What Is an Open Jaw Ticket?
An open jaw ticket is a round-trip-style fare where the outbound and return flights use different cities on one or both ends, instead of flying back to exactly where you started. The gap between the two mismatched points - which you cover yourself, often overland - is the "jaw" the name refers to.
The two types of open jaw
- Origin open jaw: you return to a different city than you departed from
- Destination open jaw: you fly into one city abroad and out of a different one, for example flying into Rome, traveling overland, and flying home from Venice
Why travelers use it
It avoids backtracking to the same city just to catch a return flight, which is useful for road trips, rail trips, or multi-stop itineraries within a region. It's often priced the same as, or close to, a standard round trip, since it's usually still booked as a single return-type fare rather than two separate one-ways.
How to book one
Most flight search engines have a dedicated multi-city or open jaw search option; entering mismatched return city details into a simple round-trip search usually won't work. Compare the total open jaw fare against two separate one-way fares, since open jaw isn't always cheaper - it depends on the route and airline.
What to check before booking
Overland transport between the two "jaw" cities isn't included and needs its own planning, whether that's a train, bus, or rental car. Baggage allowance and any connecting flight rules still apply per segment as normal.