Rumor has it that two one-way flights are more expensive than their round-trip counterpart. But are round-trip flights cheaper, or is that just an urban legend?
I have analyzed KAYAK data to help you understand which flights are the best value and how to find them, whether you are going for a round-trip ticket or two one-way flights.
In this article
- What is a round-trip flight?
- What is a one-way flight?
- Which is cheaper: round-trip vs. one-way flights
- Things to consider
What is a round-trip flight?
A round-trip flight is a single-ticket booking that gets you to your destination and back home.
What is a one-way flight?
A one-way, as the name implies, will only get you one way. To get home, you need to buy another one-way ticket.
How much is a round-trip vs. a one-way flight?
It is generally believed that buying two one-way tickets is more expensive than buying a round-trip ticket. We looked at the five most popular one-way and round-trip flights for both domestic and international routes on KAYAK to see if that’s true.
My tests show that whether you book a round-trip vs. one-way flights rarely makes a big price difference when flying domestically. It can, however, make a difference when traveling internationally.
Note all prices mentioned in this article were checked and compared on June 30, 2026 for flights from Sep 6 – 13, 2026.
Round-trip vs. one-way: Domestic flights.
To test this theory on domestic routes, I looked at the top domestic routes and compared the cheapest return tickets against the cheapest pair of one-way tickets. Overall, the prices are very similar, so save yourself the hassle and book a return ticket.
| Route | Total for 2 one-way tickets | Total for a return ticket |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco to New York | $364 | $363 |
| LA to Honolulu | $332 | $331 |
Table showing a sample of prices on tested routes.
Want to fly from Boston to Orlando? It doesn’t matter whether you book a round-trip with Frontier or two one-way tickets – it will cost you about $218 total. The same goes when booking from San Francisco to Las Vegas, or from LA to Honolulu on United.
From my experience, this is also the case when traveling within Europe or Asia, too, especially if you use a low-cost carrier.
Round-trip vs. one-way: International flights.
Using the same method for international flights, I found that booking a round-trip flight is generally the cheapest option. That said, as the New York-London example below shows, the more expensive option could save you time and potentially money on airport shopping.
| Route | Total for 2 one-way tickets | Total for a return ticket |
|---|---|---|
| LA to Tokyo, Japan | $879 | $896 |
| New York to London, England | $637 | $518 |
Table showing a sample of prices on tested routes.
Heading from New York to London in September? The cheapest option according to our KAYAK data is a return ticket from Newark to Stansted with Air Canada and Ryanair. While this ticket is only $518, each way takes longer than 20 hours and has two stops.
If you decide on two one-way tickets, you’ll pay a total of $637. Quite a bit more, however, your flight from JFK to Heathrow has only one stop, and on the way back from London Gatwick to JFK, Norse Atlantic offers a direct connection.
For those looking to pay the smallest amount, the round-trip ticket is the better option. If you want a faster, more convenient connection, the more expensive two one-way tickets are the way to go. Whether the $119 price difference is worth it is up to you to decide.
Sometimes booking two one-way flights isn’t about the cheapest option, but about treating myself. I usually can’t afford business-class flights, but if I find a great one-way offer, I might splurge so I can get to my destination refreshed. And I am happy to take regular economy on the way back.
Tools to help you find the best flight.
Is a round trip or two one-way flights are cheaper?
The best way to find out for your next trip is to search both and compare. However, this is sometimes easier said than done, especially if you might have to consider different airports, baggage allowances and other inclusions.
Often, even changing your travel dates by a day or two can have a huge impact. So just adding up the fares can be tedious at best and incorrect at worst. KAYAK, however, offers two clever tools that will do the work for you:
Ask AI
Ask AI is especially handy if you need to compare fares for more intricate searches, like determining whether one return flight or two one-way flights is cheaper. Pop your question into the Ask AI chat box on the right side of your flight search and let it do the work for you. For example:
“Compare flight prices of a return flight from NYC to BKK with two one-way flights in September. Maximum one stop over.”
Ask AI will present the best options to you, simply pick the best option and click through to book.
Hacker Fares
Hacker Fares combine one-way flight pairings when they are actually the cheaper option. Because, yes, sometimes two one-way flights are less than a round trip.
However, since airline tickets are combined, they are usually a bit trickier to find. Hacker Fares does the trick for you. If a Hacker Fare is available on your route and will save you money, it will be clearly labeled as such.
Price Alerts.
Ticket costs are constantly changing. Honestly, sometimes it is not easy to keep up. To save some time and effort, set a KAYAK Price Alert. If prices drop, you’ll get a notification.
What to keep in mind if you book two one-way tickets.
If you opt for two one-way tickets, here are a few things to consider.
- Check if both of your tickets have the same luggage allowance. And if you are flying different airlines, are the carry on dimensions the same?
- You will need to manage two different bookings, including seat and meal selection, personal information and check-in. Not a big deal, but something to keep in mind.
- If you are a frequent flyer, you may lose out on miles if you are not flying with the same airline.
- Double-check the arrival and departure airports, as they may differ when booking two one-ways.
- Many countries require proof of return or onward travel. When flying with a one-way ticket, make sure to have your return ticket with you. You may have to show it at check-in and when going through immigration at your destination country.
I regularly fly one-way with Air Asia. Their luggage allowance and prices not only vary by distance but also when flying Thai AirAsia vs. AirAsia Indonesia.
As you can see, yes, the rumors are true, and round-trip tickets are usually less expensive than two one-way tickets. However, the difference can be quite small. And it always pays off to not just compare prices, but also travel times, number of stops and inclusions. This way, you can choose not just the cheapest flight, but also the best and most convenient one for you.
