Last refreshed: 2 July 2026
When holiday time is precious, retracing your steps to connect with a flight home can feel like a waste of valuable time. Flying into one city and home from another — an “Open Jaw” fare — can save you time, money and airport taxes.
For many Fine Travel clients who take advantage of UK / Europe Business Class specials to spend time with family, a return flight from London Heathrow makes good sense. But often European travel becomes much more than this.
What is an “Open Jaw” flight?
I’ll admit upfront, the term “Open Jaw” is a bit of travel agent technical speak — but it nicely captures the longer explanation of “flying in to one city and flying home from another”.
Historically, booking an Open Jaw flight was a challenge. Airlines often charged more for two one-way tickets than they did for a return, and you had to find an airline with a network comprehensive enough to serve both cities. Today the airlines we work with for the UK and Europe generally price Open Jaw itineraries sensibly — and their extensive European networks make the option practical for most plans.
When would I need an Open Jaw flight?
Cruise holidays and group tours are common elements of an itinerary that call for an Open Jaw Business Class airfare. Imagine you have this travel in mind:
London first. You have a daughter in London who is celebrating a “significant birthday” this year — and you want to see the grandkids.
Then Champagne. You’ve been reading about the Champagne region of France and decided that a tour of the Moët & Chandon cellars has to be done.
Finish in the Mediterranean. Inspired by the thought of fine cuisine, you remember a friend raving about the food onboard an Oceania Cruises Mediterranean voyage from Barcelona, and you choose one that finishes in Italy.
Once you disembark in Rome (and spend some time sightseeing), travelling from Rome back to Heathrow Airport to meet your flight home isn’t going to be a great use of time — even if the grandkids are there. And the transport from Rome to Heathrow adds cost to the trip.
This is where an Open Jaw airfare comes into play. By mapping out the full itinerary with your Fine Travel Consultant, you can save time and money by — in this example — booking an Open Jaw flight into Heathrow and out of Rome.
Does an Open Jaw fare affect airport taxes?
It can — in your favour. Depending on the European city you depart from, you can reduce the cost of your Business Class airfare by flying out of an airport other than London Heathrow. For example, planning your itinerary so that you fly into London (to visit family and friends) and then fly home out of Paris or Amsterdam can reduce the departure taxes that apply to your ticket.
Taxes are one lever; the other is booking-class availability, which we explain in Plan Ahead for Discounted Business Class Flights to the UK & Europe. Together they’re why two itineraries to the same part of the world can carry quite different prices.
How do I book an Open Jaw flight?
Talk to us before your plans are locked in. Your Fine Travel Consultant will search for the Business Class airfare and airline combination that best matches the itinerary you’re planning — the right cities, the right dates, and the discounted booking classes to go with them. You’ll find the current fares on our UK & Europe Business Class page.
Fly Business Class with Fine Travel
Into one city, home from another
Tell us the shape of your trip — the cities, the cruise, the family stops — and we’ll build the Open Jaw Business Class fare that fits it.
