Open-jaw Ticket
A flight plan that lands you in one city and brings you home from another, saving a day of backtracking.
An open-jaw ticket flies you into one city and home from a different one. For Vietnam, a common pattern is landing in Hanoi and flying home from Ho Chi Minh City. It saves you from travelling back north to catch the return flight.
How will you meet it on the trip?
You will see it in flight search tools as “multi-city” or “open jaw”. Kuala Lumpur to Hanoi is listed as served by AirAsia, Batik Air Malaysia, Malaysia Airlines and VietJet Air1.
Ho Chi Minh City to Kuala Lumpur is listed with Malaysia Airlines, VietJet Air, Vietnam Airlines and AirAsia2. Schedules change, so check each airline before you buy.
What is the tip?
Compare the open-jaw fare with a plain return for your exact dates, then check the fare rules for each leg. See which arrival city fits your trip and the direct routes from Malaysia. The guide to changing or cancelling flights lists what to confirm.
Which related terms will you see?
- Return ticket: out and back through the same city.
- Multi-city: a search type that lets you pick different cities for in and out.
- Domestic leg: a flight inside Vietnam, compared in sleeper bus, train or flight.
More guidance sits in Food and daily travel.
If you are weighing a north-to-south route against a return to the same city, tell us your leave dates and we can help you see which flight pattern leaves more time for sightseeing.
Common questions
Is an open-jaw ticket more expensive than a return?
Sometimes it is close to the same, and sometimes it costs more. Prices change by date and airline, so compare an open-jaw search against a plain return for your exact dates. The saving can be in time, because you skip a day of backtracking.
Which two Vietnamese cities suit an open-jaw trip?
Hanoi in and Ho Chi Minh City out, or the reverse, suits a route that runs the length of the country. Both are listed with direct links to Kuala Lumpur on four airlines each. Da Nang can also be an entry or exit point for a central route.
What should I check before buying?
Check baggage rules, change fees and refund terms for each leg, and whether the two legs are on one booking. Then plan your inland travel between the two cities. A cheap flight loses its value if the connecting days do not fit your leave.
Sources
- Kuala Lumpur International to Hanoi Noi Bai is listed as served by AirAsia, Batik Air Malaysia, Malaysia Airlines and VietJet Air. Wikipedia. Wikipedia destination table; check airline sites for current schedules.
- Ho Chi Minh City Tan Son Nhat to Kuala Lumpur is listed as served by Malaysia Airlines, VietJet Air, Vietnam Airlines and AirAsia. Wikipedia
Keep planning
If you are weighing a north-to-south route against a return to the same city, tell us your leave dates and we can help you see which flight pattern leaves more time for sightseeing.