One-Way vs Round-Trip Flights: What's the Difference?

With a round-trip flight, your ticket includes both your outward and return journey, whereas on a one-way flight, you’re only buying the outward flight. Learn:

• The basics between round-trip and one-way flights
• The pros and cons
• Booking tips for one-way and round-trip flights

What’s the difference between round trip and one way? And why would you book one way vs a round trip? Between dates, times, baggage allowances, different airlines and routes, when you’re trying to get the best deal, booking flights can be a little confusing.

Before booking, it’s important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of a round trip flight and explore whether one-way could work better for you. Here’s everything you need to know about round trip vs one way.

Understanding the basics

Let’s start with the basics. What is a one way flight? What does round trip mean? And how exactly do they differ?

What is a round-trip flight?

A round-trip flighttypically includes two journeys. The first flight takes you from your departure location to your destination. The second returns you back to your original destination – usually via the same route. A round-trip can involve more than two flights if there are stops en route.

What is a one-way flight?

A one-way flight is a fare that takes you from destination A to destination B – but not back to point A again. In other words, there’s no return ticket included.

Can I book two one-way flights instead of a round-trip?

Yes, you can buy two one-way flights instead of a round-trip, with the same airline or a different one. On domestic routes, you’ll have no issue booking two one-way flights instead of a round-trip.

You need to be a bit more careful with international flights – some countries require you to show them your departure ticket when you arrive, for visa reasons. But as long as you make sure you’ve booked your return or onward flight before arriving, booking two one-way flights shouldn’t be a problem.

Round-trip vs one-way flights: comparing costs

Many factors influence the price of plane fares, including operating costs, fuel prices, the day and time you book your flight, customer demand, competition from other airlines and seat inventory management (controlling the number of seats available in each class). Whether you fly economy, economy plus, business or first class will of course change the price of your ticket too.

However, whether you decide to book a one-way ticket or a round-trip influences the price of your fare. Here’s how:

Factors influencing the cost of round-trip flights

So, are round flight trips cheaper? Well, if you’re taking a domestic flight in the US, two one-way flights often cost roughly the same as a return fare.

However, international round-trip flights are usually—but not always—cheaper than one-way fares. This is because making return tickets cheaper encourages passengers to travel with one airline throughout their whole journey.

When one-way flights might be more affordable

There are a number of exceptions to this rule. In some instances, one-way flights are the cheaper option. When multiple airlines are competing on one route, for example, you might find one-way tickets come down in price.

Sometimes you’ll find different airlines offer better deals in certain directions! For example, imagine you’re flying from New York to Madrid and then back. It might be cheaper to fly to Madrid with a US airline, but return with a European carrier. In this case, it makes sense to buy two one-way tickets with different airlines.

Traveling last-minute? Sometimes you’ll be able to find discounted one-way tickets as flights get closer.

If your itinerary isn’t a straightforward return from destination A to destination B and back again, a one-way fare could be the cheaper option. If you’re flying into one city and leaving from another, booking two one-way flights is sometimes cheaper than opting for an open-jaw fare.

For example, say you’re flying into Milan, Italy, but leaving from Rome. In this case, you could opt for a round-trip open-jaw ticket, which allows you to leave from a different airport than the one you landed at.

What about if your travel includes multiple legs? Multi-city flights incorporate several destinations in one round-trip flight. Perhaps you’re doing a tour of South East Asia, for example and want to fly from Los Angeles and stop in Bangkok, Siem Reap, Ho Chi Minh and Bali before returning to Los Angeles. In this case, you could book a round trip that incorporates all of these flights. However, this might not be the cheapest option – you might be able to save money by booking one-way flights instead. Use Booking.com’s flight search tool to compare prices and get the best deal.

Flexibility and convenience

Cost isn’t the only factor you need to take into account when deciding between booking round trip vs one way flights. It’s important to also consider how flexible and convenient you want your trip to be.

The flexibility of one-way flights

A high level of flexibility is perhaps the biggest advantage of one-way flights. Maybe you’re backpacking and want extra time to get off the beaten track a little or perhaps you’re enjoying your vacation so much you want another week in paradise.

For travelers with uncertain schedules—and want flexibility for more adventure and exploration—one-way flights are often a much better option. As long as you’re not entering a country that requires you to present a departure ticket on arrival, you can book your return flight whenever suits you. Or choose a flexible one-way ticket that allows you to move the time and date.

Convenience of round-trip flights

Perhaps you’re more of a planner? Round trips are much more convenient – you know exactly where you’re going to be and when. This allows you to book accommodation, reserve restaurant tables and plan your itinerary in advance.

It’s also a bit safer price-wise. If you fly to a different state or country with no return ticket in your pocket, prices could rocket as flights get full up. Sometimes it’s cheaper to buy plane tickets last minute, but this is only the case when there’s not much demand.

Booking tips for one-way and round-trip flights

There are a few golden rules to help keep the cost down when booking any flight:

1. Use flexible flight comparison tools and search engines: flight comparison tools like Booking.com’s flight search engine are the best place to start. Use filters to compare one-way and return flights to find the best option for you.
2. Be flexible: the best way to keep flight costs down is to have some flexibility around the times and dates of your journey, as well as your departure and arrival airports and layovers. Use flexible flight comparison tools to see which combination of times, dates, airports and layovers give you the cheapest fare.
3. Travel off-peak: flying on less popular travel days and at unsociable times helps secure the best deals. This generally means avoiding peak season at your destination, flying mid-week and traveling overnight.
4. Set up price alerts: set up price alerts for one-way and round-trip tickets so you never miss a bargain.
5. Book on Black Friday and Cyber Monday: With many airlines offering cheap tickets on sale days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, use flight comparison tools to find the very best bargain.
6. Use miles, points and credit card offers: many frequent flier programs allow you to book one-way flights as well as round trips. If you have airline miles, check your redemption options. Got a travel credit card? You might receive a bonus or discount for buying tickets for certain flights – check your terms and conditions to find out.
7. Book at the right time: it’s not an exact science, but if you book your plane tickets at the right time, you could get a better deal. For international flights, it’s generally better booking sooner rather than later – ideally at least two months in advance. When it comes to domestic flights, you can leave it a little longer, but make sure to still book your flight at least one month ahead of departure. Does this mean last-minute deals no longer exist? No – sometimes you’ll bag a bargain just a few days before your flight. But this is a risky strategy as often prices will also rocket when demand is high.
8. Travel light: baggage can be expensive, especially on short-haul trips. Squeeze everything you need into your cabin bag to save a significant amount of money.