Looking for the Cheapest Flights? Book Open-Jaw to Save Money

When it comes to booking flights, most people think in terms of a simple round-trip: you fly from your home airport to a destination and then fly back from that same destination. But what if there was a more flexible and often cheaper way to structure your itinerary? Enter the open-jaw flight.

What is an Open-Jaw Flight?

An open-jaw flight is a round-trip ticket where your destination and/or your origin are not the same in both directions. The name "open jaw" comes from how the route looks on a map, forming a shape like an open mouth.

There are a few different types of open-jaw flights:

• Destination Open-Jaw: You fly from your home city (City A) to a destination (City B) but return home from a different city (City C). For example, flying from New York City (JFK) to London (LHR), traveling overland to Paris, and then flying from Paris (CDG) back to New York City (JFK).
• Origin Open-Jaw: You fly from a city (City A) to a destination (City B), but you return from City B to a different city (City C). An example would be flying from Washington, D.C. (IAD) to San Francisco (SFO) and then flying back from San Francisco (SFO) to Baltimore (BWI).
• Double Open-Jaw: This is the most complex type, where both your origin and destination cities are different on the return trip. For example, flying from New York City (JFK) to London (LHR), and then returning from Paris (CDG) to Boston (BOS).

A key thing to remember is that open-jaw itineraries involve "surface transportation" between the open cities. This means you are responsible for getting yourself from your arrival city to your departure city, whether by train, car, bus, or another flight booked separately.

But Why Do This?

This isn't just about a cheap ticket. Knowing that you've reduced your air cost opens up the opportunity to explore other destinations when implementing "destination open-jaw" and "double open-jaw". I've flown into Porto, Portugal, took the train to The Algarve, then took the bus to Seville and flew out of Spain, back to DC.

How to Use This Strategy to Book Cheap Flights

The real magic of open-jaw flights is their ability to save you money and time, especially in regions with multiple airports or when you want to explore more than one city. Here's how:

1. Leverage Multiple Airports: One of the most common and effective uses of open-jaw ticketing is when your home or destination is near several major airports. For instance, if you live in the Washington, D.C. area, you can look at flying into or out of Dulles (IAD), Reagan (DCA), or Baltimore (BWI). Similarly, travelers in the New York City area can consider JFK, LaGuardia (LGA), or Newark (EWR). By mixing and matching these airports, you might find a cheaper combination than a traditional round-trip from a single airport.

2. Avoid Backtracking: If you're planning a trip to visit multiple cities, an open-jaw flight can be a game-changer. Instead of flying into London, taking a train to Paris, and then having to travel all the way back to London to fly home, you can simply fly into London and out of Paris. This saves you the time, cost, and hassle of a redundant journey.

I've flown into Porto, Portugal, took the train to The Algarve, then took the bus to Seville and flew out of Spain, back to DC.

3. Combine with Other Transportation: Open-jaw flights are perfect for itineraries that involve a mix of air and ground travel. Think of a trip through Europe where you fly into Rome, travel through Italy by train, and then fly home from Venice. Or a road trip in the U.S. where you fly into Denver, rent a car to explore national parks, and then fly out of Las Vegas.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Like any travel strategy, open-jaw flights have their pros and cons.

Advantages:

• Saves Time and Money: By eliminating the need to backtrack, you can save on transportation costs and make the most of your vacation time.
• More Flexible Itineraries: Open-jaw tickets allow you to create more logical and efficient travel plans, especially for multi-city trips.
• Wider Range of Deals: You can often find significant savings by flying into a less popular (and thus cheaper) airport and out of a more convenient one.

Disadvantages:

• Can Be More Complex: Planning an open-jaw itinerary requires more thought, as you need to coordinate your ground transportation and lodging between the two cities.
• Potentially Higher Cost: While they can be cheaper, open-jaw flights sometimes come with a higher price tag, especially if you are mixing different airlines or if the routes are less common.
• Surface Transportation Responsibility: You are responsible for the logistics and cost of the travel between your two open cities, which needs to be factored into your budget.

How to Book an Open-Jaw Flight

Booking an open-jaw flight is simpler than it sounds. Most major booking websites and airline websites have a "multi-city" search option.

1. Select "Multi-City" (or "Multiple Destinations"): Instead of choosing "Round-trip" or "One-way," select the multi-city option on the flight search engine of your choice (e.g., Google Flights, Kayak, Expedia).
2. Input Your Legs: You'll be able to enter each leg of your trip separately. For a destination open-jaw, your itinerary would look like this:
   • Flight 1: City A to City B
   • Flight 2: City C to City A
3. Search and Compare: The search engine will then show you available flight combinations for your chosen itinerary. You can compare different airports, dates, and airlines to find the best deal.

By understanding and utilizing open-jaw ticketing, you can add another valuable tool to your arsenal of cheap flight strategies, opening up a world of new travel possibilities.

Additional Reading

1. "How to search for multi-city flights with Skyscanner": https://www.skyscanner.com/tips-and-inspiration/multi-city-flights
2. Kayak: "What are multi-city flights and how can you book them on KAYAK?": https://www.kayak.com/news/multi-city-flights

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