What's the best website for working out USA open jaw itineraries?

[ozbeachbabe]

Was curious as to what website people use for checking availability of cheap flights ex Australia to the US when the itinerary is not a point to point return ie SYD/LAX/SYD.

Sometimes it might be more cost efficient to do an 'open jaw' itinerary or just work out better eg if trying to avoid flying into/out of LAX or just maximising time away without back tracking through the same city. Examples are as follows:

a) SYD/JFK - SFO/SYD
b) SYD/SFO - BOS/LAX/SYD
c) BNE/LAX/MEL
d) SYD/SFO - LAX/SYD

If you are flying into one city and out of another you generally pay half return fares eg if flying ex Aust on 15 Oct in example a) you would pay half a SYD/JFK fare & half a SYD/SFO fare both based on a departure date of 15 Oct.

I've found the QF website is difficult to use to calculate these routings or it will give you very expensive options rather than calculate 'half returns' etc.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

 

[odysseus]

I've done it by pricing a return to the US gateway, then looking at US domestic options as they're usually cheap.

Depends on your preferences and the actual route (e.g. probably wouldn't want to go back to NY to return) as to whether that will suit - it means separate ticketing and potentially allowances for example. If your itinerary means an open jaw is preferable, I'd just use the usual booking engines as a starting point.

 

[JohnK]

You could always try a travel agent for open jaws. Sometimes they have access to deals that are not available with websites.

I usually have some kind of issue trying to get the multi-city to work properly on the QF website although I must say that I have used it many times for open jaws to/from SE Asia and also returns to/from SE Asia (with a couple of lengthy domestic stopovers) and it usually prices out quite well for me.