Flight tips
Open-jaw flights: fly into one city and home from another
On a multi-city trip, tying the return to the same airport often means wasting a full day and a train ticket. The fix is one tab away on the search screen.
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If you are visiting three cities on one trip, booking a return into the same airport is almost always the wrong call. You spend the last day going back to where you started, and you pay for that journey on top. The fix is known in aviation as an "open jaw", and in search engines as the "multi-city" tab.
What is an open-jaw ticket?
It is a single booking in which the outbound and the return use different airports. You fly Istanbul to Vienna, travel Central Europe by train, and fly Prague back to Istanbul. The Vienna–Prague stretch you cover yourself — that gap is the ticket's "open jaw".
| Set-up | How it works | When to choose it |
|---|---|---|
| Return | In and out of the same airport | You are staying in one city |
| Open jaw (multi-city) | Into one city, home from another | On multi-city routes |
| Two separate one-ways | Two tickets on different airlines | When low-cost carriers are mixed in |
When does it actually come out cheaper?
An open-jaw fare usually lands somewhere near the average of the two returns at either end. Flying into Vienna and home from Prague is priced between a Vienna return and a Prague return. The real gain is not the ticket — it is the day you don't spend going back, and the return-leg travel you don't pay for.
- If the route includes three or more cities, an open jaw almost always pays off.
- The gain becomes clear when the two cities are more than three hours apart by train, or need a separate flight.
- If the two cities are very close (Amsterdam–Brussels, for example) the gain shrinks; a simple return can still make sense.
- On flag carriers an open jaw is usually priced cleanly; on low-cost airlines every flight is sold separately anyway, so the difference disappears.
When are two one-ways better?
If different airlines are strong at each end of the route — a flag carrier cheap outbound, a low-cost carrier cheap on the way home — you cannot combine them in a single multi-city search. In that case two separate one-ways come out cheaper.
The cost is lost protection: if the first flight is late and you miss the second, neither airline is responsible. On an open-jaw ticket the two ends are days apart, so in practice this risk barely matters on most trips. Where it is real is when two flights connect on the same day.
What to watch when you build the route
- Build the route so it moves in one geographic direction; doubling back costs both time and money.
- Fly into a large hub with frequent services, and fly home from wherever the itinerary actually ends.
- If a city has more than one airport (London, Milan, Paris), check which one you are using; transfer time and cost into the centre can change a lot.
- Put the return the day after your last event; same-day returns move delay risk onto the most expensive moment of the trip.
- If you are applying for a visa, show the open-jaw route clearly on the paperwork; you are expected to apply to the country where you will spend the most nights.
Example routes
| Route | Fly into | Fly home from | In between |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Europe | Vienna | Prague | Train, 2 connections |
| Classic Italy | Rome | Venice | High-speed train |
| Scandinavia | Copenhagen | Oslo | Train + a short flight |
| Spain | Barcelona | Madrid | High-speed train |
| Western Europe | Amsterdam | Paris | High-speed train, 3 hours 20 minutes |
Start building your route
Frequently asked questions
Is a multi-city ticket more expensive than a return?
It usually comes out close to the average of the two returns at either end. On multi-city routes the real gain is not the fare — it is the day and the transport you don't spend going back.
How do I travel the gap on an open-jaw ticket?
You plan that stretch yourself: train, coach or a separate flight. It is not part of the ticket, so arranging the transport is on you.
Is buying two one-ways risky?
Yes if you are connecting them on the same day, because neither airline is responsible for a delay. On an open-jaw route the flights are days apart, so in practice that risk disappears.
Does an open-jaw ticket cause problems on a visa application?
No. Document the route and your accommodation consistently and you are fine. For a Schengen application you are usually expected to apply at the consulate of the country where you will spend the most nights.
