When the next holiday comes around, you might find yourself wondering, “Where should I go next?” After some thought, you book flights to your destination, perhaps on a direct or connecting itinerary.
But here’s a thought: direct flights usually cost a premium, while connecting flights are generally cheaper. So, what if you turned your destination into a transfer point and added another city or country to your adventure?
Tokyo to Dubai Tokyo to Dubai to Cairo
Recently, I needed to book flights on Emirates to Dubai. Normally, I would choose another airline with a connection to make use of my airline status.
However, for travelers requiring a visa to enter the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the process can be a bit of a hassle (Japanese passport holders amongst others can utilize UAE visa on arrival, but my travel companion required tourist visa).
Booking with Emirates simplifies this; for a fee, they provide a visa service that’s far easier than the alternatives.
Let’s say you’re flying from Tokyo to Dubai and back.
For a return Economy-class itinerary on randomly selected dates, Economy Flex fare on Emirates costs 186,960 Japanese Yen, approximately 1,223 USD (as of December 27, 2024).
Considering this is a direct flight, it’s reasonably priced. In fact, alternative airlines with connections were priced similarly, some even higher.
But then I thought, “Since I’m already traveling to the Middle East, why not add another country to the trip?” After a quick search, we settled on Cairo, Egypt.
To do this, select “Multi-City” instead of a standard round-trip booking.
Then enter each segments, adjusting the dates to include time for a short stay in Cairo
- Tokyo (TYO) to Dubai (DXB)
- Dubai (DXB) to Cairo (CAI)
- Cairo (CAI) back to Tokyo (TYO)
And voila, leaving Dubai earlier to venture out to Cairo for 5 days. The cost for this multi-city booking on the same Economy Flex fare type was 212,200 Japanese Yen, approximately 1,388 USD (as of December 27, 2024).
That’s an additional 25,240 Japanese Yen (about 165 USD) compared to the direct Tokyo-Dubai round trip.
Why This Makes Sense
If you were to book a separate round trip from Dubai to Cairo, it would undoubtedly cost more than 165 USD. Additionally, flying from Tokyo to Cairo on a different trip would be significantly pricier and more time-consuming.
With this multi-city option, you get to explore a new destination (in this case, Cairo, Egypt) with minimal additional cost and effort. Plus, you save the hassle of arranging separate flights.
Final Thoughts
Next time you’re planning a trip, think about where else you might want to go. By taking advantage of multi-city bookings, you can turn a single trip into a multi-destination adventure.
Why not add Argentina to your next trip to Brazil, Bali to your next trip to Singapore, Rome to your next trip to Paris, or Chicago to your next trip to New York?
With a little extra planning, you can explore more of the world—often for just a fraction more (or even less in some cases)!
Travel smarter and see more. Your next great adventure is just a multi-city booking away!