If you’re looking to save on long-haul travel, it may be worth looking into ‘positioning flights’
While finding cheap flights to European destinations is pretty straightforward, booking a long-haul trip from the UK can be a little more challenging.
And while it’s only natural to look at flights departing from your local airport, this isn’t always the most cost-efficient method.
In fact, in many cases, ‘positioning flights’ is the way to go. This is when you take a shorter flight from your nearest airport to a bigger international one before then hopping on a second plane that will take you to your chosen destination.
In other words, the first flight is getting you ‘positioned’ where you need to be to get to your final destination for the least amount of money possible.
This tends to be a cheaper way of booking flights, as major travel hubs typically get better deals than smaller airports.
The first thing you need to work out is which major airports you can cheaply fly to from your closest airport. For example, a direct one-way flight from London Heathrow to New York’s JFK in August will set you back upwards of £829, according to Skyscanner.
Meanwhile, a direct flight from Paris Orly to New York JFK on the same date costs £599. It costs £80 for a flight from London Heathrow to Paris Orly, bringing the total to £679, a £150 saving just by going via Paris.
Obviously, there is a downside to this way of booking long-haul flights, as making a stopover adds time to your journey. There is also the risk of delays to your first flight making you miss your second flight.
It’s also not the most environmentally-friendly way of getting around, as you’re making two separate journeys instead of one direct flight, which is something to consider if you’re trying to minimise your carbon footprint.
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