How to book multi-city flights: 7 easy travel hacks

If you’re a jet-set business traveler with a lengthy and complex itinerary, you could spend hours researching the best deals on one-way airline tickets and booking each flight yourself. And single-ticket flights can be both cost-intensive and challenging to track, especially if you manually manage your connecting flights.

Booking multi-stop flights with a single reservation is far more convenient and economical. Take the stress out of your next business trip by learning how to book multi-city flights.

Benefits of booking multi-city flights

The most significant advantage of a multi-destination fare is that it streamlines the reservation and reimbursement process. You’ll save time and transaction fees by booking flights to each destination on a single reservation that charges your business travel card once. Multi-destination flights also expedite expense reporting, as you’ll only have to save the receipt from one transaction.

In addition to convenience, airlines often offer multi-city flights at cheaper rates than single-destination or round-trip tickets, especially on long-haul flights. Depending on the program, including more than one destination in your itinerary can also help you accrue more loyalty points, which further offsets travel and accommodation costs. 

How to book multi-city flights

Here’s the best way to book multi-city flights:

• Visit your favorite booking tool, such as Engine, Booking.com, or Google Flights.
• Click the ‘multi-city’ option from the top navigation bar.
• Enter your departure airport and first destination, followed by the travel date.
• Repeat until you’ve included every arrival city on your itinerary.
• Don’t forget to book your flight home from your final destination city.
• Review your flight plans and confirm.
• Complete purchase.
• Begin preparations to fly.

7 tips for booking multi-city flights

Consider the following travel hacks to get the most out of your booking.

1. Plan your itinerary in advance

Because multi-city flights are consecutive, finalizing your travel plans before you book tickets is essential—one missed connection can throw off the entire journey. If you’re worried about last-minute changes, delays, or cancellations, consider paying extra for a flexible ticket to avoid headaches.

2. Leverage layovers and stopovers

If you need to spend a short time in a city between two other destinations, see if a layover or stopover is available instead of booking multiple flights. Layovers (less than 24 hours) might give you just enough time to squeeze in a quick meeting or just relax. Stopovers are longer, so you could even meet up with a coworker or properly explore somewhere new.

3. Compare flights

While booking a multi-city itinerary with a single airline is more convenient, you should still research ticket prices once you know your full itinerary. A flight search engine like Engine or Google Flight can save you money and offer more flexibility around dates and layovers. 

4. Book an open-jaw flight

Sometimes, you may not want to return to your original airport for the return flight because you’re expecting another multi-city travel opportunity in the near future. Booking an open-jaw flight rather than a round-trip ticket allows you to fly somewhere else from the last city on your ticket, starting the multi-city flight process again.

5. Be flexible

Building some flexibility into your itinerary lets you take advantage of the cheapest flight tickets. It also allows you to conduct a city search of attractions and plan any non-business-related activities you might want to experience. 

6. Know when to book multi-city and one-way flights

Booking multi-city flights when traveling to several different regions, like North America to Europe, followed by a stop in Australia, will yield the cheapest fares. However, when planning to visit cities within a smaller geographic area, such as Rome, Paris, and Amsterdam, you may find greater airfare savings by booking simple one-way flights between destinations.

7. Protect your baggage

Flying out of several airports on different airlines, with multiple layovers and stopovers, puts you at risk of losing your baggage. Lost luggage can be incredibly expensive if you don't plan on returning home for an extended period. 

Be sure to pack essentials and a change of clothes in your carry-on baggage, and add some Air Tags or other devices to track luggage in case the airline misplaces it.

Plan your multi-city business trip with Engine

While it’s easier than booking several one-way tickets, reserving flights to multiple destinations on a single airfare still requires coordination. Engine is here to help. We’ll take the load off by coordinating all your accommodations and connections according to your itinerary. In addition, we’ll guarantee that you get the cheapest airfare and hotel rate possible while maximizing your loyalty points. 

If plans change, our travel coordinators can manage any adjustments, saving time and getting you back in the sky. 

FAQs

How much in advance should I book a multi-city flight?

To book the cheapest airfares, book your multi-city flight 3–6 months before an international trip, while 1–2 months is adequate for domestic travel. As the date of a flight approaches, ticket prices generally increase. 

What’s the best day to book multi-city flights?

Tuesdays or Wednesdays are generally the best days to buy an airline ticket to multiple destinations. During the middle of the week, flights are less congested, and you may find deals on flights that are at risk of being underbooked.

What’s a budget-friendly airline?

A budget-friendly airline is a no-frills carrier that trades lower prices for fewer amenities, less baggage allowances, and more restricted seat selection options. Some examples of budget-friendly airlines are Sprint, JetBlue, and Eurowings.