Positioning Flight
A flight taken purely to reach the departure airport of a cheaper or better-timed outbound flight — sometimes called a "throwaway".
What is a positioning flight?
A positioning flight (sometimes called a positioning sector or deadhead, though that term usually refers to crew) is a short flight you take to get yourself to an airport where a better-priced or better-routed flight departs. For example, a UK traveller might take an easyJet flight from Bristol to Amsterdam, and then board a much cheaper KLM transatlantic flight from Amsterdam than they could get from Heathrow.
Positioning flights are a staple technique for deal hunters. Major hub airports — Amsterdam Schiphol, Paris Paris CDG, Frankfurt, Lisbon — regularly offer significantly lower transatlantic or intercontinental fares than UK regional airports, because they have more competition and higher seat volumes.
When does positioning make sense?
The maths need to work: the saving on the main flight must outweigh the cost of the positioning flight, the extra time, and the added complexity. A £30 positioning flight to Amsterdam that saves £300 on a transatlantic fare is an obvious win. A £80 positioning flight that saves £40 is not.
Positioning also makes sense for quality upgrades. Business-class pricing from Continental European hubs is frequently 20–40% cheaper than the same cabin from UK airports. Travellers who care about the onboard product often find positioning dramatically expands what is available within their budget.
Risk and logistics
Book the positioning flight and the main flight as separate tickets. Never book them on the same itinerary if you want to keep costs low — but be aware this means if the positioning flight is delayed, your main flight will not wait for you and you will need to buy a new ticket at short notice. Allow generous connection time: at least 3 hours at the hub airport for international flights.
Pack light enough to manage without checked baggage on the positioning leg. Carrying only cabin bags eliminates the risk of lost luggage and speeds up the airport transit significantly.