Positioning Flights
Cheap business class flights
using positioning flights
Fly business class for less by using a positioning flight. Book a cheap short-haul award leg with points, then a separate cash ticket for the long-haul. Works even if you don't have points — you can buy them and still save thousands.
Real example — business class deals
Cheap business class to Sydney using a positioning flight
Direct cash fare
$5,718
Full award
68,000 Avios
+ $254 tax
Positioning flight
$2,316
+ 52,000 Avios
Save $3,402 cash
The positioning flight: use 52,000 Avios for BA business class London to Dubai. Then pay $2,316 cash for Dubai to Sydney. Same journey, 59% less cash.
What is a positioning flight?
A positioning flight is a separately booked flight used to reach a different airport where your main journey starts. Instead of flying direct from your home airport at a premium price, you take a cheap short-haul flight to a hub where the onward fare is significantly cheaper.
The positioning flight meaning in award travel is specific: you book the short positioning leg using loyalty points (like British Airways Avios), then book the long-haul leg separately with cash. Because short-haul award flights are incredibly cheap in points — BA business class London to Dublin costs just 16,500 Avios — while the cash fare from the hub is often dramatically cheaper than flying direct, you end up saving thousands.
This is sometimes called a business class hack or split ticket flights, but the positioning flight strategy is specifically about using points for the cheap positioning leg and cash for the main leg. It's the cheapest way to fly business class on premium long-haul routes.
The business class hack: how positioning flights work
No other tool does this. We combine live cash pricing with live award availability across 200+ airlines.
Find the cheapest hub
We search cash fares from every connecting hub to your destination — Dublin, Copenhagen, Istanbul, Dubai, and more. Airlines price routes independently, so hub fares are often half the direct price.
Book the positioning flight with points
BA Avios short-haul business class: 16,500 Avios to Dublin, Copenhagen, Paris, or Amsterdam. 26,750 to Istanbul. 52,000 to Dubai. These are some of the best business class deals in award travel.
Pay cash for the long-haul
Book the onward flight separately at the cheaper hub price. Two tickets, one journey. The savings on business class can be $1,000 to $3,400+ per person.
Don't have points? This strategy still works for you.
You don't need to be a frequent flyer to use positioning flights.
You can buy Avios directly from British Airways. 16,500 Avios costs roughly $300-400 to purchase. Even after buying the points, the total cost is often $1,000-2,000 cheaper than the direct cash fare for business class.
Example: Cheap business class to Hong Kong costs $4,488 direct. Buy 16,500 Avios for ~$350, use them for a positioning flight London to Dublin, then pay $2,403 cash Dublin to Hong Kong. Total: ~$2,750 — that's $1,700 saved even buying the points from scratch.
Why positioning flights save so much on business class
Airlines price each route independently. A direct London to New York business class ticket might cost $3,500, but the same airline charges only $2,100 from Dublin to New York. The price difference exists because London is a premium departure point with high demand.
Meanwhile, the positioning flight from London to Dublin in BA business class costs just 16,500 Avios + $19 tax. That's a tiny amount of points to save over $1,300 in cash. This is why the positioning flight strategy is the best-kept secret for cheap business class flights from London.
The best positioning flight hubs from London are Dublin (16,500 Avios), Copenhagen (16,500), Istanbul (26,750), and Dubai (52,000). Each hub unlocks cheap onward fares to different parts of the world — Dublin for North America, Istanbul for Asia and Africa, Dubai for Australia and the Far East.
Cheap business class flights from London
The best positioning flight routes. Real data, real savings on business class deals.
Positioning flights: frequently asked questions
- What is a positioning flight?
- A positioning flight is a separately booked, often cheaper flight used to reach a different airport to start a main, more cost-effective journey. In award travel, it specifically means booking a short-haul flight with loyalty points (like Avios or Virgin Points) to reach a hub airport where the onward cash fare to your destination is significantly cheaper than flying direct. It's a strategic move to access lower fares, different airlines, or premium cabins not available at your home airport.
- How do positioning flights save money on business class?
- Airlines price routes independently. London to New York business class might cost $3,500, but Dublin to New York might cost $2,100 on a different airline. By booking a positioning flight from London to Dublin for just 16,500 Avios (worth ~$19 in taxes), you save $1,300+ in cash. The positioning flight costs almost nothing in points but unlocks dramatically cheaper onward fares. This is the core business class hack that experienced award travellers use.
- Do I need to already have points to use positioning flights?
- No. You can buy Avios directly from British Airways. 16,500 Avios costs roughly $300-400. Even after purchasing the points, the total cost of a positioning flight booking is typically $1,000-2,000 cheaper than the direct business class fare. You can also earn Avios quickly through credit card sign-up bonuses — cards like the Amex Gold or BA Amex offer 10,000-25,000 Avios as a welcome bonus.
- What are the best hubs for positioning flights from London?
- Dublin (16,500 Avios) is the best hub for North America — cheap Icelandair and Aer Lingus transatlantic fares. Copenhagen (16,500 Avios) works well for US routes via Icelandair. Istanbul (26,750 Avios) unlocks cheap fares to Asia, India, and Africa via Turkish Airlines and IndiGo. Dubai (52,000 Avios) is ideal for Australia, Japan, and Singapore. Rome and Madrid (22,000 Avios) offer alternative routes to the Americas and Africa.
- Is it safe to book two separate tickets?
- Split ticket flights carry risk. Two separate tickets means no protection if the positioning flight is delayed and you miss the onward leg. We recommend: allow at least 4 hours between legs, travel with carry-on luggage only (checked bags won't transfer between separate tickets), and consider booking flexible or refundable positioning flights. The savings — $1,000 to $3,400+ on business class — are substantial, but understand the trade-off.
- Which routes save the most with positioning flights?
- The biggest savings are on premium long-haul routes from London: London to Sydney saves $3,400+ (via Dubai), London to Tokyo saves $2,100+ (via Dubai), London to Hong Kong saves $2,000+ (via Dublin), London to Delhi saves 62% (via Istanbul). The pattern works because BA Avios short-haul positioning is extremely cheap while hub cash fares are significantly lower than direct London fares.
- How is this different from Google Flights or Seats.aero?
- Google Flights only searches cash fares. Seats.aero only searches award availability. Neither combines both into one optimised journey. Our positioning flight search checks cash fares across 200+ airlines AND award availability across loyalty programs simultaneously, then finds the cheapest combination of a points positioning leg + cash long-haul leg. No other tool does this.
Important: split ticket flight risks
Positioning flight bookings use two separate tickets. If your positioning flight is delayed and you miss the onward leg, the second airline has no obligation to rebook you. Allow at least 4 hours between legs. Travel with carry-on luggage only — checked bags will not transfer between separate tickets. Consider travel insurance that covers missed connections on separate tickets.