Quick summary
Flying into Dubai and out of Abu Dhabi often prices within 5–10% of a standard round trip to a single UAE airport. The practical workaround—using Google Flights’ multi-city tool—eliminates a 130-kilometer, $100+ taxi backtrack between emirates. An open-jaw booking treats the two-airport plan as one ticket, sidestepping the pricing penalty of separate one-ways.
Savings aren’t guaranteed on every route. The strategy breaks even when the ground transfer you skip costs more than any fare premium. We compare the multi-city math against a round trip plus ground transport.
For a trip covering both Dubai and Abu Dhabi, routing into Dubai International (DXB) and out of Abu Dhabi International (AUH)—or the reverse—dodges a costly, time-wasting return journey. The open-jaw fare on this pairing typically lands within €40–80 of a round trip to either city alone, based on Air Traveler Club’s analysis of Q4 2025–Q1 2026 pricing on major European and North American routes. A taxi between the two cities runs $100–130 each way. The arithmetic tilts toward the open-jaw every time the itinerary includes both emirates, even before you factor in three hours of desert highway driving you simply don’t spend.
The tactic works because airlines price multi-city itineraries using half round-trip logic for each leg, rather than stacking two expensive one-way fares. Google Flights’ multi-city search makes this a 30-second comparison, not a convoluted booking exercise. As of June 2026, the tool surfaces these paired-airport fares automatically when you enter DXB as your arrival and AUH as your departure.
What an open-jaw actually costs
An open-jaw ticket is a single reservation where the arrival airport doesn’t match the departure airport. The middle segment—the journey between Dubai and Abu Dhabi—is handled independently by the traveler. Airlines typically apply half the normal round-trip fare to each leg, which explains why the total often mirrors a standard return to one city, rather than two separate one-ways (which can cost 60–80% more).
Air Traveler Club’s fare tracking across flight options to the UAE from North America shows this pattern holding across Emirates, Etihad, and the major European connecting carriers. Actual pricing still fluctuates with inventory, but over 80% of DXB-AUH open-jaw searches in the sample fell within €60 of the cheapest single-airport round trip.
A comparison of late-2025 pricing illustrates the spread. Below, round trips to a single airport are listed alongside open-jaw alternatives across three booking scenarios. The net saving column accounts for the avoided $110 taxi fare between cities.
| Route | DXB round trip | AUH round trip | DXB in, AUH out | Net saving vs. DXB RT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London–UAE | £485 | £460 | £510 | £85 |
| New York–UAE | $890 | $840 | $925 | $75 |
| Toronto–UAE | C$1,240 | C$1,180 | C$1,290 | C$60 |
Why the taxi makes this math work
A private transfer between DXB and AUH costs $100–130 and takes 75–90 minutes in light traffic—pushing two hours during peak. The public bus is cheaper at roughly $8 each way, but it adds a genuine hassle factor with luggage and unreliable timing. When your itinerary already places you in Abu Dhabi toward the trip’s end, returning to Dubai solely for the flight means burning money and half a day.
Keep in mind a key alternative: Etihad operates a free luxury coach from AUH to central Dubai for its passengers, booked in advance using the flight reference. For travelers who land in Abu Dhabi but need to reach Dubai anyway, this coach eliminates the transfer cost entirely—meaning the open-jaw’s grounding logic may actually favor a round trip to AUH plus the free bus, rather than a multi-city booking.
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When the open-jaw works against you
If your trip only touches one emirate, skip the multi-city complexity entirely. A standard round trip to DXB for a Dubai-only stay, or to AUH for an Abu Dhabi-only itinerary, is simpler and almost always cheaper. The open-jaw’s small fare premium (€25–80) only justifies itself when it deletes a transfer you’d otherwise pay for twice—arrival and departure.
Another friction point: baggage. When the open-jaw involves two different airlines on different tickets, interlining—where bags are checked through to the final destination—is not automatic. A self-connection between carriers at separate terminals on different bookings introduces misconnect risk without protection. Confirm with the booking airline whether your specific fare class permits through-checked bags on the multi-city itinerary.
Some visa or entry-rule scenarios also complicate matters. While the UAE’s unified visa covers both emirates without issue, certain regional stopover deals or airline-specific promotions tie pricing to a single gateway. Verify your fare rules don’t mandate the same airport for arrival and departure before committing.
Search while the inventory is broad
Late-summer 2026 marks a sweet spot for early 2027 UAE trips—major Gulf carriers have loaded schedules but haven’t yet tightened the cheapest fare buckets. That six-month window is when DXB/AUH open-jaws are most likely to mirror round-trip pricing.
- Open Google Flights multi-city: Route your outbound leg to DXB, and your return leg from AUH (or vice versa). Let the tool price it as a single ticket.
- Benchmark against the round trip plus taxi: Compare the open-jaw total to a single-airport round trip plus $110 for the transfer you won’t take.
- Check the Etihad bus schedule: If flying into AUH, Etihad’s free Dubai coach might make a round trip the smarter play—book the coach seat with your flight reference.
- Monitor the 48-hour repricing lag: When Emirates or Etihad launch a fare sale on the round trip, the open-jaw variant often follows two days later—waiting can net a sharper price.
Open-jaw tickets between Dubai and Abu Dhabi aren’t a universal moneysaver. The tactic clicks when the itinerary puts you in both cities, and the avoided taxi or bus cost outweighs the marginal fare difference. Run the multi-city search, run the transport math, and the decision reduces to a single number.
Questions? Answers.
What exactly makes a ticket “open-jaw”?
A single reservation where your arrival airport on the inbound leg is different from your departure airport on the outbound leg. The traveler covers the ground segment between the two cities independently. Airlines price each leg at roughly half the round-trip fare, which avoids the sting of two one-ways.
Does this save money versus two one-way tickets?
Almost always. Separate one-way long-haul fares can cost 60–80% more than the open-jaw alternative, which is priced closer to a round trip. The exact gap depends on the route and how far in advance you book.
Can I book an open-jaw for Dubai and Abu Dhabi with different airlines on each leg?
Yes, though you’ll typically need to use a multi-city search that allows mixed carriers. The catch: baggage may not be checked through automatically. Confirm with the operating airlines whether your fare class supports interlining across different tickets.
Is it cheaper to fly into Abu Dhabi and out of Dubai, or the reverse?
There’s no consistent pricing edge for one direction over the other. Fares follow inventory, not airport order. Search both combinations and take the cheaper one, as long as it fits your planned itinerary.
Does this work if I’m only visiting one emirate?
It adds complexity without benefit. A standard round trip to the relevant airport is simpler and usually cheaper. The open-jaw only makes sense when your trip genuinely spans both cities.
