Direct Answer: How Cheap Are One-Way Flights From the US?
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One-Way vs Round Trip: Which Is Actually Cheaper?
The honest answer: it depends on your route, airline, and travel dates. There is no universal rule that one-way flights cost more or less than half a round trip. The old airline pricing model that penalized one-way bookings has largely disappeared on domestic US routes, but fare structures still vary by carrier and market.
In the fares greenspicks pulled on 2026-09-08, one-way prices ran from $66 to $382 across ten routes. Whether that represents savings over a round trip depends on what round-trip fares are available for your specific dates. Our guide to the cheapest day to buy airline tickets covers the timing side of the same question.
When One-Way Booking Makes Financial Sense
Open-jaw itineraries: Flying into one city and out of another eliminates backtracking. Two one-way tickets let you land in Los Angeles and depart from San Francisco without paying for an extra positioning flight.
Mixing carriers: Budget carriers often price one-way fares competitively. Booking your outbound on one airline and return on another lets you cherry-pick the lowest fare in each direction rather than accepting a package deal.
Uncertain return dates: If you do not know when you are coming back, a one-way ticket avoids change fees and the hassle of rebooking. This is particularly relevant for family visits, job relocations, or extended trips.
Positioning flights: Sometimes a cheaper fare exists from a nearby airport. A one-way positioning flight to that hub, followed by your main one-way departure, can undercut a direct round trip from your home airport.
Key finding:
One-way fares make the most sense when you are mixing carriers, flying open-jaw, or have flexible return timing. Always compare both options before booking.
When Round Trip Might Win
Some airlines still bundle round-trip pricing that undercuts two one-ways. International itineraries and certain legacy carrier routes can favor round-trip bookings. The only way to know is to search both options for your specific dates and compare the total cost, including any baggage fees that differ by fare class.
Observed One-Way Fares by Route, Priced 8 September 2026
greenspicks pulled Travelpayouts one-way fares on 2026-09-08 for departures in October and November 2026, across ten US routes. All ten returned data, 119 offers in total. The table below shows what each route was actually showing that day. The offer count matters as much as the price: a route showing one option is not a market, it is whatever happened to be left.
| Route | Offers | Range | Cheapest | Cheapest nonstop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ORD to FLL | 7 | $66 to $130 | $66 JetBlue, 1 stop, 2 Oct | $70 Frontier, 192 min |
| ORD to MIA | 6 | $77 to $160 | $77 Frontier, nonstop, 17 Oct | $77 Frontier, 188 min |
| BOS to MIA | 14 | $92 to $249 | $92 Southwest, 1 stop, 3 Nov | $139 American, 216 min |
| ATL to LAX | 9 | $81 to $180 | $81 Frontier, 1 stop, 3 Oct | none in the data |
| ATL to ONT | 1 | $120 | $120 Frontier, 1 stop, 4 Oct | none in the data |
| JFK to LAX | 49 | $151 to $382 | $151 Alaska, 1 stop, 30 Oct | $185 JetBlue, 373 min |
| JFK to ONT | 5 | $149 to $223 | $149 Alaska, 1 stop, 23 Oct | none in the data |
| SFO to JFK | 20 | $168 to $258 | $168 Alaska, 1 stop, 15 Nov | $198 Alaska, 346 min |
| DFW to JFK | 7 | $115 to $360 | $115 JetBlue, 1 stop, 26 Nov | none in the data |
| SEA to LAS | 1 | $79 | $79 Alaska, nonstop, 2 Oct | $79 Alaska, 159 min |
Data source: Travelpayouts, aviasales/v3/prices_for_dates. Retrieved 2026-09-08 for October and November 2026 departures. One-way fares in USD. Prices change often, verify before booking.
The cheapest fare is often not the one to book
On Chicago to Fort Lauderdale, the lowest fare was $66 on JetBlue with one stop and a total travel time of 436 minutes. The cheapest nonstop was $70 on Frontier at 192 minutes. Four dollars buys back four hours. That pattern repeated: on eight of the ten routes the cheapest option involved a connection, and on the routes where a nonstop existed, the gap was $4 (ORD to FLL), $0 (ORD to MIA), $30 (SFO to JFK), $34 (JFK to LAX) and $47 (BOS to MIA). Sort by price, then look one or two rows down before you book.
Watch the offer count, not just the price
JFK to LAX returned 49 offers. Atlanta to Ontario returned one, and Seattle to Las Vegas returned one. A single observation is not a price level, it is a single seat someone happened to be selling. Treat the thin routes in the table as a direction of travel rather than a number you can plan around, and run your own search before you commit to a corridor on the strength of one data point.
Key finding:
Hub-to-Florida routes produced the lowest fares again: $66 ORD to FLL and $77 ORD to MIA. Coast-to-coast started at $151 for a connection and $185 for a nonstop. Thirty of the 119 offers were nonstop.
What we found in June 2026, and what changed
We priced the same corridors once before, on 2026-06-28, across 17 routes for July and August travel. The lowest fare then was $47 ORD to FLL on Frontier, a nonstop, and the range across all routes was $47 to $320. Cross-country, JFK to LAX started at $143 for a JetBlue nonstop.
Between the two pulls the floor moved up. Chicago to Fort Lauderdale went from $47 to $66. The cheapest JFK to LAX nonstop went from $143 to $185. Some of that is the routes and dates being different, and neither pull is a controlled experiment. But both readings point the same way, and it is the reason we date every number: a fare quoted without a date is not evidence of anything.
Airlines With Observed Low One-Way Fares
The following carriers appeared in the 119 offers greenspicks pulled on 2026-09-08. These are observations across ten routes and two departure months, not a controlled comparison that would let us rank one airline as universally cheaper than another. Our guide to the best cheap airlines in the US covers how these carriers compare once fees are counted.
Alaska (AS): The most frequent carrier in the data, 45 of the 119 offers. Its lowest was $79 SEA to LAS nonstop for 2 October. It also held the cheapest fare on JFK to LAX ($151), JFK to ONT ($149) and SFO to JFK ($168), all with a connection.
Frontier (F9): 28 offers. Its lowest was $70 ORD to FLL nonstop for 1 October. Frontier also produced the cheapest ORD to MIA ($77 nonstop), ATL to LAX ($81) and ATL to ONT ($120).
JetBlue (B6): 27 offers. Its lowest was the $66 ORD to FLL connection that topped the whole table, and it held the cheapest nonstop on JFK to LAX at $185 and the cheapest DFW to JFK at $115.
American (AA): 15 offers, lowest $110 ORD to FLL nonstop for 9 October. American held the cheapest BOS to MIA nonstop at $139.
Southwest (WN): 3 offers, lowest $92 BOS to MIA with a connection for 3 November, the cheapest fare on that route.
WestJet (WS): a single offer, $382 JFK to LAX with three stops. Included here only to show what the top of the range looks like.
Each airline prices routes differently based on competition, demand, and network strategy. A carrier with the lowest fare on one route may not be competitive on another. Compare multiple airlines for your specific origin, destination, and travel date.
How to Find Cheap One-Way Flights: Step by Step
Finding low one-way fares requires a systematic approach. These steps work for any US domestic route.
- 1
Search one-way specifically
Do not rely on flexible date searches that default to round trip. Select one-way as your trip type before entering dates. Some search tools bury one-way options or show inflated prices when you search round trip first. Being explicit about one-way from the start ensures you see accurate pricing.
- 2
Compare nearby airports
Major metro areas often have multiple airports with different fare structures. In the Los Angeles area, greenspicks priced both LAX and Ontario ONT from New York on 2026-09-08. JFK to ONT started at $149 against $151 for JFK to LAX, effectively the same money, so on that day the secondary airport was a convenience question, not a savings one. It is still worth the twenty seconds to check both.
- 3
Check budget carriers directly
Frontier and JetBlue produced the lowest fares on the Florida routes. Budget carriers sometimes do not display their full inventory on aggregator sites, or their fares may be slightly higher through third parties. After searching an aggregator, visit the airline’s website directly to confirm the price and check for any web-only deals.
- 4
Use fare comparison tools
Aggregators pull fares from multiple sources, saving you time. Run the same search on two or three tools to catch any discrepancies. Our roundup of the best apps for booking flights covers what to look for when choosing between them.
Ready to search? Compare one-way fares across booking sources – check current prices for your route.
- 5
Price the connection against the nonstop
The lowest fare usually involves a connection, and the gap is often small. On 2026-09-08 the cheapest ORD to FLL was $66 with a stop and 436 minutes of travel; the nonstop was $70 and 192 minutes. On SFO to JFK the connection was $168 at 499 minutes against a $198 nonstop at 346 minutes. Work out what the saved hours are worth to you before you take the cheapest row.
- 6
Book when you find your target price
Set a price target based on what you are willing to pay, then book when you hit it. Trying to time the absolute bottom is a gamble that often backfires. If you see a fare that meets your budget, secure it.
Best Routes for Cheap One-Way Deals From US Hubs
Based on the fares greenspicks pulled on 2026-09-08 for October and November departures, these corridors behaved as follows.
Chicago ORD to Florida
The cheapest corridor in the set, again. ORD to Fort Lauderdale ran $66 to $130 across seven offers, with a $70 Frontier nonstop at 192 minutes. ORD to Miami ran $77 to $160 across six offers, and the cheapest fare there was itself a nonstop, $77 on Frontier for 17 October. If you are flying Chicago to Florida one-way, this is where the sub-$100 fares live.
Boston to Miami
BOS to MIA ran $92 to $249 across fourteen offers. The $92 was Southwest with a connection on 3 November; the cheapest nonstop was $139 on American. This was the widest nonstop premium in the set, $47, and the one route where paying up for the direct flight is a real decision rather than a rounding error.
Atlanta to the Los Angeles Area
ATL to LAX ran $81 to $180 across nine offers, all with at least one connection, no nonstop appeared in the data at any price. ATL to Ontario returned a single offer at $120. Treat the Ontario figure as one observation rather than a price level.
New York JFK to the Los Angeles Area
The deepest market in the set: JFK to LAX returned 49 offers, from $151 to $382. The $151 was Alaska with a connection; the cheapest nonstop was $185 on JetBlue at 373 minutes. JFK to Ontario returned five offers from $149 to $223, none of them nonstop.
San Francisco to New York
SFO to JFK ran $168 to $258 across twenty offers. The $168 was an Alaska connection at 499 minutes for 15 November; the cheapest nonstop was $198 on Alaska at 346 minutes. Thirty dollars for two and a half hours is one of the easier calls in this table.
Dallas DFW to New York
DFW to JFK ran $115 to $360 across seven offers. The $115 was JetBlue with a connection for 26 November. No nonstop appeared in the data, so on this route the connection is not a choice you are making to save money.
Seattle to Las Vegas
A single offer: $79 on Alaska, nonstop, 159 minutes, for 2 October. One observation on a short regional route tells you the corridor can be cheap. It does not tell you what it costs on your dates.
Key finding:
Chicago to Florida produced the sub-$100 fares. Coast-to-coast started at $151 with a connection and $185 nonstop. On seven of the ten routes fewer than ten offers came back, check the depth of your own search before treating any single number as the going rate.
Hidden Costs That Can Kill Your One-Way Savings
A low base fare means nothing if fees push your total cost above a more inclusive ticket. Ultra-low-cost carriers frequently appeared in the lowest fare observations, but these airlines typically charge separately for services other carriers include.
Baggage Fees
Carry-on bag fees are common on ultra-low-cost carriers. Frontier appeared frequently in the lowest observations, but check current baggage policies on the airline’s own site before booking. Checked bag fees vary by airline and can differ based on whether you pay at booking, at check-in, or at the gate. For a broader comparison, see our guide to airline baggage fees.
Seat Selection Fees
Basic economy and ultra-low-cost fares often assign seats at check-in. If you want to choose your seat or sit with a travel companion, expect an additional charge. Check airline websites for current seat selection pricing on your specific route.
Change and Cancellation Fees
Policies vary significantly by airline and fare class. Some carriers have eliminated change fees on most fares; others have not. Basic economy fares typically have the most restrictive policies. Review the fare rules before booking, especially for one-way tickets where you might need flexibility on timing.
How to Calculate True Cost
Before booking any one-way fare, add up the base fare plus any bags you will bring plus any seat selection you require. Compare that total against airlines with higher base fares but included amenities. A $66 fare with fees can easily exceed a $139 fare that includes a carry-on and seat selection.
When One-Way Flights Make the Most Sense
One-way booking is not always the right choice, but certain travel scenarios strongly favor it.
Relocations: Moving to a new city means you do not need a return ticket. One-way is the obvious choice, and major hub origins like ORD, ATL, JFK, and DFW in the observed data offer flexibility for these trips.
One-way road trips: Flying to a starting point, then driving back, is a classic American road trip structure. A one-way flight to Las Vegas, followed by a drive through national parks back home, makes more sense than a round trip with an unused return leg.
Cruise embarkation or disembarkation: Cruises that start in one port and end in another require one-way flights on at least one end. This is common for repositioning cruises or itineraries that follow coastlines.
Visiting family with uncertain return: When you are not sure how long you will stay, booking a one-way outbound and deciding on the return later avoids change fees and locked-in dates. You can watch for last-minute flight deals for your return once you know your schedule.
Testing a destination: Thinking about a longer stay or potential move? A one-way ticket lets you extend if you love it without the pressure of a return booking.
Combining with positioning flights: If a much cheaper fare exists from a nearby hub, a short one-way positioning flight plus your main one-way departure can beat a direct departure from your home airport.
All fare figures in this article come from Travelpayouts cached observations pulled by the greenspicks editorial team on 2026-09-08, with an earlier comparison pull on 2026-06-28. No third-party research is cited.
How We Researched These Prices
Our editorial team reviews flight routes, nearby airport pairs, airline options, fare patterns, booking-source data, transport choices, and destination-specific travel context before publishing each guide. For the current figures, greenspicks used the Travelpayouts aviasales/v3/prices_for_dates API to pull one-way fare observations on 2026-09-08 for departures in October and November 2026. Ten routes were searched, all ten returned data, and 119 offers were recorded. Every price, airline, departure date, stop count and duration in this article comes from that pull. An earlier pull on 2026-06-28 covered 17 routes for July and August 2026 travel; the figures from it are reported separately and clearly dated in the section above.
Limitations: This is a snapshot of what was on sale on one day, not a booking-window study, a seasonal average, or a forecast. Seven of the ten routes returned fewer than ten offers, and two returned a single offer, those are individual observations, not price levels. Baggage and seat fees are not included; check airline websites for current fee schedules. Fares are cached observations from Travelpayouts, not live quotes. Prices change frequently. Verify all fares before booking.
Frequently Asked Questions About One-Way Flight Deals
Are one-way flights more expensive than round trip?
Not necessarily. Domestic US airlines have largely moved away from pricing models that penalized one-way bookings. Whether one-way costs more depends on your specific route, airline, and travel dates. The only way to know is to search both options and compare total costs including any fees.
What is the cheapest one-way flight from the US?
The lowest one-way fare greenspicks observed on 2026-09-08 was $66 from Chicago ORD to Fort Lauderdale FLL on JetBlue, with one stop, for travel on 2 October 2026. The cheapest nonstop on that route was $70 on Frontier. Fares change constantly, so verify current prices before booking.
Which airlines have cheap one-way fares?
In the 119 offers greenspicks pulled on 2026-09-08, the carriers holding the lowest fare on at least one route were Alaska, Frontier, JetBlue, American and Southwest. Alaska appeared most often overall. Each airline prices routes differently, so compare multiple carriers for your specific origin and destination.
Is the cheapest fare always the best one to book?
Often not. On eight of the ten routes we priced, the cheapest option involved a connection. On Chicago to Fort Lauderdale the nonstop cost $4 more and saved four hours; on San Francisco to New York it cost $30 more and saved two and a half hours. Sort by price, then look one or two rows down before you book.
When should I book one-way vs round trip?
Book one-way when you have an open-jaw itinerary, uncertain return dates, want to mix carriers for the best price in each direction, or are relocating. Book round trip when the bundled price clearly beats two one-ways and you have fixed travel dates. Always compare both options.
Do budget airlines charge more for one-way?
Budget carriers typically price one-way fares competitively and often do not require round-trip booking for the best rates. However, their base fares exclude amenities like bags and seat selection. Calculate total cost including fees to compare accurately against carriers with higher base fares but included services.
Can I find one-way flights under $100?
Yes. greenspicks observed sub-$100 one-way fares on five of the ten routes priced on 2026-09-08: $66 and $70 ORD to FLL, $77 ORD to MIA, $79 SEA to LAS, $81 ATL to LAX and $92 BOS to MIA. Hub-to-Florida and shorter regional routes produced the most of them. Availability varies by date and sells out quickly.
