baggage allowances and fees for each flight. Beware of the risk of separate tickets. If you’re booking your flights separately, allow enough time between them. You may need to pick up your luggage and check it in again and go through immigration or security.
Kindly check terms and conditions for change and cancelation. Flight plans change, so check out what happens if you need to change one or more segments of your flight. Here are a few steps to help you determine whether an open-jaw itinerary offers better value than a standard round-trip ticket.
Are Open Jaw Tickets the Same as Multi-City Flights?
Not so much. Multi-city booking is a way to search or book a trip that has more than one flight segment. An open-jaw itinerary is a routing where the origin and/or destination is different between the outbound and return portions of the trip.
So for example, an open-jaw itinerary is when you fly New York-London, then Paris-New York, but you book the London-Paris portion separately. A multi-city itinerary might also involve a couple of flights e.g., New York to London, London to Rome and Rome to New York. That is a multi-city trip, but it is not necessarily an open-jaw itinerary. The terms are related, and booking platforms may group both types of travel under the same multi-city search option.
What Are the Disadvantages of Open-Jaw Flights?
Open jaw flights are flexible, but not always the best option for every trip.
Additional Ground Transportation
You must usually arrange transportation between your arrival city and departure city. The cost can add up, particularly if the cities are far apart.
More Planning
You might have to book flights, train times, hotels and airport transfers.A well-planned route can save time, but a poorly planned route can make your vacation more complicated.
Different Rules for Airports and Airlines
You may fly on different airlines or at different airports, baggage policies, check-in cut-off times and ticket conditions may vary.
Perhaps Higher Airfare Prices
Some open-jaw itineraries are more expensive than standard round-trip flights. Always compare the total price rather than assuming the flexible option will be cheaper.
Less Flexibility on Separate Tickets
If you’re booking separate flights, then a delay or cancelation on one ticket might not be covered by another airline’s booking. Allow enough time for connections and adequate travel insurance.
A normal round-trip ticket is usually more convenient for travelers who are only going to one destination.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Booking Open-Jaw Tickets
Common mistakes to look out for before you buy your ticket:
- Choosing a low cost arrival airport but not checking how much it will cost to get to your next destination.
- Assuming airfare includes ground transportation from city to city.
- Booking separate flights with little connection time.
- Not researching baggage fees and restrictions for the airline being used.
- No visa or transit requirements.
- Let me assume that changes to one flight will automatically change every other reservation.
- Choosing different airports without considering their location and transportation connections.
A few minutes spent checking these details will make your trip easier and help you avoid unexpected expenses.
Find the best open jaw flight for your trip
Open-jaw tickets allow multi-city travel, meaning you can fly into one city and back from another, providing more flexibility. It’s especially useful for international vacations, U.S. road trips, business travel and multi-city itineraries.
The key is not just to look at the airfare but compare the whole journey Flights, getting from one city to another, luggage fees, travel time, ticket restrictions — all of these things you’ll want to think about before you decide.
If you are planning a trip from the United States and need help comparing routes, GoodForOneFare can help you look at flight-booking options for your itinerary. GoodForOneFare is a great option for a multi-city vacation, international travel or open-jaw itinerary. Browse the options or ask for booking help.
Ready to plan your getaway? Begin with your home city, places you’d like to go and which airport you’d prefer to fly back out of. The first step is to match those details with an itinerary that fits your schedule and budget.
