What is a one way flight?

A one-way flight is a type of ticket that allows you to travel from your departure airport to your destination without including a return trip. Unlike round-trip tickets, which cover both the outbound and return flights in a single booking, a one-way flight focuses solely on getting you to your destination. If you want to be flexible on when you return or simply intend to stay in your destination, then a one-way ticket is more cost-effective than a return.

Is it cheaper to buy a one way or round trip ticket?

Generally, whether buying one-way or round trip airfare is cheaper depends on several factors, such as your destination, which airline you’re flying with and when you purchase the tickets. It used to be that a round-trip purchase was the standard, but with budget airlines and increased competition, that is not always the case now. For domestic flights or short-haul trips, one-way tickets can often provide better deals, especially if you're booking with low-cost carriers. On the other hand, for international or long-haul flights, round-trip tickets are still usually more economical. One method that you can potentially get cheaper deals by booking two one-way tickets is by booking those tickets with two different airlines - commonly known as a "hacker fare".

Which airlines offer one way tickets?

Almost all airlines will offer one-way tickets, especially the budget airlines that fly shorter routes. Among KAYAK users, the most popular airlines for one-way tickets are American Airlines and United Airlines, with 19% and 18% of bookings being for one-way airfare. One thing to bear in mind is that some destinations with stricter visa rules may require proof of onward travel and that this often falls on the airline to verify. That means that whilst your airline of choice does offer one-way tickets, you should be aware that, depending on your destination, proof of onward travel may be required, especially for international destinations.

What are the cheapest domestic destinations for one-way airfare?

Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest domestic destinations to fly one-way in the last 2 weeks were DuBois, Pennsylvania from Pittsburgh at $19; Salt Lake City from Las Vegas at $23; and Orlando from Greenville at $24.

What are the cheapest international destinations to fly to one-way?

It is possible to get cheap tickets one-way to international destinations too. KAYAK data shows that the cheapest international destinations booked on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks were from Ontario to Morelia at $42; San Antonio to San Luis Potosí at $44, and Houston to Morelia at $44.

Cheap One-Way Flights

Flight Deals

Latest Cheap One-Way Tickets

Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

New York

Orlando

Los Angeles

Las Vegas

London

Chicago

All Flight Deals

Cheap One-Way Flights to New York

Thu, May 7

4:24 pm - 11:14 pm

DFW

LGA

5h 50m

1 stop

$69Frontier

Mon, May 4

8:34 pm - 5:48 pm

DFW

LGA

20h 14m

1 stop

$70Frontier

Tue, May 12

12:02 pm - 11:17 pm

DFW

LGA

10h 15m

1 stop

$71Spirit Airlines

Wed, May 20

3:17 pm - 7:47 pm

DFW

LGA

3h 30mnonstop

$72Spirit Airlines

Wed, May 6

3:17 pm - 7:47 pm

DFW

LGA

3h 30mnonstop

$73Spirit Airlines

Wed, Jun 24

10:05 am - 1:30 pm

ORD

JFK

2h 25mnonstop

$89Delta

Tue, Jun 16

4:33 pm - 8:04 pm

ORD

JFK

2h 31mnonstop

$91American Airlines

Wed, May 27

9:00 pm - 5:18 am

LAX

EWR

5h 18mnonstop

$134United Airlines

Sun, May 24

5:35 am - 3:58 pm

LAX

LGA

7h 23m

1 stop

$144Delta

Mon, Jul 6

12:50 am - 11:17 am

SFO

LGA

7h 27m

1 stop

$150United Airlines

Useful Info

What is a one way flight?
A one-way flight is a type of ticket that allows you to travel from your departure airport to your destination without including a return trip. Unlike round-trip tickets, which cover both the outbound and return flights in a single booking, a one-way flight focuses solely on getting you to your destination. If you want to be flexible on when you return or simply intend to stay in your destination, then a one-way ticket is more cost-effective than a return.
Is it cheaper to buy a one way or round trip ticket?
Generally, whether buying one-way or round trip airfare is cheaper depends on several factors, such as your destination, which airline you’re flying with and when you purchase the tickets. It used to be that a round-trip purchase was the standard, but with budget airlines and increased competition, that is not always the case now. For domestic flights or short-haul trips, one-way tickets can often provide better deals, especially if you're booking with low-cost carriers. On the other hand, for international or long-haul flights, round-trip tickets are still usually more economical. One method that you can potentially get cheaper deals by booking two one-way tickets is by booking those tickets with two different airlines - commonly known as a "hacker fare".
Which airlines offer one way tickets?
Almost all airlines will offer one-way tickets, especially the budget airlines that fly shorter routes. Among KAYAK users, the most popular airlines for one-way tickets are American Airlines and United Airlines, with 19% and 18% of bookings being for one-way airfare. One thing to bear in mind is that some destinations with stricter visa rules may require proof of onward travel and that this often falls on the airline to verify. That means that whilst your airline of choice does offer one-way tickets, you should be aware that, depending on your destination, proof of onward travel may be required, especially for international destinations.
What are the cheapest domestic destinations for one-way airfare?
Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest domestic destinations to fly one-way in the last 2 weeks were DuBois, Pennsylvania from Pittsburgh at $19; Salt Lake City from Las Vegas at $23; and Orlando from Greenville at $24.
What are the cheapest international destinations to fly to one-way?
It is possible to get cheap tickets one-way to international destinations too. KAYAK data shows that the cheapest international destinations booked on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks were from Ontario to Morelia at $42; San Antonio to San Luis Potosí at $44, and Houston to Morelia at $44.

If you’re planning to just fly one-way, check for deals with American Airlines and United Airlines, who KAYAK users booked the most with for one-way tickets.
Book your one-way flight at least 1 week before departure in order to get a below-average price.
If you’re looking for the cheapest month then one-way flights are at their cheapest in September.
Which day you depart can also make a difference when looking for the cheapest one-way tickets. Based on all one-way bookings made on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks, the cheapest day to fly was Tuesday.