Round-Trip vs. One-Way Flights: How to Get the Most Value Out Of Your Trip Bookings

Round-trip vs. one-way flights: which one is cheaper? The answer isn’t a blanket yes or no. Rather, it can depend on factors like your destination and whether you're paying with cash or airline miles.

For instance, if you're travelling within Southeast Asia where budget carriers are prevalent and affordable, one-way flights might be more competitive. However, for long-haul international flights departing out of Changi, round-trip tickets frequently offer better value when paying with cash.

Beyond cost, other considerations come into play when comparing round-trip vs. one-way flights. Booking a round-trip award flight could present limitations if your travel plans change mid-trip, causing you more inconvenience or even a greater price tag than if purchased as separate flights.

This guide explores the factors to weigh when booking round-trip vs. one-way flights, introduces the appealing third option of ‘open-jaw’ flights, and provides answers to common questions to help you maximise the value of your airfare.

» Learn more: Best travel credit cards in Singapore in 2025

A round-trip flight is a journey that takes you from your starting point to your destination and then returns you to your original starting point from that same destination. Both legs of the journey are purchased as a single ticket within a single itinerary.

For example, a five-day round-trip ticket to Tokyo might be:

16 May: Flight from Singapore (Changi Airport) -> Tokyo (Haneda Airport)

20 May: Flight from Tokyo (Haneda Airport) -> Singapore (Changi Airport)

When booking a round-trip, you select your departure city, arrival city, departure date, and return date, and make a single payment through cash or frequent flyer miles.

» Learn more: The ultimate guide to cheap flights from Singapore

A one-way flight is a ticket booked for a single journey, without a return. You're only booking a flight from your origin to your destination (e.g. Singapore to Tokyo). You have the option to purchase a separate ticket for the return journey, if desired.

One-way flights can be booked with cash or frequent flyer miles and can be a useful choice for travellers with flexible itineraries or who are planning an ‘open-jaw’ trip. (Learn more about what this is further down in this blog!)

» Learn more: When to book your trip to score cheap international flight tickets

When paying for flights with cash, the general rule is to choose the option that offers the best price for your trip. If a round-trip flight is more economical than booking two one-way flights, then booking the round-trip is generally the preferred approach.

However, if two one-way flights are priced similarly to a round-trip, booking the one-way flights could be advantageous, especially if you anticipate needing flexibility in your return date. Even with airlines reducing change fees, managing two separate reservations can offer greater control over potential modifications or cancellations. (You should also be sure to get travel insurance that comes with trip & flight cancellation)

When booking international flights from Singapore, it's crucial to compare the overall cost of round-trip vs. one-way options to determine the most cost-effective choice.

For instance, consider a Singapore Airlines flight from Singapore to a popular international destination like Tokyo or London. Booking two separate one-way tickets might seem appealing for flexibility, but the combined cost of those two tickets can often be significantly higher than booking a single round-trip fare.

Take a look at this Economy flight search from Singapore to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on Singapore Airlines for a trip between 27 May to 2 June 2025.

One-Way Flight Tickets between Singapore and Tokyo

Outgoing flight

Return flight

If you were to book the flights as two one-way tickets, it would cost you at least S$633.20 + JPY94,180 = approx. S$1477.81.

Round-Trip Flight Ticket between Singapore and Tokyo

However, if you book these same flights as part of a round-trip ticket, prices start from just S$937.80, representing a significant savings over booking two separate one-way flights.

Additionally, take note that booking a one-way flight back to Singapore may require you to make payment in a different currency. This could cause even more variability in your ticket pricing depending on the prevailing exchange rate.

» Learn more: Best airline and hotel rewards loyalty programmes in 2025

When using frequent flyer miles to book flights, you'll need to consider factors beyond just the cash price.

In the case of award travel, booking two one-way flights can sometimes be preferable to booking a round-trip award. Here’s what to keep in mind:

Two one-way awards offer more flexibility

Booking two one-way awards instead of a round-trip award can provide greater flexibility, particularly if you may need to change your travel plans or want to utilise different airlines or airline alliances for each leg of your journey.

If you book a round-trip, you may also face limitations in clawing back your miles if you need to change any details of your award flight. If a last-minute emergency comes up that requires you to postpone your flight, for instance, you may not be able to get those miles back into your account so easily.

For travellers based in Singapore, booking two one-way awards might allow you to maximise the value of programs like KrisFlyer or Asia Miles by allowing you to utilise partner airlines more effectively. For example, if a partner airline has introduced a new product for one leg of your journey, you might want to redeem a one-way trip for that leg to try it out.

Watch for higher taxes and fees when booking two one-way awards

When redeeming miles for flights, particularly for international travel from Singapore, it's essential to compare the overall cost of round-trip vs. one-way awards.

Factors such as taxes, fees, and the number of miles required for redemption can vary significantly depending on the airline and the specific region you're flying to or from.

Airlines may even impose higher taxes and fees for award flights originating from certain regions, including Southeast Asia and Singapore. Take a look at Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer programme: the taxes and fees for an award flight originating from Singapore might differ from those for a flight originating from the U.S. or Europe.

One-way Economy award flight from Singapore to London Heathrow on 27 May 2025

Fare: from 42,000 miles

Airport/government taxes: S$65.20

One-way Economy award flight from London Heathrow to Singapore on 2 June 2025

Fare: from 42,000 miles

Airport/government taxes: GBP145.72 (approx. S$253.08)

Two-way Economy award flight between Singapore and London Heathrow from 27 May to 2 June 2025

Fare: from 84,000 miles

Airport/government taxes: S$318.50

In total, you’d expect to pay about S$318.28 in airport/government fees on top of your miles redemption for two one-way flights, and S$318.50 for a two-way flight. Though the differences between these amounts is negligible, the the savings are more obvious when you compare them to booking paid non-award flights:

One-way Economy paid flight from Singapore to London Heathrow on 27 May 2025

Fare: S$1801.00

Airport/government taxes: S$65.20

One-way Economy paid flight from London Heathrow to Singapore on 2 June 2025

Fare: GBP415.00 (approx. S$720.75)

Airport/government taxes: GBP145.72 (approx. S$253.08)

Two-way Economy paid flight between Singapore and London Heathrow from 27 May to 2 June 2025

Fare: S$1087.00

Airport/government taxes: S$318.50

While the airport/government tax fees are the same, the difference in fare prices means you’d have to fork out way more cash for a paid flight compared to (the approx. value of) an award flight. This is a situation where booking an award flight—whether one-way or two-way—presents more value for your miles and money.

Therefore, it's crucial to compare the total cost (in miles and taxes) for a round-trip award with the combined cost of two separate one-way award flights to determine the most economical option.

The policies regarding change fees for award flights can vary between different frequent flyer programmes.

For travellers based in Singapore, it's important to familiarise yourself with the change fee policies of major airlines like Singapore Airline, Scoot, AirAsia, ANA, and JAL, as well as the policies of frequent flyer programmes like KrisFlyer and Asia Miles.

Some frequent flyer programs may charge fees for changes or cancellations, while others may offer more flexible options. This can influence your decision on whether to book one-way or round-trip tickets. If you’re booking through a programme that has charge fees, for instance, a round-trip award can help reduce the fees or incidentals you need to pay if you need to cancel or reschedule your trip.

» Learn more: What to do with expiring KrisFlyer miles

An open-jaw is a type of itinerary where you fly into one city but depart from a different city. This is slightly different from a multi-city flight as an open-jaw ‘skips’ over transport between destination cities.

For example, if you plan to fly from Singapore to Japan to visit Tokyo and Osaka, a multi-city itinerary might be:

1. Singapore to Tokyo

2. Tokyo to Osaka

3. Osaka to Singapore

Multi-city flights do have some benefits you can enjoy. Some airlines offer free stopovers or lower fares for multi-city itineraries, sometimes depending on how long the stay in each city is i.e. if the stop is long enough to be considered a ‘stop’ and not just a layover.

Whereas an open-jaw itinerary would be:

1. Singapore to Tokyo

2. Osaka to Singapore

Your Tokyo-Osaka leg would then be covered via shinkansen or some other overland transport, rather than with a separate flight. This can be a useful travel hack for travellers in Singapore who want to explore multiple destinations without having to backtrack.

You can also add an open-jaw flight into a multi-city itinerary:

1. Singapore to Tokyo

2. Tokyo to Kobe

3. Osaka to Singapore

Several airlines operating in Singapore such as Singapore Airlines, Scoot, and AirAsia, often offer the option to book open-jaw flights.

» Learn more: How much are KrisFlyer miles worth?

An open-jaw itinerary is booked as a single ticket, often at a similar price point to a round-trip. This offers potential cost savings and convenience, though you should always do your due diligence and compare the prices, award requirements, and taxes for different itinerary configurations to see what the best deal is.

To maximise rewards and value on your flight bookings, consider using travel credit cards that offer bonus miles or cashback on airfare and travel-related expenses.

Some of the best travel cards in Singapore in 2025 include:

• Best for dedicated KrisFlyer fans: KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card

• Best earning portal benefits: DBS Altitude Visa Signature Card

• Best for business travel: Citi PremierMiles Credit Card

• Best for flat-rate rewards: Citi Cash Back+ Card

• Best for bonus perks and great flexibility: UOB PRVI Miles Visa Card

• Best cashback on travel bookings: Standard Chartered Simply Cash Credit Card

• Best all-around premium rewards: American Express Platinum Credit Card