Do open jaws cost more miles than round-trips?

Usually no. United, American, Delta, and most major programs price open jaws the same as round-trips. A few programs (typically non-US carriers) may price by distance flown, which can increase costs if your open jaw cities are far apart. Always search the exact routing before committing miles.

Can I do an open jaw on both ends?

Yes — this is called a double open jaw. Example: fly Los Angeles to London, then Paris to San Francisco. The gaps (LA to SF on the US side, London to Paris on the Europe side) are yours to cover. Pricing depends on the program, but many treat it like a standard award if the total distance is reasonable.

What if award space is only available for one leg?

You can't book an open jaw if one leg has no award seats. Either wait for space to open on the missing leg, adjust your dates, or book a standard round-trip and pay cash for a separate positioning flight. Mixing an award leg with a paid leg as two one-ways costs you more miles than a full award itinerary.

Can I add a stopover with an open jaw?

Depends on the program. United allows one stopover on international awards but charges a fee. American eliminated free stopovers in 2016. Some international programs (ANA, Singapore) still permit stopovers on awards and can combine them with open jaws for complex routing. Read your program's stopover policy or call the award desk.

What happens if I miss my return flight because of the surface segment?

Your return flight is forfeit, just like missing any flight. Airlines don't care why you missed it — train delay, car trouble, or poor planning all have the same result. If you're traveling between open jaw cities on the day of your return flight, book the earliest possible ground transport and build in buffer time. Consider insurance if your surface segment involves tight connections.

Book Award Flights with an Open Jaw

An open jaw award booking lets you fly into one city and out of another, using miles just like a round-trip. Book through your airline's multi-city tool, enter your different arrival and departure cities, and the system prices it as one award. Most programs charge the same miles as a standard round-trip, making this one of the best-value ways to see more ground without backtracking.

Understand what counts as an open jaw. An open jaw means your outbound and return flights use different cities. Example: fly New York to Paris, return from Rome to New York. The gap between Paris and Rome is yours to fill with trains, rental cars, or another flight you book separately. Most loyalty programs allow this without charging extra miles.
Check your program's open jaw rules. Rules vary by program. United MileagePlus, American AAdvantage, and Delta SkyMiles all permit open jaws on award tickets and typically price them like round-trips. Some programs (especially European and Asian carriers) may restrict open jaws or require both flights to originate/end in the same country. Check your program's award chart or call before searching.
Use the multi-city search tool. Go to your airline's booking page and select 'Multi-city' instead of 'Round-trip.' Enter your outbound flight (New York to Paris) and return flight (Rome to New York) as separate segments. The system calculates the total miles needed. If the tool shows an error, try flipping which city is the open jaw or call the award desk directly.
Compare the mileage cost. Most programs price open jaws the same as round-trips in the same cabin. Verify this before booking. If you're seeing a higher price, you may have accidentally selected a different fare class or triggered a distance-based calculation. Re-check your dates and cabin selection.
Plan your surface segment. The ground travel between your open jaw cities is not included in your award ticket. Book trains, buses, or rental cars separately. Budget time for this — a 3-hour train ride is realistic, an 8-hour bus journey less so if you're tight on schedule. Consider whether the open jaw actually saves you time and money compared to a round-trip plus positioning flights.
Book and confirm both flights together. Complete the booking as a single transaction. You'll receive one confirmation code covering both flights. If you book each leg separately as one-ways, you'll burn double the miles. After booking, check that both flights appear on your itinerary and that the total miles deducted match what you expected.

Do open jaws cost more miles than round-trips?: Usually no. United, American, Delta, and most major programs price open jaws the same as round-trips. A few programs (typically non-US carriers) may price by distance flown, which can increase costs if your open jaw cities are far apart. Always search the exact routing before committing miles.
Can I do an open jaw on both ends?: Yes — this is called a double open jaw. Example: fly Los Angeles to London, then Paris to San Francisco. The gaps (LA to SF on the US side, London to Paris on the Europe side) are yours to cover. Pricing depends on the program, but many treat it like a standard award if the total distance is reasonable.
What if award space is only available for one leg?: You can't book an open jaw if one leg has no award seats. Either wait for space to open on the missing leg, adjust your dates, or book a standard round-trip and pay cash for a separate positioning flight. Mixing an award leg with a paid leg as two one-ways costs you more miles than a full award itinerary.
Can I add a stopover with an open jaw?: Depends on the program. United allows one stopover on international awards but charges a fee. American eliminated free stopovers in 2016. Some international programs (ANA, Singapore) still permit stopovers on awards and can combine them with open jaws for complex routing. Read your program's stopover policy or call the award desk.
What happens if I miss my return flight because of the surface segment?: Your return flight is forfeit, just like missing any flight. Airlines don't care why you missed it — train delay, car trouble, or poor planning all have the same result. If you're traveling between open jaw cities on the day of your return flight, book the earliest possible ground transport and build in buffer time. Consider insurance if your surface segment involves tight connections.