One-way, return and multi-city trips

The trip type you choose changes which flights you see and how they are priced. This article explains the three options and what happens with each.

Return trips

A return trip takes you out and back between the same two places. You pick a departure date and a return date, and results show the price per adult, return.

On results pages, the nearby dates strip keeps your trip length the same when you move the departure day, so you can compare like with like.

One-way trips

A one-way trip has only a departure date, and prices show per adult, one way. In the date picker, you can also switch to one way with the option for no return.

Two one-ways or one return?

On some routes, two one-way tickets cost about the same as a return, and they give you more freedom to mix airlines and times. On others, a return is clearly cheaper. It is worth comparing both. If you book two separate tickets, remember that each one is its own booking: if the first flight is delayed, the second airline doesn’t have to help.

Multi-city trips

A multi-city trip has several flights, for example from one city to a second, then on to a third, and home from there. These trips are built on our partner’s site, which supports several flights in one booking.

How it works

1. In the search box, choose Multi-city. A short note explains what happens next.
2. Fill in your first flight: From, To, date, travelers and cabin.
3. Press Search. We open the partner’s site with your first flight filled in.
4. On the partner’s site, add the rest of your flights and search.
5. Compare the options there and book with the partner.

Because the rest of the trip is built on the partner’s site, multi-city searches don’t appear with our filters, price calendar or nearby dates, and they can’t be saved as a search on Cheaplyfly.

Which should you choose?

• If you are going and coming back between the same two places, start with Return, then compare with two one-ways.
• If you fly into one city and out of another, use Multi-city. It is often simpler and safer than separate tickets.
• If you don’t know your return date yet, a one-way may suit you, but check the price of a flexible return too.
• If your plan has several stops on your own, think about connection times and what happens if one flight is late.

Price alerts and trip types

Price alerts work for return and one-way trips. For a multi-city trip, you can set an alert for each leg separately to see when parts of the trip get cheaper.

Our guide one-way, round-trip or multi-city compares the costs in more detail, and self-transfer flights explains the risks of joining separate tickets.

Still stuck? Contact us with the route, dates and what you saw, and we will help.