Let’s dive into a little strategy that could save you tons of points and cash on your next trip: repositioning flights. If this term sounds new to you, don't worry—we will explain it all in our YouTube video, (and in this article). By the time we're done here, you’ll see how Brendan saved over 100,000 points on a single trip, and how you can do the same!
So, What’s a Repositioning Flight?
Imagine a layover...but one you plan on purpose. That’s essentially what a repositioning flight is. Instead of flying directly from your home airport to your final destination, you fly to a different airport first to score cheaper or more efficient routes. This little detour can rack up serious savings on points or cash. And if you're all about maximizing miles and points (like us), repositioning flights could be your new best friend.
The Magic of Repositioning
Let’s walk through one of Bredan’s repositioning success stories. He and his wife headed from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Edinburgh, Scotland. No direct flights were available, and a one-way economy flight was going to cost them a whopping 70,000 points—not ideal. So, he tried something different.
Instead of booking that overpriced route, he found a flight from Orlando, Florida to Edinburgh on Virgin Atlantic for just 10,000 points per person. The catch? He needed to get to Orlando first. But…it was absolutely worth the effort.
Using British Airways Avios, he snagged a repositioning flight from Charlotte to Orlando for 8,000 points. Yes, it’s a little weird that the domestic flight cost more points than the transatlantic one, but here’s the best part: the combined cost of repositioning from Charlotte to Orlando, then flying from Orlando to Edinburgh, saved them over 50,000 points. Plus, his wife’s ticket was even cheaper thanks to Virgin Atlantic’s companion seat perk—only 5,000 points!
Crunching the Numbers
When you tally it all up, their repositioning plan came to 14,250 points and about $158 in taxes and fees per person, compared to the 70,000 points and $560 that United wanted. Not only did they save a ton of points, but they also cut down on any major fees.
For the nerds out there who love some good math: the Virgin Atlantic option gave them a redemption value of about 13.9 cents per point. Yeah… that’s insane!
But, What About the Fees?
Now, you might be thinking, "But what about the taxes and fees?" Good question. Virgin Atlantic does charge higher fees than some other airlines, but even with those factors in mind, the repositioning strategy still wins. It’s like paying a little more for better seats at a concert, but you’re still getting a super solid deal.
Another Example: Upper Class, Please!
Still not convinced? Let me take you through another repositioning win. After two weeks in Scotland, Brendan and Erin were headed back to the U.S., and Virgin Atlantic Upper Class (aka business class) was calling their name. There was no way Brendan was settling for economy. Let’s be real…this is Daily Drop.
Direct flights from Dublin to Washington D.C. in economy were 20,000 points. Not bad, right? But he knew he could do better. Instead of flying direct, Brendan took a repositioning flight from Dublin to London for 4,500 points, then booked a Virgin Upper-Class flight from London to D.C. for—get this—just 28,000 points.
How did he score that price, you ask? Virgin was running a 50% discount on reward flights, and he used their companion seat benefit again for his wife, Erin. That brought the total for two Upper-Class seats to 43,200 points. Less than the economy seat!
How to Find Repositioning Flights
You might be wondering how to find these magical repositioning flights. The secret is in how you search. Instead of limiting yourself to flights from one airport, expand your search. Use tools like Seats.Aero or Google Flights Explorer to check routes from nearby airports. You’ll be amazed at what you can find.
To Wrap Up
Repositioning flights aren’t just a niche trick for travel pros—they’re honestly a game-changer. Next time you’re planning a trip, play around with different airport combinations and see if you can shave points or cash off your total. Trust us, it’s worth the extra legwork.
