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The best flight deals don't always originate from your home airport. Sometimes the key to unlocking significant savings lies in thinking beyond your local departure point and considering a positioning flight: a separate ticket that gets you to another airport where your main trip begins.
This strategic approach can create opportunities for better award availability, lower cash fares and access to routes that simply don't exist from smaller airports. However, there are some risks to be aware of while planning your next trip.
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What is a positioning flight?
A positioning flight is a separate ticket that transports you to a different airport where your main journey begins. Unlike a standard layover, where everything is on one ticket, positioning flights involve booking two distinct reservations.
For example, you might live in Salt Lake City but find that you can catch a significantly cheaper international flight to Tokyo from Los Angeles. In this case, you could book one ticket from Los Angeles to Tokyo, and then purchase a separate positioning flight from Salt Lake to Los Angeles.
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How to book a positioning flight
The key to successful positioning flight booking is often to work backward from your destination. Here's a quick list of steps to help you research and evaluate your options and complete your itinerary:
- Decide on your destination. If you have flexibility with your destination and dates, you'll have more opportunities to maximize savings, as some routes may offer better deals than others.
- Search for the best main flight. If you're looking for the best cash fare, consider using tools like Google Flights and ITA Matrix to identify which departure cities offer the best deals. When booking with miles, search for award availability and cost from multiple departure airports to compare your options.
- Search for a positioning flight. Once you've identified the optimal departure airport, search for positioning flights from your home base to that hub. Compare multiple options and departure times to find the best combination of price and schedule. As you plan your itinerary, it's crucial that you build in sufficient buffer time between flights to account for potential delays, baggage rechecking and moving between terminals.
- Book your flights. Once you've found the right combination of flights, book each one separately.
» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now
Benefits of positioning flights
Positioning flights require some extra planning, but they can deliver significant advantages that make the effort worthwhile:
- Potential cost savings. The most obvious benefit is money in your pocket. Positioning flights can save you a lot of money, particularly when flying from expensive regional airports to budget-friendly hubs.
- Better award availability. Major hub airports typically offer more frequent flights and better award space than smaller regional airports. A positioning flight can be your ticket to using miles instead of paying cash when award seats from your home airport are limited or unavailable.
- Access to more airlines and routes. Smaller airports often have limited carrier options, but positioning yourself at a major hub opens up competition between airlines and access to routes that don't exist from your home base.
- Flexible timing options. Hub airports typically offer multiple daily departures to popular destinations, giving you more scheduling flexibility than the once-daily or limited weekly service common at smaller airports.
The key is identifying when these benefits outweigh the additional complexity and potential risks of managing separate bookings.
Risks of positioning flights
Although positioning flights can offer substantial savings, they come with inherent risks that travelers need to understand:
- Potential delays. If your positioning flight is delayed or canceled, the airline operating your main flight has no obligation to accommodate you. You could miss your connection entirely and be responsible for rebooking at full fare.
- Baggage complications. Because you're booking separate tickets — possibly even with separate airlines — you'll typically need to collect and recheck your luggage at the positioning airport. This extra step requires additional time and increases the chance of bags being delayed or lost.
- Other costs. Depending on how you plan your trip, you may run into extra costs that can wipe out your savings entirely. Be sure to factor in potential overnight hotel stays and meals to determine whether the deal actually saves money.
The added stress and complexity of managing two separate reservations, potentially in different confirmation systems, can also make travel more complicated than a single booking.
» Learn more: How to book a flight that (likely) won’t get canceled
When a positioning flight makes sense
Positioning flights can be particularly valuable in a few different scenarios:
- You live near a small metro or regional airport. Small metro and regional airports often have limited route options and poor award availability. If you're based in a smaller market, flying to a major hub first might unlock significantly better deals and more flight options.
- You live in a large metro area. Large metro areas with multiple airports sometimes offer dramatically different pricing just one city away. For instance, you might find better fares flying out of San Francisco instead of Oakland or San Jose, California, even though these airports serve similar geographic areas.
- You're relatively close to an international gateway. Major airports in cities like San Francisco, Dallas, Denver and Los Angeles often have more award space and competitive fares than smaller markets.
The idea is simple: If you can start your journey in a city with better deals, even a two-hour positioning flight might save you hundreds of dollars or thousands of miles on your main journey.
When a positioning flight may not be worth it
Positioning flights aren't always the right choice, even when savings are available. Here are some situations where it makes sense to think twice:
- Positioning costs eat up your savings. If you're saving $150 on your main ticket but spending $200 on meals and a hotel stay, the math simply doesn't work in your favor. Even if you're still saving money after positioning costs, make sure the added stress is worth it.
- You have inflexible travel plans. If you absolutely cannot afford to miss your main flight due to positioning delays – and you can't afford a longer buffer of time – the risk may outweigh any potential savings.
- You're an inexperienced traveler. If you’re not comfortable juggling tight schedules, rechecking bags and handling potential delays on your own, positioning flights can quickly become overwhelming.
- You're traveling with family and plenty of luggage. Traveling with kids and multiple bags can make separate bookings more hassle than they’re worth.
Tips to make your trip go smoothly
There are some steps you can take to maximize your savings while minimizing your exposure to the risks of using positioning flights, including giving yourself plenty of buffer time between your flights and being flexible with your travel plans.
Consider flying on low-cost carriers
Since you’re only using it to reach your main departure point, flying a budget airline for your positioning flight can cut costs. Just be mindful of baggage and seat fees that could eat into your savings.
Be flexible with your travel plans
It may not always be possible, but try to be flexible with both your destination and your travel dates. The more options you have, the better your odds of scoring a sizable deal.
Give yourself plenty of buffer time
Plan for four to six hours minimum between flights, rather than the typical one- or two-hour layover you might accept on a single ticket. This cushion protects against delays and gives you time to recheck baggage and navigate between terminals.
Depending on how much you save on your main flight, planning an overnight stay before your connection could make sense and reduce travel stress.
Pack light and keep an eye on travel conditions
Travel with carry-on only when possible. Eliminating checked bags removes baggage transfer concerns and speeds up your movement between flights.
» Learn more: Tips to succeed at carry-on only travel
You’ll also want to monitor your flights closely. Track weather conditions, airport delays and schedule changes that might affect your positioning flight timing leading up to departure.
Make positioning flights work for you
Positioning flights can help you stretch both your travel budget and your frequent flyer miles. By thinking beyond your home airport, you may be able to access better deals and award availability.
The key is finding the right balance between savings and risk. While separate tickets eliminate the protection of single-booking travel, careful planning and conservative timing can minimize most complications.
For flexible travelers willing to embrace a bit more complexity, positioning flights can turn expensive dream trips into affordable realities.
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