What Is an Open-Jaw Award Ticket?
Quick answer
An open-jaw award ticket covers a trip where one end of the return does not match the corresponding end of the outbound: you may fly into Paris and return from Rome, or depart from New York and return to Boston. Miles & More, Emirates, and Aeroplan permit forms of open-jaw travel, subject to each program’s routing and pricing rules.
What is an open-jaw award ticket?
An open-jaw award ticket links two flights while leaving a surface gap between different airports. Before buying, confirm the award seat and required loyalty-program balance, then browse available miles to purchase only what you need.
The two main forms are destination open-jaw and origin open-jaw. The difference is which end of the round trip changes.
What is a destination open-jaw?
A destination open-jaw keeps the outbound origin and final return airport the same, but changes the outbound arrival and return departure cities.
For example, New York–Paris outbound and Rome–New York return leaves a Paris–Rome surface gap. The ground journey between Paris and Rome is separate from the award ticket.
What is an origin open-jaw?
An origin open-jaw keeps the destination city the same, but changes the outbound origin and return destination.
For example, New York–London outbound and London–Boston return leaves a Boston–New York surface gap. The award covers the flights, not the travel between the two origin airports.
How do airline programs treat open-jaw awards?
Programs permit and price open-jaws differently. Miles & More calculates an open-jaw using 50% of the round-trip mileage between the outbound origin and destination, plus 50% of the round-trip mileage between the return destination and origin.
Emirates Skywards permits travel to or from one city with the return to or from another city within the same Skywards zone. Aeroplan permits open-jaw Flight Rewards but does not permit an open-jaw at a stopover point.
When are separate one-ways cleaner?
Separate one-way awards are often cleaner when the program does not support the open-jaw, when each direction uses a different points currency, or when the open-jaw price is worse than two independent awards.
Compare total points, taxes, fees, change rules, and the surface gap before choosing. A lower mileage price is not automatically the simpler itinerary.
How does the MileMarketplace Open-Jaw Fit Test work?
The MileMarketplace Open-Jaw Fit Test uses three questions: Does the program support the open-jaw? Is the surface gap practical for the traveler? Does the combined points-and-cash cost beat two one-way awards?
Worked Europe trip: New York, Paris, and Rome
Suppose Miles & More quotes 60,000 miles for a New York–Paris round trip and 50,000 miles for a Rome–New York round trip. The illustrative open-jaw calculation is (60,000 × 50%) + (50,000 × 50%) = 30,000 + 25,000 = 55,000 miles, before taxes. These figures are hypothetical; verify the live quote.
How do you book an open-jaw without leaving a gap?
Book an open-jaw only after identifying every flight and the surface segment between the mismatched cities. Confirm that the airline recognizes the itinerary as an open-jaw rather than two unrelated directions.
If the open-jaw fails the fit test, compare it with one-way versus round-trip award tickets before moving points.
When should you ask for help planning an open jaw?
Ask for help when the trip includes multiple programs, a long surface gap, stopovers, or uncertain open-jaw pricing. Before buying, confirm the award seat and required loyalty-program balance, then browse available miles to purchase only what you need.
An open-jaw routing can be combined with a stopover; see the best airline stopover programs for which programs allow one.
Plan an open-jaw Europe award: step by step
- Your time
- About 15 minutes
- You'll use
- Award search engine, Map or rail planner, Program pricing page
- 1
Write the four airports
Record the outbound origin and destination, then the return origin and destination.
- 2
Label the open-jaw type
If the two destination-side airports differ, it is a destination open-jaw. If the two origin-side airports differ, it is an origin open-jaw.
- 3
Check program eligibility
Confirm that the loyalty program allows the proposed open-jaw, zone, stopover, and partner combination.
- 4
Plan the surface gap
Price and schedule the train, car, or separate flight between the mismatched cities.
- 5
Compare two one-ways
Compare total points, taxes, fees, change rules, and booking complexity before transferring points.
Put this into action on MileMarketplace
Confirm your award first, then compare the matching program’s listing, delivery method and complete checkout cost.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use an open jaw on an award ticket?
Often, but not universally. Miles & More, Emirates, and Aeroplan publish open-jaw provisions, with different limits on routing, zones, stopovers, and pricing.
What is a destination open-jaw?
It keeps the outbound origin and final return airport the same while changing the outbound destination and return departure airport, such as New York–Paris and Rome–New York.
What is an origin open-jaw?
It keeps the destination city the same while changing the outbound origin and return destination, such as New York–London and London–Boston.
Is an open jaw cheaper than two one-ways?
Not automatically. Compare each program’s open-jaw price with two one-ways, including taxes, fees, change rules, and the surface journey between cities.
Can an open jaw include a stopover?
Sometimes, but the combination may be restricted. Aeroplan says an open-jaw is not permitted at a stopover point, so verify the exact itinerary first.