Flights with "open jaw": what they are and how to book them

If you're looking for a creative way to save money while traveling or are already preparing for the summer of 2024, you should book an open-jaw flight. They provide much more flexibility in your travel and are a great way to cut costs while still seeing the world.

Representatives from Expedia will explain how open-jaw flights can dramatically change the way you travel. Additionally, they will share tips on how to save money in your wallet. This information was provided by travelandleisure.com.

What are open-jaw flights and how do they work?

On a standard round-trip flight, you fly from your departure city to your destination and back. An "open-jaw" flight is when you fly from your origin to your destination, travel to another destination, and then return from the second (or third, or fourth) stop back to your origin. These flights can be operated by one airline, or they can be two one-way tickets on different airlines.

Open-jaw flights vs. multi-city flights

The biggest difference between an open-jaw flight and a multi-city flight is that you don't book one-way plane tickets for the entire trip. "There are other types of city-to-city flights where the traveler flies to each destination during the trip. For example, New York > London, London > Paris, Paris > New York," explains Expedia.

Benefits of booking an open-jaw flight

There are several reasons why booking an open-jaw flight can be advantageous. For starters, you can save a significant amount of money. Open-jaw flights are especially beneficial if you're traveling to a destination well-connected by train. For instance, if you're journeying from the US to Europe and plan to visit major cities like Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, and Berlin, it doesn't make sense to purchase a round-trip ticket from the US to Paris. This would confine you to starting and ending your trip in the same city, which could quickly become costly and time-consuming. It's much more convenient to return to the US from Berlin than to backtrack from Berlin to Paris and then back to the US. By doing so, you can explore more cities and also save on your transatlantic fare and intra-European travel.

Ultimately, saving money, gaining flexibility, and crafting a fantastic itinerary are all compelling reasons to opt for an "open jaw" flight. Even if you don't plan to visit multiple cities, you can utilize this approach when traveling to large cities with multiple airports.

How to book open-jaw flights

To book a flight, you must have a clear itinerary in mind. Once you've decided on your destinations, you can use search engines such as Expedia or Google Flights to explore your options. Select the "multiple cities" option instead of round trip and input the departure and destination for each leg of your journey.

"Expedia is an ideal platform for booking this type of itinerary due to its extensive array of options for combining flights from different airlines to find the best route and price for your trip. Travelers can choose from over 500 airlines, compare routes, prices, and availability, and then tailor their perfect itinerary," explains Expedia.