8/11/25

The Ultimate Guide to Scoring Killer Award Travel Deals from Small Airports

Hey everyone, let's talk about something near & dear to my heart: scoring EPIC award travel deals. You see all those Instagrammers jetting off to the Maldives in business class for practically nothing, & you think, "That must be nice, living next to JFK or LAX." I get it. When you're based out of a smaller, non-hub airport, it can feel like you're on the outside looking in on the best deals.
But here's the thing, & I want you to lean in for this: you absolutely CAN find incredible award travel, even if your local airport has more tractors than terminals. It just takes a little more creativity, a bit of flexibility, & some insider knowledge. Honestly, sometimes the deals are even sweeter because you had to work for them a little.
I've spent years figuring this stuff out, & I'm going to lay it all out for you. We're talking about the strategies, the tools, & the mindset you need to make your travel dreams a reality, no matter where you're flying from.

The Non-Hub Airport Disadvantage: Let's Just Get It Out of the Way

Okay, let's not pretend it's all sunshine & roses. Flying from a smaller airport does have its challenges. You're likely to find:
  • Less availability: This is the big one. Airlines release a limited number of "saver" award seats (the ones that cost a reasonable amount of miles), & they're often snapped up on popular routes from major hubs.
  • Fewer direct flights: You're probably used to connecting for most of your trips, & award travel is no different. This can add time & complexity to your journey.
  • Dynamic pricing woes: Many US-based airlines have shifted to dynamic pricing for their own flights. This means the number of miles you need is tied to the cash price of the ticket. From a smaller airport with less competition, cash prices can be higher, & so can the mileage cost.
But don't get discouraged! These are just hurdles, not roadblocks. With the right approach, you can turn these disadvantages into advantages.

The Golden Rule: Flexibility is Your Superpower

If you take only one thing away from this article, let it be this: flexibility is everything. The more flexible you can be with your travel plans, the more likely you are to find a fantastic deal. This means being flexible with:
  • Your dates: If you can travel during the off-season or on weekdays, you'll have a MUCH easier time finding award availability.
  • Your destination: Sometimes, the best deals are to places you hadn't even considered. Be open to exploring new destinations!
  • Your airline: Don't be loyal to just one airline. The best deal might be on a partner airline you've never flown before.

The Game-Changer: Positioning Flights

This is probably the most important strategy for us non-hub folks. A positioning flight is a separate flight you book to get from your home airport to a major hub where your main award flight departs.
Here's an example: Let's say you live in Grand Rapids, Michigan (GRR), & you want to fly to Dubai. You might not find any good award availability directly from GRR. But, you might find a fantastic business class deal on Emirates from Chicago (ORD) to Dubai (DXB).
So, what do you do? You book a separate flight from GRR to ORD. This is your positioning flight. It might be a cheap cash ticket or you could even use a small number of miles to book it. By doing this, you've unlocked a much better deal than you would have found from your home airport.

Tips for Booking Positioning Flights:

  • Give yourself plenty of time: I can't stress this enough. Book your positioning flight with a long layover, or even better, plan to arrive the day before your main flight. This gives you a buffer in case of delays or cancellations. Remember, your positioning flight is on a separate ticket, so if you miss your connection, the airline for your long-haul flight has no obligation to rebook you.
  • Consider driving: If a major hub is within a few hours' drive, this can be a great option. It gives you more control over your schedule & you don't have to worry about flight delays. If you're driving to a major hub, finding affordable & convenient parking can be a headache. That's where a service like Prked comes in handy. You can book a private driveway or garage near the airport, often for a fraction of the cost of official airport parking. It's a pretty cool way to save some cash & avoid the stress of finding a spot.
  • Look for cheap cash fares: Use Google Flights or other search engines to find cheap one-way tickets for your positioning flight.
  • Use a different currency (of miles): You can use miles from a different program to book your positioning flight. For example, if you're using American Airlines miles for your international flight, you could use British Airways Avios (a partner of American) to book your domestic positioning flight.
  • Pack light: If you can, travel with just a carry-on for your positioning flight. This avoids the hassle of collecting your bags & re-checking them.

Your Secret Weapon: Transferable Points

If you're serious about award travel, you NEED to be earning transferable points. These are points from credit card programs like American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One Miles, & Citi ThankYou Points.
Why are they so great? Because you can transfer them to a wide variety of airline & hotel partners. This gives you incredible flexibility. Instead of being locked into one airline's program, you can transfer your points to wherever you find the best deal.
For example, let's say you find a great award flight on Air France. You can transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Air France's Flying Blue program & book the flight. If you find another great deal on Singapore Airlines, you can transfer your Amex points to their KrisFlyer program. It's like having a universal key to the world of award travel.
This is especially important for those of us flying from non-hub airports because it opens up so many more options. You're not limited to the airlines that serve your home airport directly.

Leveraging Airline Alliances

The three major airline alliances are Star Alliance, Oneworld, & SkyTeam. Each alliance is a network of airlines that have partnered up. This is HUGE for award travelers because it means you can use miles from one airline to book flights on any of its partners.
Let's break it down:
  • Star Alliance: This is the largest alliance, with members like United, Air Canada, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, & Turkish Airlines. If you have United miles, you can use them to fly on any of these airlines.
  • Oneworld: This alliance includes American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, & others.
  • SkyTeam: This alliance includes Delta, Air France, KLM, & more.
So, how does this help you? Let's say you live near a small airport that's only served by United. You might think you're stuck with only United flights. But because United is in the Star Alliance, you can use your United miles to book flights on any of their partners. This opens up a whole world of possibilities.
You might be able to fly from your home airport to a United hub, & then connect to an international flight on a partner airline like Lufthansa or Turkish Airlines.

Finding the Deals: The Tools of the Trade

Okay, so you know about positioning flights, transferable points, & alliances. But how do you actually find the award availability? Here are some of the best tools out there:
  • Airline Websites: This is the most basic way to search. If you have miles with a specific airline, you can search for award flights directly on their website. Just make sure you check the box that says "book with miles" or something similar.
  • Award Search Tools: These are third-party websites that search for award availability across multiple airlines & programs. They can be a HUGE time-saver. Some of the most popular ones are:
    • Seats.aero: This is a powerful tool that's great for finding saver award space. It has a free version that's pretty useful, & a paid version with more features. It's particularly good if you have flexible dates & are willing to position to different cities.
    • AwardFares: This tool lets you search multiple frequent flyer programs at once & sort the results by price. It has a timeline view that makes it easy to see availability across several weeks or months.
    • Roame.travel: This is another great option for searching for award flights.
  • Google Flights: While you can't book award flights directly on Google Flights, it's an invaluable tool for finding cheap cash fares for positioning flights & for exploring potential routes. You can use the "Explore" feature to see where you can fly from your home airport (or a nearby hub) for a good price.

A Quick Step-by-Step Guide to Your Search:

  1. Start with the long-haul flight: This is the most important part of your trip, so find the best deal on this first. Be flexible with your departure city – search from major hubs near you.
  2. Use an award search tool: Use a tool like Seats.aero or AwardFares to search for availability on your desired route.
  3. Once you find a good deal, confirm it on the airline's website: Award search tools aren't always 100% accurate, so it's always a good idea to double-check.
  4. Transfer your points (if necessary): If you're using transferable points, transfer them to the airline's frequent flyer program.
  5. Book your award flight!
  6. Now, book your positioning flight: Find a cheap cash fare or use a small number of miles to book your flight from your home airport to the hub where your main flight departs.

Don't Forget About Storage!

This is a little-known tip, but it can be a lifesaver. If you're taking a long trip, you might not want to leave your car at the airport for weeks on end. The costs can really add up!
This is another area where a service like Prked can be a great solution. Instead of just parking, you could even rent someone's garage for long-term storage. It's a secure & affordable way to keep your car safe while you're off exploring the world. Prked connects you with homeowners who are renting out their unused space, so you can find a convenient spot near you.
And hey, if you're not traveling, you could even be on the other side of this equation! If you've got an empty garage, driveway, or even just a spare closet, you can list it on Prked & earn some passive income. It's a pretty cool way to make some extra cash from space you're not even using.

The Mental Game: Patience & Persistence

I'm not going to lie, finding award travel from a smaller airport can sometimes be frustrating. You'll run into dead ends, you'll see deals disappear before you can book them, & you'll spend a lot of time searching.
But don't give up! The key is to be patient & persistent. Keep checking for availability, set up alerts on award search tools, & be ready to jump on a deal when you see one.
Remember, the thrill of booking a bucket-list trip for a fraction of the cost is SO worth it. And when you're sitting in that lie-flat business class seat, sipping champagne & flying over the Atlantic, you'll forget all about the hours you spent searching.
I hope this was helpful! It might seem like a lot to take in at first, but once you get the hang of it, you'll be a pro in no time. Let me know what you think, & happy travels
;