Multi-City Flight Tickets from India: Open-Jaw Explained

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Multi-City Flight Tickets from India: Open-Jaw, Stopover and When They Save Money

By Vihaan Patel (Vihaan Patel covers the intersection of travel and digital payments — Indian OTAs, airline-direct booking flows, UPI vs credit-card surcharges, RBI tokenisation rules and the booking-funnel mechanics that quietly cost (or save) you money.) · Published 2026-04-14 · 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 multi-city and open-jaw actually mean

The terms get used loosely. A clear definition first:

Multi-city ticket: a single booking with 2+ flight segments that are NOT a simple round-trip. Example: Delhi to Bangkok, Bangkok to Phuket, Phuket to Delhi. Three segments, one ticket, one PNR.
Open-jaw: a specific type of multi-city where you fly into one city and depart from a different one, with overland travel in between. Example: Delhi to Paris, Rome to Delhi (with you taking the train from Paris to Rome). Two flight segments, but the journey is a single trip.
Stopover: when one of your "connections" is intentionally extended into a multi-day visit. Example: Delhi to London with a 4-day stopover in Dubai on the outbound. Built into a single ticket by some airlines as a perk (Emirates Stopover, Turkish Stopover, Icelandair Stopover).

All three are forms of multi-city booking. They save money for Indians on specific trip patterns — but cost more on others. Knowing which is which is the difference between using multi-city smartly and overpaying.

When multi-city saves money vs costs more

Saves money when:

The two destinations are on the same airline's network. Delhi-Bangkok-Singapore-Delhi on Singapore Airlines or Thai is often ₹3,000-₹8,000 cheaper than separate round-trips because the airline treats it as one international itinerary with one tax structure.
Open-jaw saves the internal return-flight cost. Delhi-Paris + Rome-Delhi (with train Paris-Rome) saves you the Paris-Delhi return that you would otherwise need.
You are using miles. Most frequent flyer programmes allow stopovers free or for nominal miles on a single award ticket, opening combinations that would cost 2x in cash.

Costs more when:

The destinations are on different airlines with no codeshare. Multi-city across, say, IndiGo + Etihad ends up being two separate tickets anyway.
Internal LCC fares are very cheap. If Bangkok-Phuket on AirAsia is ₹2,500, separate Delhi-Bangkok return + Bangkok-Phuket return on AirAsia often beats a multi-city through one full-service carrier.
Date flexibility is asymmetric. If your outbound is fixed but inbound is flexible, two separate one-ways may price better than a fixed-date multi-city.

Run both options. On Google Flights or FlightGPT, the multi-city search takes 30 seconds and is always worth comparing.

Four Indian itineraries where multi-city wins big

1. Bangkok + Phuket (5-7 day trip)

Delhi-Bangkok-Phuket-Delhi as multi-city on Thai Airways or Singapore Airlines (via SIN) typically saves ₹3,000-₹8,000 vs Delhi-Bangkok return + Bangkok-Phuket return separately. See Bangkok and Phuket guides.

2. Europe open-jaw (10-14 day trip)

Delhi-Paris + Rome-Delhi (with Eurostar/TGV in between) booked as multi-city, often on Air France or via combined Air France/ITA codeshare, saves ₹4,000-₹10,000 vs round-trips. Adds Italy without doubling flight cost.

3. Dubai stopover before US/Europe (12-18 day trip)

Delhi-Dubai (4 nights) + Dubai-New York on Emirates booked as one ticket with the Emirates Stopover programme. Cost: minimal (hotel + stopover fee). Saves vs separate Dubai trip + separate US trip.

4. Istanbul + onward Europe (10-14 day trip)

Delhi-Istanbul (3 nights stopover) + Istanbul-Athens or Istanbul-Rome on Turkish Airlines as multi-city. Turkish's stopover programme often includes free hotel for the layover night.

5. Multi-Southeast Asia (7-10 day trip)

Delhi-Bangkok + Bangkok-Bali + Bali-Delhi on Singapore Airlines or AirAsia (multi-city) often beats three separate bookings by ₹4,000-₹8,000.

How to search multi-city — tool by tool

Google Flights

Click "Trip type" -> "Multi-city". Add each leg with its specific dates. Up to 7 segments. Strong for discovery; sometimes lags airline-direct pricing because not all airlines feed multi-city fares to the GDS.

Skyscanner

"Trip type" -> "Multi-city". Slightly clunkier UI. Good coverage of LCCs in the search results — useful for Southeast Asia chains involving AirAsia, Vietjet, Scoot.

FlightGPT

Type natural language: "Delhi to Bangkok 10 Sep, then Bangkok to Phuket 14 Sep, return Phuket to Delhi 18 Sep". The AI runs the multi-city search and compares with separate round-trips, telling you which is cheaper.

MakeMyTrip / Cleartrip / EaseMyTrip

All support multi-city booking. MakeMyTrip's UI is the cleanest. Watch for the convenience fee being charged per booking (multi-city ticket = one booking = one fee, not three).

Airline websites

Emirates, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways all have strong multi-city booking UIs. Often have multi-city fares not surfaced by the OTAs. Always cross-check.

Stopover programmes worth knowing

Several airlines actively encourage stopover bookings — built into one ticket, often with free hotel and city tours. Indian-relevant programmes:

Emirates Stopover (Dubai): 1-4 night Dubai stopover with discounted hotel and free transit visa. Available on Emirates tickets through Dubai to onward destinations. Adds an effective ₹15,000-₹25,000 of value for a 2-night addition.
Turkish Stopover (Istanbul): free hotel night for Turkish Airlines connecting passengers with 20+ hour layovers. Free city tours for 6-12 hour layovers.
Qatar Airways Doha Stopover: hotel from USD 14/night for connecting passengers. Free transit visa.
Etihad Abu Dhabi Stopover: 1-4 night stopover with discounted hotels.
Icelandair Reykjavik Stopover: up to 7 days in Iceland between India and US/Europe destinations, at no additional fare cost.
Singapore Airlines KrisVoyager Stopover: Singapore at discounted rates for transit passengers.

Stopover programmes are the single best way to turn a long-haul trip into a two-destination trip with minimal added cost.

Practical rules for multi-city tickets

One ticket = one PNR. If your first leg is cancelled or delayed and you miss your second leg, the airline is liable to rebook you. With separate tickets, you are on your own.
Internal legs must fit visa rules. A Delhi-Bangkok-Phuket multi-city assumes you have valid Thai entry; Delhi-Paris-Rome assumes Schengen visa covers both stops.
Mileage earning is often per segment. Three segments on Singapore Airlines = three mileage credits.
Changes are more complex. Changing one leg of a multi-city often forces re-pricing of the whole ticket. Be sure of dates before booking.
Visa stamping for transit cities matters. Schengen ATV (Airport Transit Visa) may be required for some Indian passport holders transiting through certain countries (rare, but exists).

When to NOT use multi-city

Multi-city is not always the right choice. Skip it when:

Your itinerary has only one destination. Obvious, but worth saying.
The internal LCC fares are very low. A separate ₹2,500 AirAsia ticket inside Southeast Asia often beats a more expensive multi-city through one full-service carrier.
One leg requires high date flexibility. Multi-city forces fixed dates on all legs; if one date is in flux, two separate bookings give more freedom.
The change-fee policy differs. Some airline multi-city tickets have stricter change rules than separate one-ways.

For Europe trips specifically, always also compare round-trip-plus-train. A round-trip Delhi-Paris + Paris-Rome TGV-Paris-Delhi sometimes beats the open-jaw, especially in winter when train fares are low. See our Europe summer itinerary for working comparisons.

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.