Travel Explained
What Is an Open-Jaw Ticket?
Learn how an open-jaw ticket lets you arrive in one city and return from another, how these itineraries work, and when booking one may make sense.
Flights, Tickets & Airline Rules • Travel Explained
The Quick Answer
An open-jaw ticket is an itinerary in which you arrive in one city but return from another, or return to a different airport than the one where your trip began. The unflown portion between those cities creates the “open” section of the itinerary.
For example, you could fly from Phoenix to Rome, travel independently from Rome to Venice, and then fly from Venice back to Phoenix. This can prevent unnecessary backtracking and make a trip involving several destinations more efficient.
How Open-Jaw Tickets Work and When They Make Sense
An open-jaw ticket is an itinerary in which the destination or origin changes between the outbound and return flights. Instead of flying into and out of the same city, you leave one part of the journey open and travel between two points independently. Icelandair’s open-jaw flight guide describes this structure as flying into one city and returning from another.
For example, you could fly from Phoenix to Rome, travel through Italy by train, and then fly from Venice back to Phoenix. The journey between Rome and Venice is not included in the airline ticket. You arrange that portion separately using a train, rental car, bus, cruise, or another flight.
A destination open jaw means you fly into one destination and return from another, while both long-distance flights connect to the same home city. An origin open jaw means you return to a different airport than the one where the trip began. A double open jaw changes the airports at both ends of the itinerary.
This structure can save time when your trip naturally moves in one direction. Without an open jaw, you might need to return to the original arrival city solely to catch the flight home. Avoiding that backtracking can reduce transportation costs and create more time for the destinations you actually want to visit.
Open-jaw itineraries are commonly searched using an airline or booking website’s multi-city option. Enter each long-distance flight separately, then compare the combined price with a regular round trip and two one-way tickets. Review every segment carefully because the itinerary may involve different airlines, airports, baggage rules, or fare conditions.
Before booking, calculate the time and cost of traveling across the open portion of the journey. Also check visa requirements, transportation schedules, luggage limitations, rental-car drop-off charges, and the distance between airports. The U.S. Department of State’s international travel guidance can help U.S. travelers review entry requirements and destination information before building a multi-country itinerary.
Travel Explained in Practice
Imagine This…
You are planning a trip through Italy that begins in Rome and ends in Venice. Instead of traveling all the way back to Rome solely to catch your return flight, you book a ticket from Phoenix to Rome and then fly home from Venice. You arrange the journey between the two Italian cities separately, creating the open portion of the itinerary.
Understand the Structure
What Are the Different Types of Open-Jaw Tickets?
The open portion can appear at the destination end, the origin end, or at both ends of the itinerary.
Destination Open Jaw
You fly into one destination, travel independently to another, and return home from the second city.
Origin Open Jaw
You leave from one home-area airport but return to a different airport after visiting the same destination.
Double Open Jaw
The airports differ at both ends, leaving an independently arranged portion near the origin and another between destinations.
The Route Matters
An Open Jaw Can Eliminate Unnecessary Backtracking
The best structure depends on where your trip begins, how the route progresses, and the cost of traveling between cities.
Round Trip
Return From the Arrival City
A traditional round trip brings you back from the same destination airport where the outbound journey ended.
Open Jaw
Return From Somewhere Else
You continue moving through the destination and fly home from a different city instead of returning to your arrival airport.
Before You Book
Five Things to Check Before Booking an Open Jaw
Map the complete route.
Make sure the journey naturally moves toward the city where your return flight departs.
Price every booking method.
Compare the multi-city price with a round trip and two separately purchased one-way tickets.
Plan the unflown portion.
Research the train, car, bus, cruise, or separate flight connecting the arrival and departure cities.
Confirm every airport code.
Cities with several airports can create expensive mistakes if you select the wrong location.
Review luggage and entry rules.
Consider baggage limitations and any visa or entry requirements along the overland portion.
Travel Explained Note
Did You Know?
An open-jaw ticket does not include transportation across the open section. You are responsible for traveling between the city where you arrive and the city where your next ticketed flight begins.
Quick Review
Key Takeaways
An open jaw uses different airports.
You may arrive in one city and return from another or return to a different origin-area airport.
The open portion is not included.
You arrange transportation between the two open-jaw cities independently.
It can reduce backtracking.
Flying home from the final city can save time and eliminate an unnecessary return journey.
Compare the complete trip cost.
Include airfare and the cost of traveling between the arrival and departure cities.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an example of an open-jaw ticket?
You could fly from Phoenix to Rome, travel independently to Venice, and then fly from Venice back to Phoenix.
How do you book an open-jaw flight?
Use the multi-city search option and enter the outbound and return flights as separate segments with different destination airports.
Are open-jaw flights more expensive?
Not always. Pricing depends on the airlines, routes, dates, fare rules, and availability. Compare the open jaw with a round trip and separate one-way tickets.
Is an open jaw the same as a multi-city flight?
An open jaw is a specific itinerary shape, while multi-city is a broader booking method that can be used to create an open jaw or a trip with several ticketed flights.
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