How to use open-jaw tickets and stopovers to see more for less. Save money and add destinations to your trip with these advanced booking strategies.
Open-jaw tickets and stopovers are two of the most underused strategies in flight booking. Both let you visit extra destinations without paying for additional flights — or even save money compared to a simple round trip. Here's how to use them.
An open-jaw itinerary is where you fly into one city and out of another. Example: fly London → Rome, travel overland through Italy, then fly Milan → London. The open-jaw ticket covers both flights as a single booking, often at little or no premium over a London-Rome round trip. You arrange (and enjoy!) your own transportation between Rome and Milan. This avoids backtracking and lets you see more of a region. Most airline websites and Google Flights support open-jaw searches natively.
A stopover is when you intentionally extend a layover in a connecting city — turning a 3-hour connection into a 2-day visit. Many airlines allow 24-hour (or even multi-day) stopovers at hub cities at no extra cost. Icelandair pioneered this with free Reykjavik stopovers. Turkish Airlines offers Istanbul stopovers with hotel included. Emirates, Singapore Airlines, and TAP Portugal all have stopover programs. Check your connecting airline's policy — you might get a free bonus destination.
Google Flights: use the 'Multi-city' option and enter different arrival/departure cities. Kiwi.com: excellent for open-jaw with mixed carriers. Skyscanner: supports open-jaw through multi-city search. Compare the open-jaw price against a simple round-trip — if the difference is small ($50-100 or less), the open-jaw is usually worth it for the added travel flexibility.
Sometimes open-jaw tickets are actually cheaper than round trips — particularly when one direction is more expensive than the other. For example, summer flights to Europe might be expensive westbound but cheaper eastbound. An open-jaw lets you combine the cheapest direction for each leg. Stopovers add a destination at zero flight cost — just budget for accommodation and food in the stopover city.
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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.
Rankings shift as airlines update their products and new competitors enter the market. We refresh this list regularly, but always cross-reference with recent reviews if you are making a significant booking — a carrier may have upgraded (or downgraded) its service since our last update.
For route-specific advice and current pricing, use the search tools on this page and check our tips and guides section for booking strategies.
Often only slightly more expensive (5-15%), and sometimes actually cheaper. The added travel flexibility and ability to see more places usually makes it worthwhile. Always compare against the round-trip price for your specific route.
Icelandair (Reykjavik), Turkish Airlines (Istanbul, with hotel), Emirates (Dubai Connect with hotel for long layovers), TAP Portugal (Lisbon/Porto), Singapore Airlines (Singapore Stopover Holiday), and Ethiopian Airlines (Addis Ababa). Policies vary — check the specific airline's stopover program.
Open-jaw tickets (fly into one city, out of another) eliminate backtracking and often cost the same or less than a standard round trip. Most major airlines and booking platforms support this routing — it is one of the simplest ways to see more of a region without paying for extra flights.
Stopovers (spending a day or more in a connecting city) are sometimes free or cheap to add, especially on Middle Eastern and Asian carriers. Check the airline's stopover policy before booking a direct connection — you might get a bonus destination at no extra flight cost.
Pick the most relevant tip from this guide and use it on your next booking. The search widget above is a good starting point — compare what you find there with Google Flights and Skyscanner to get the full pricing picture.