Save money on multi-city flights with these booking strategies. Open-jaw tickets, multi-carrier routing, and tools for planning complex itineraries cheaply.
Multi-city itineraries — flying into one city and out of another, or visiting several cities on one trip — are often surprisingly affordable when booked correctly. The key is knowing which tools to use and which booking strategies work best.
An open-jaw itinerary means you fly into one city and out of another. For example: New York → London, then Paris → New York. You arrange your own transport between London and Paris (Eurostar, budget flight, etc.). Open-jaw tickets are often only slightly more expensive than round-trips — sometimes even cheaper — because they let you avoid backtracking. Google Flights and most OTAs support open-jaw booking.
Google Flights handles multi-city with up to 5 segments. Kiwi.com is the best tool for complex itineraries because it can combine different airlines and include ground transport. Skyscanner also supports multi-city but is less sophisticated. For round-the-world trips, Star Alliance, Oneworld, and SkyTeam all offer RTW fare products that can be excellent value.
Compare the multi-city fare against booking each leg separately — sometimes separate one-way tickets on budget carriers are cheaper than a multi-city booking on one airline. Use Kiwi.com's Nomad feature to let the algorithm optimize your routing order. Position inexpensive budget flights between expensive long-haul legs. Time your visits to take advantage of seasonal pricing in each destination.
Allow buffer days between destinations for delays and recovery. Check visa requirements for each country — some require onward travel proof. Make sure checked baggage policies align across all carriers if you're mixing airlines. Book each leg separately with travel insurance covering the whole trip. Consider purchasing Priority Pass for lounge access across multiple airports.
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These strategies become most powerful when they become habits. On your next booking, try combining flexible-date searching with price alerts on multiple platforms. Most experienced travelers settle into a 10-minute routine that consistently finds better fares than booking on impulse.
The biggest mistake travelers make is booking the first fare they see without comparison shopping. The second most common error is ignoring total cost: a budget airline fare that looks cheap can exceed a full-service carrier once you add baggage, seat selection, and meal fees. Third, many travelers book too late, missing the optimal booking window for their route and ending up paying peak prices.
Another frequent mistake is assuming that expensive equals better. On many routes, the cheapest flight operates the same aircraft type, same terminal, and similar schedule as pricier alternatives. Unless you specifically value a particular airline loyalty program, premium lounge access, or superior service reputation, there is often no practical reason to pay more for an equivalent journey.
Use these rankings to narrow your options, then compare 2–3 finalists on your actual dates and route. Performance varies by corridor, season, and aircraft — a carrier that tops our rankings may not be the best on every single flight.
If you are deciding between two closely ranked options, go with whichever has the more generous change and cancellation policy. Travel plans shift, and flexibility has real value that does not show up in a ranking score.
The travel industry evolves constantly — new routes launch, policies change, and carriers rise or fall in quality. We update these rankings regularly to reflect current reality rather than historical reputation. Check back before any major booking to make sure you are working with the latest information.
Want a deeper look at two specific options? Our head-to-head comparisons go into more detail on individual matchups.
It depends. Multi-city on one airline can be cheaper if they offer a routing discount. But booking separate one-way tickets on different carriers (especially budget airlines) is often cheaper for European trips. Always compare both options.
Kiwi.com is best for complex multi-city with mixed carriers. Google Flights is excellent for multi-city on single airlines. For round-the-world trips, check alliance-specific RTW fare products.
Multi-city itineraries often save money compared to separate round trips, especially when the routing is logical (A→B→C→A rather than zigzagging). Most booking platforms support multi-city search, but Google Flights and Kiwi.com handle complex routings better than average.
The savings increase when you mix airlines — booking the cheapest carrier on each leg rather than sticking with one airline for the whole trip. The tradeoff is separate bookings and no protection if one leg is delayed.
The best way to test these strategies is on a real search. Use the widget above to check fares on a route you care about, then apply one or two techniques from this guide and see the difference.