How to Maximize Miles & Points Using Repositioning Flights

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I think I understand what "repositioning flight" finally means here. I always thought it was an airline thing where they're trying to get a particular aircraft to a particular location and you try to jump on board that flight (this might still be true) but now I see...in the points and miles game...that "repositioning flights" are for the traveler to get to another airport in order to take advantage of getting a better overall deal on the way to the final destination. Am I close?

How does your luggage work when you do this? Do you try and pack carry on only or do you just allow 4+ hours for a layover to recheck your bags and go through security again?

Only problem is this all falls apart when domestic baggage allowances are 8-12kgs but international allowances are far greater. Excess baggage costs for the domestic re-positioning flights can be extreme.

I think the one important question that people aren't asking, what camera/lens are you using? It looks really good

What isn't factored into this is the amount of time you are adding to the process of flying from one place to another, the added stress of an additional flight that could go wrong, dealing with luggage because not everyone wants to go carryon only. So if you are someone who doesn't fly often and doesn't want to spend a lot of hours flying around and hanging out in various airports for hours on end hoping that you don't miss a connecting flight then this won't work for you. Yeah you do have a big savings by doing it but for some of us it wouldn't matter.

Great video, I am always looking at the four airports nearby as although my home airport is Rochester, NY I do not have a problem driving to Buffalo, Syracuse or Toronto to have a more direct flight.

Wow! Brilliant redemptions! I’m actually looking at going to Edinburgh and London in 2026; I hope I can find some of these sweet deals! Blessings ❤

Thank you for all of your great videos! They are really helpful. If I would like to open both the Venture X and Chase Saphire Preferred. Which do you recommend I open first? Also, how long should I wait to open the second one. I'm trying to get the benefits as soon as possible.

Are you guys carry on only? The main issues that’s held me back from doing this is having to get luggage and re check in.

Experience here you can share ?

I will be using a repositioning flight when we finally travel to Japan. LAX first then on to HND!!!!

Thanks
What the website?

While this is a nice strategy to maximize your points, there is a couple of things that can go wrong. 1) Since the second flight is not on the same itinerary, if your first flight is delayed you'll be on your own for the "connecting" flight. 2) since you are flying international, if you are delayed by a day, you'll be on the hook for a night of hotel. This also means you can't book Airbnb's.

I would do this all day from my home airport (Sarasota, SRQ) to Miami or Ft. Lauderdale, but we have no flights to SE Florida, and flights to South America, which is my prime interest travel destination, from SE Florida are much more abundant and much less of a points spend than other airports. But I will definitely look into this for my next trip to Europe.

You should sponsor 8 miles from home. Fantastic family and have met them. Been watching for 7 years

Can you further elaborate on the companion award, specifically who qualifies, and a step by step tutorial on how to book it, thanks.

A lot of “nay-sayers.” But, these are not your real audience in my book. My home airport is a tertiary city in the Great Lakes region and I reposition everywhere and anywhere. Last year, six trips originating LAX to Europe so I had some wild repositioning efforts. You have substantial risk but when you learn how to do this well, you plan well. This includes repositioning 24 hours earlier and eating the cost of housing and dining. And this drives real value down substantially. But to me, anything above 5 cents is great. And for those who talk about “time value,” sure. That’s a real thing. If you can bill for your time and earn a great deal more than hopping airports and sitting around lounges for hours, that’s truly a factor. While millions of us who can work from anywhere and are possibly not earning a billable rate, we have the luxury of still being able to earn our wages while… sitting around lounges no matter where we are and as long as the work gets done with quality. Your examples here are stellar for those who are flexible. Time is the enemy of most. And when you vanquish the enemy, the world can be your oyster.

I've recently used this strategy- although it was more about giving myself a break on a really long flight. One thing I think would be helpful for you to cover when using this strategy is including the cost (points or $) of the hotel stay and how much time between your positioning flight and your "real" flight you should have to reduce risks of missing the main flight. If you are making this part of an overall trip and planning for a few days in that repositioning location, then I guess the lodging cost shouldn't be factored. But if you are using the strategy solely to get yourself to another airport with better rates, you need to include those costs in the calculation.

What credit card do you use to get the points for the flights?

But how do you know what cities to look at for the deal award travel that you need to position into?

Can't wait till you come back with same video with Alaska Airlines redemptions through their new partnership!!

I cant wait unitl I can get a redemption close to this! I was about to book a flight to Japan for a crazy amount of points but when I looked it was only a 1.1 cent redemption rate SMH. I know there are programs that will book for you but I want to figure it out for myself

Sounds great! Thank you. Can you give us some advice to make this math with a party of 3? And to travel with a PSD 🦮?

There really needs to be an app for this. I'd gladly pay for it.

Can I recommend using nonstop instead of direct when speaking about flights from A to B? A direct flight is a flight from A to C with a stop but no change of plane in B