How to Find Cheap One-Way Flights in the USA

Not so long ago, a one-way ticket on a major airline could cost nearly as much as a round trip, and booking a return was the only way to get a reasonable price. That has changed. Most US airlines now price one-way fares on most domestic routes at around half of a return or less, and budget carriers have always priced each direction separately.

This opens up options. You can fly out on one airline and return on another, leave from one airport and come back to another, or travel in one direction only. If you search only for round trips, you may be missing the cheapest combination.

The obvious cases are trips with no fixed return, such as moving to a new city, starting college, taking a job or doing a long road trip. One-way fares also help if your plans in each direction are different, for example if you drive home or take a train.

They also help when the best outbound flight and the best return flight are on different airlines, which is common on competitive routes. A pair of one-way tickets, each from the cheapest airline for that day, often undercuts a single return by a good margin.

The biggest savings are on routes with lots of airlines and flights: New York to Florida, Los Angeles to Las Vegas, Chicago to New York, Atlanta to Orlando, Boston to Washington and similar short and medium routes. More competition means more fare variation.

On routes served by a single airline, one-way pricing is less useful, and a round trip may be just as cheap. Check both before deciding, and remember that a hub carrier that dominates a city may price both ways much the same.

Use a flight search engine's multi-city or one-way mode, and look at a calendar view for each direction separately. Check nearby airports, since a one-way flight from a smaller airport can be much cheaper, and compare budget and network airlines.

Then compare the total with a round trip on the same dates. Add bags and seat fees, because those can change the answer. Our guides to multi-city versus round-trip tickets and tracking fare drops explain how to do it.

The cheapest one-way days are usually Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday, and the most expensive are Friday and Sunday. Early morning and late evening flights are often cheaper than midday flights.

One-way prices are particularly sensitive to timing in the last two weeks before departure. Book outbound and return when each reaches a good price, since they follow different patterns. Our guide to last-minute flight deals explains how late fares behave.

A one-way flight pairs well with a one-way car rental, particularly for a road trip. Many rental companies charge a drop fee, which varies a lot between routes and seasons, so compare several before you book.

Sometimes it is cheaper to fly one way and take a train or bus back, or to drive and fly home. Check the cost of all the options, and think about the time as well as the money. Our car rental service can compare one-way options.

One-way tickets for international travel are different. Many countries require proof of onward travel, and airlines may refuse boarding if you cannot show it. For flights to Mexico, Canada and beyond, check entry rules before buying a one-way ticket.

If you plan to continue to another country, a ticket out of the country can be bought later in some cases, but the rules vary by airline and destination. For most travelers, a return or onward ticket avoids problems.

Award tickets are usually priced at half the points of a round trip, which makes one-way awards flexible. You can use points one way and pay cash the other, or mix programs.

Check the points price against the cash price, and look for sweet spots on short routes. Our guide to credit cards for flight booking explains how to earn points, and our page on airline status explains the benefits.

If you work remotely and want to spend a few weeks or months somewhere, a pair of one-way tickets lets you decide when to come back. You avoid paying for a return on a date you may change, and you can pick up the cheapest return when you are ready.

Check short-term rental terms and your visa or residency rules if you are staying a long time. Remember that fares can be higher closer to your return date, so check often.

Basic economy fares are usually the cheapest on both one-way and round-trip tickets, and they come with restrictions. For a one-way trip with fixed plans, they can be fine, but if your plans might change, a standard fare is safer.

Compare the difference, which is often $30 to $60 each way. Our comparison of basic and standard economy explains what you give up.

If you book two separate one-way tickets, a delay on the first does not protect the second. Travel insurance with missed-connection cover can help, though many policies do not cover separate tickets.

Read the terms carefully, and consider whether the saving is worth the risk. Our guide to domestic travel insurance explains when it makes sense.

Give us your route, your dates and whether you are flexible, and a specialist can compare one-way and round-trip options, check baggage costs and find the best combination. We can also help with rental cars and hotels.

Run a few searches below on different dates; seeing the spread is often more useful than any rule of thumb. If one of the prices looks right, give us a call and we will read the fare conditions and bag rules line by line first.