Open-jaw ticket
Encyclopedia
An open-jaw ticket is an airline ticket
in which a traveler returns to the airline
from a city other than the one in which they arrived, or in which the final destination is not the same as the original departure city. The trip between these two cities is then made over land, sea or with a separately booked flight. The path-lines between the airports form an open angle, rather than a closed loop, and the angle resembles an open jaw
line. This is also sometimes called an ARNK
(Arrival Unknown).
In some cases, this type of arrangement is needed for boat cruise
s that do not return to the departure city. In other cases, the traveler wishes to explore between two points and not have to worry about using time to return to the arrival city. For example, a traveller might fly from London
to Bangkok
, travel around Thailand
by public transport
and fly back home to London from Phuket
. Another example would be a traveler flying from New York City
to San Francisco but then returning to Washington, D.C.
Open-jaw tickets are a flexible and relatively inexpensive way of flying, as such tickets are almost always less expensive than purchasing two round-trip flights between the destinations visited.
Another market commonly traveled, under an open-jaw itinerary, is the one of local one-way tours. Take, for example, a tour of Florida
, where a traveler flying into Jacksonville, Orlando
, or Miami rents a car or joins a bus tour at their arrival airport, and returns the car or ends the tour in the town from which they'll be flying home.
An alternative for an open jaw ticket is a continent pass
.
Airline ticket
An airline ticket is a document, issued by an airline or a travel agency, to confirm that an individual has purchased a seat on a flight on an aircraft. This document is then used to obtain a boarding pass, at the airport...
in which a traveler returns to the airline
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
from a city other than the one in which they arrived, or in which the final destination is not the same as the original departure city. The trip between these two cities is then made over land, sea or with a separately booked flight. The path-lines between the airports form an open angle, rather than a closed loop, and the angle resembles an open jaw
Jaw
The jaw is any opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth, typically used for grasping and manipulating food. The term jaws is also broadly applied to the whole of the structures constituting the vault of the mouth and serving to open and close it and is part of the body plan of...
line. This is also sometimes called an ARNK
ARNK
An itinerary containing an ARNK segment is one in which the traveler arrives at destination A but departs out of destination B. The arrival to destination B is unknown, hence the name arrival unknown . It is similar to an open-jaw ticket except that there is no variation in the point of origin...
(Arrival Unknown).
In some cases, this type of arrangement is needed for boat cruise
Cruising (maritime)
Cruising by boat is a lifestyle that involves living for extended time on a boat while traveling from place to place for pleasure. Cruising generally refers to trips of a few days or more, and can extend to round-the-world voyages.- History :...
s that do not return to the departure city. In other cases, the traveler wishes to explore between two points and not have to worry about using time to return to the arrival city. For example, a traveller might fly from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, travel around Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
by public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
and fly back home to London from Phuket
Phuket Province
Phuket , formerly known as Thalang and, in Western sources, Junk Ceylon , is one of the southern provinces of Thailand...
. Another example would be a traveler flying from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to San Francisco but then returning to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Open-jaw tickets are a flexible and relatively inexpensive way of flying, as such tickets are almost always less expensive than purchasing two round-trip flights between the destinations visited.
Another market commonly traveled, under an open-jaw itinerary, is the one of local one-way tours. Take, for example, a tour of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, where a traveler flying into Jacksonville, Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, or Miami rents a car or joins a bus tour at their arrival airport, and returns the car or ends the tour in the town from which they'll be flying home.
An alternative for an open jaw ticket is a continent pass
Continent pass
A continent pass is a product and service of an airline alliance. For a relatively low price the traveler can travel freely using all intra-continental flights the airline alliance offers on that continent...
.