Multi-City Flight Tickets from India: Open-Jaw, Stopover and When They Save Money
Published · 10 min read
Open-jaw routing, why it sometimes saves money, MakeMyTrip vs airline-direct multi-city, and the 4 itineraries where Indians get the biggest wins.
What this article covers
What multi-city and open-jaw actually mean
When multi-city saves money vs costs more
Four Indian itineraries where multi-city wins big
How to search multi-city — tool by tool
Stopover programmes worth knowing
Practical rules for multi-city tickets
When to NOT use multi-city
Frequently asked questions
Is a multi-city flight ticket cheaper than two separate round-trip tickets?
Often by ₹3,000-₹10,000 per person, but not always. Multi-city wins when both destinations are on the same airline's network and treated as one international fare. It loses when intra-region LCC fares (AirAsia, Vietjet) are very cheap and would be better as separate bookings. Always run both options through Google Flights or FlightGPT before deciding — the comparison takes a minute.
What is an open-jaw flight ticket?
An open-jaw is a multi-city ticket where you fly into one city and depart from a different one, with overland travel between them. Example: Delhi to Paris outbound, Rome to Delhi return, with a train ride from Paris to Rome. The savings come from avoiding the cost of flying back to your entry city. It is the standard way to do multi-stop Europe or Southeast Asia from India.
Can I book multi-city tickets on MakeMyTrip?
Yes, MakeMyTrip, Cleartrip, EaseMyTrip and ixigo all support multi-city booking with up to 6 segments. MakeMyTrip's UI is the cleanest. The convenience fee is charged once per booking, not per segment, so a multi-city ticket has lower combined fees than booking three separate one-ways. Always cross-check the same routing on the airline website — sometimes airline-direct multi-city is loaded differently and cheaper.
What is the Emirates Dubai Stopover programme?
Emirates Dubai Stopover lets passengers connecting through Dubai on an Emirates ticket extend their layover into a 1-4 night Dubai stay with discounted hotel rates (often 30-50% off rack rate), free transit visa, and pre-booked transfers. For Indian travellers connecting to Europe or the US via Dubai, this adds an effective ₹15,000-₹25,000 of value for a 2-night addition. Book through the Emirates website at the time of ticket purchase.
Do I need a separate visa for each city in a multi-city ticket?
Yes, for each country you enter (not just transit). A Delhi-Paris-Rome multi-city needs a Schengen visa (covers both Paris and Rome since both are Schengen). A Delhi-Bangkok-Singapore multi-city needs both Thailand and Singapore visas (visa-on-arrival options exist for both). Transit-only stops without leaving the airport usually do not require a visa, but some countries (UK, US, China, Australia) require transit visas even for airside connections — always check.
Are multi-city tickets refundable?
Refund policy depends on the fare type, not the multi-city structure. Most international economy fares are partially refundable with a cancellation fee of USD 100-300 per ticket. Refundable / flexible fares cost more upfront but allow full refund or changes. Read the fare rules at booking — multi-city tickets refunded entirely refund all legs, while partial refunds (just one leg) are typically not allowed and require re-issuance at the new fare.
Can I add a stopover to an existing booking?
Generally no — stopovers must be built into the original ticket at the time of booking. Adding a stopover after booking requires re-issuing the ticket, which usually attracts a change fee plus fare difference. Plan stopovers up front. Emirates, Turkish, Qatar, Etihad and Icelandair all have stopover programmes you can opt into during the booking flow.