The answer is a definitive yes. American Airlines fully supports open-jaw bookings and makes them accessible for both cash and AAdvantage award tickets. This guide will provide a comprehensive overview of what open-jaw flights are, why they are so valuable, and the step-by-step process for booking your own flexible itinerary on American Airlines. For complex itineraries or for those who prefer personalized assistance, you can always contact an American Airlines representative directly at π +1 (888) 727-0767 for help.
Before diving into the "how," let's clarify the "what." An open-jaw flight is a type of airline ticket where the departure city on the return leg is different from the arrival city of the outbound leg, or the arrival city on the return leg is different from the original departure city. The "open" part refers to the gap, or "surface segment," which the traveler covers on their own.
There are three main types of open-jaw itineraries:
Destination Open-Jaw: This is the most common type. You fly from City A to City B, but you return from City C to City A.
Example: You fly from New York (JFK) to London (LHR). You then spend a week traveling through Europe by train or car, ending up in Paris. You then fly home from Paris (CDG) back to New York (JFK). The "open" segment is the travel you arrange yourself between London and Paris.
Origin Open-Jaw: This is the reverse. You fly from City A to City B, but you return from City B to City C.
Example: You fly from Chicago (ORD) to Cancun (CUN) for a vacation. On your return, you fly from Cancun (CUN) to Dallas (DFW), perhaps to visit family on the way back. The "open" segment is the gap between your original departure (Chicago) and your final arrival (Dallas).
Double Open-Jaw: This is the most flexible option, where both the origin and destination are different. You fly from City A to City B, and you return from City C to City D.
Example: You fly from Boston (BOS) to Rome (FCO) to start a Mediterranean cruise. The cruise ends in Barcelona. You then fly from Barcelona (BCN) back to Miami (MIA) to visit friends before heading home.
Understanding these concepts is key to unlocking the full potential of your travel planning. An open-jaw ticket is not two separate one-way tickets; it is a single itinerary, booked under one reservation code, which often provides significant cost and time savings.
Booking an open-jaw flight isn't just a gimmick; it's a strategic choice that offers tangible benefits, especially on a vast network like American Airlines and its oneworld partners.
Unmatched Itinerary Flexibility The primary advantage is freedom. An open-jaw ticket is the perfect tool for multi-city regional tours. Instead of wasting a full day and the cost of a flight backtracking from Paris to London just to catch your flight home, you can spend that time sightseeing and fly home directly from Paris. This is invaluable for:
European Tours: Fly into Dublin, travel by land across the continent, and fly home from Athens.
Cross-Country Road Trips: Fly into Los Angeles, rent a car and drive the iconic Route 66, and fly home from Chicago.
Cruises: Fly into your departure port (e.g., Miami) and fly home from your arrival port (e.g., San Juan).
Significant Time and Cost Efficiency Time is money, especially on vacation. Eliminating the need to return to your original arrival city saves you an entire travel day and the cost of that backtracking flight or train ride. When you compare the price of an open-jaw ticket to two separate, one-way international tickets, the open-jaw itinerary is almost always more cost-effective. International one-way fares can be notoriously expensive, and an open-jaw ticket is typically priced more like a standard round-trip (often by combining half of two different round-trip fares).
Maximizing AAdvantage Award Travel This is a major benefit for points and miles enthusiasts. American Airlines' AAdvantage program prices award tickets as simple one-way segments. This structure is perfectly suited for open-jaw bookings. You can book one-way awards for each leg (e.g., JFK-LHR for 30,000 miles and CDG-JFK for 30,000 miles) and the system simply combines them. There are no complex "stopover" rules to worry about. This allows you to leverage American's extensive network of oneworld partners (like British Airways, Iberia, or Japan Airlines) to craft a truly global open-jaw trip using your miles.
American Airlines makes booking an open-jaw itinerary simple through its website. You don't need to call unless you prefer to. The key is to avoid the default "Round trip" search.
Here is the step-by-step process:
Navigate to the AA.com Homepage: Go to the American Airlines website.
Find the "Advanced / Multi-city" Link: On the flight search form, do not enter your cities in the "From" and "To" fields. Instead, look for the link that says "Advanced / Multi-city search" (it may also just say "Multi-city"). Click it.
Enter Your First Leg: A new search form will appear with fields for "Flight 1," "Flight 2," and so on. In the "Flight 1" row, enter your origin (e.g., New York - JFK), your first destination (e.g., London - LHR), and your departure date.
Enter Your Second Leg (The "Return"): In the "Flight 2" row, enter your new origin (e.g., Paris - CDG), your final destination (e.g., New York - JFK), and your return date.
Add More Legs (Optional): If you are booking a more complex multi-city trip, you can use the "Add another flight" button. An open-jaw is typically just two flights, but the tool is powerful.
Search for Flights: Click the "Search" button. The results page will show you combined itinerary options and the total price for the entire trip. You can then select your preferred outbound and return flights to build your perfect itinerary.
This "Multi-city" tool is the gateway to all non-standard itineraries. It prices the journey as a single ticket, ensuring you get the proper fare construction and baggage rules for your entire trip.
The process for booking an award ticket is nearly identical and just as simple.
Go to AA.com and navigate to the flight search form.
Check the "Redeem miles" Box: This is the most important step.
Select "Advanced / Multi-city search": Just as you would for a cash ticket.
Enter Your Legs: Fill in "Flight 1" (e.g., JFK to LHR) and "Flight 2" (e.g., CDG to JFK) with your desired dates.
Search for Award Space: The results will show you the mileage cost for each leg separately. You can then select the "Economy MileSAAver," "Business MileSAAver," or "Web Special" awards for each flight, and the system will combine them into a single reservation and show you the total miles and taxes required.
This simplicity is a standout feature of the AAdvantage program. Because one-way awards are the standard, you don't pay a mileage penalty for booking an open-jaw. Your JFK-LHR and CDG-JFK trip will cost the exact same number of miles as a standard JFK-LHR-JFK round-trip (assuming the same award availability).
While the online tool is robust, there are times when picking up the phone is the better option. For highly complex itineraries, or for travelers who want expert confirmation, calling American Airlines reservations at π +1 (888) 727-0767 is a highly effective strategy.
You should consider calling if:
Your Itinerary Involves Multiple oneworld Partners: An agent can often "force" connections or see availability on partner airlines (like Qatar, Qantas, or Cathay Pacific) that the website's search algorithm might miss.
You Are "Nesting" Tickets: You are trying to build a very complex trip that the online tool errors out on.
You Can't Find Award Space: An experienced agent can perform a manual search and may be able to find availability you can't see.
You Want to Clarify Rules: If you have questions about baggage allowance, fare rules, or change policies on a complex ticket, speaking to a human is invaluable.
Be aware that American Airlines may charge a phone booking fee for tickets that can be booked online. However, if your itinerary is one that cannot be ticketed on aa.com, this fee is often waived. Many travelers find the small fee well worth the peace of mind and expert assistance.
Before you book, here are a few key points to keep in mind:
Pricing: As mentioned, open-jaw tickets are not priced as two separate one-ways. They are typically priced by combining half of the round-trip fare for each direction. This is usually much cheaper than two one-way tickets, especially for international travel.
Baggage Policies: For a single open-jaw itinerary, your baggage allowance is governed by the fare rules for the entire ticket. For international journeys involving multiple carriers, the U.S. Department of Transportation's "most significant carrier" rule usually applies, meaning the baggage rules of the airline flying the longest or most significant leg of your journey will apply to the whole trip.
Changes and Cancellations: One of the benefits of a single ticket is that changes are more straightforward. If you need to change your return date, you pay one change fee (if applicable to your fare) for the whole ticket. If you had booked two separate one-ways, you would be dealing with two separate reservations, change fees, and potential fare differences.
The Surface Segment: Remember, you are 100% responsible for your travel in the "open" gap. If your train from London to Paris is delayed and you miss your flight from Paris, the airline is not responsible. Always leave plenty of buffer time.
So, can you book an open-jaw flight with American Airlines? Absolutely. It is a fantastic and fully supported feature that empowers travelers to break free from the traditional round-trip model. By allowing you to fly into one city and out of another, American Airlines saves you time, money, and the logistical headache of backtracking.
Whether you are planning an epic multi-country tour, a one-way road trip, or a cruise, the open-jaw itinerary is your most powerful tool. You can easily book your trip online using the "Multi-city" search tool for both cash and AAdvantage miles. And for those truly complex global adventures, a quick call to an American Airlines booking expert at π +1 (888) 727-0767 can help you piece together the journey of a lifetime.
1. Can I book an open-jaw flight on American Airlines? Yes, American Airlines allows you to book open-jaw flights. The easiest way is by using the "Advanced / Multi-city search" option on the aa.com website.
2. Is it cheaper to book an open-jaw flight than two one-way tickets? In almost all cases, yes. For international travel, two separate one-way tickets are often significantly more expensive than an open-jaw itinerary, which is priced more like a standard round-trip.
3. How do I book an AA open-jaw flight online? On the aa.com homepage, click the "Advanced / Multi-city search" link. This will allow you to enter different origin and destination airports for your various flight legs (e.g., Flight 1: DFW-LHR, Flight 2: CDG-DFW).
4. Can I use AAdvantage miles for an open-jaw flight? Yes. The process is the same: use the "Advanced / Multi-city search" tool but make sure you have checked the "Redeem miles" box first. The AAdvantage program prices awards as one-way segments, so an open-jaw trip costs the same number of miles as a standard round-trip.
5. What is a "surface segment"? A surface segment is the "open" part of your open-jaw trip. It's the portion of travel between your arrival city (e.g., London) and your next departure city (e.g., Paris) that you are responsible for arranging yourself (e.g., by train, car, or a separate flight).
6. What is the difference between a destination open-jaw and an origin open-jaw? A destination open-jaw is when you fly from City A to City B, but return from City C to City A. A origin open-jaw is when you fly from City A to City B, but return from City B to City C.
7. Can I book an open-jaw ticket with American's oneworld partners? Yes. You can combine American Airlines flights with flights on partner airlines (like British Airways, Iberia, Japan Airlines, etc.) into a single open-jaw itinerary. This is possible online, but for complex partner bookings, it is often best to call reservations at π +1 (888) 727-0767 .
8. How do baggage fees work on an open-jaw ticket? Your baggage allowance is determined by the fare rules for your entire itinerary. For international trips involving partners, the rules of the "most significant carrier" (usually the one operating the longest flight) will typically apply to all segments.
9. Can I book a "double open-jaw" on American Airlines? Yes. A double open-jaw (e.g., City A to City B, then City C to City D) can be booked using the "Multi-city" search tool by entering your two distinct flight legs.
10. What if I can't find the open-jaw flight I want on aa.com? If the online tool isn't showing your desired route, try being flexible with your dates. If that doesn't work, call American Airlines reservations at π +1 (888) 727-0767 . Agents have access to more advanced search tools and can often manually construct itineraries that the website cannot.