What Are Fifth Freedom Flights and How to Book Them

Normally, airlines stick to routes between their home country and international destinations. That’s just how aviation works.

But every so often… a unicorn.

Sometimes, an airline gets permission to fly between two countries that have nothing to do with its home base. That’s called a Fifth-freedom flight — and it’s one of the best secrets in air travel.

A quick example for you: Emirates is based in Dubai, but they fly between New York and Milan. That flight never stops in the UAE. It’s just a bonus route operated by a foreign airline in someone else’s backyard.

If I haven’t made an aviation geek out of you by the end of this article, then I will have failed miserably. So let’s get right to it, friends.

Why Do Fifth-Freedom Routes Exist?

There are a few reasons these weird routes pop up:

• To fill extra seats on long-haul flights

• To make better use of layovers or stopovers

• Because of historic or political agreements that allow them

It’s not super common, but when they do exist, Fifth-freedom routes can give you an advantage when booking award travel. Or, they might just give you a more comfortable ride for less cash or points.

Why Should You Care?

Fifth-freedom flights are one of the best-kept secrets in award travel.

These routes let you fly world-class airlines (like Emirates, Singapore Airlines, or Air France) on shorter routes and often for fewer points.

Instead of flying 14 hours to Asia in business class, you could fly six to eight hours between Europe and the U.S. and still get the lie-flat seat, the champagne, and all the perks and goodies.

Fifth-freedom routes basically combine sweet spots, premium cabins, and funky routes all in one super-duper fun bundle.

The Most Popular Fifth-Freedom Routes

Emirates

• New York (JFK) to Milan (MXP)

• Newark (EWR) to Athens (ATH)

Skip the long haul to Dubai and enjoy a little Emirates first or business-class action. These routes are usually wide open for award redemptions. And Emirates? Pretty tough to beat.

Booking tip: Emirates Skywards is your best bet, but you can also use Aeroplan or other partners.

Use this card: Consider using the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card since Ultimate Rewards points transfer to Emirates at a 1:1 ratio. But, Emirates is pretty sweet considering every major bank offers points transfers.

Singapore Airlines

• Frankfurt (FRA) to New York (JFK)

• Tokyo (NRT) to Los Angeles (LAX)

Singapore Airlines is one of the best in the game — and these routes give you access to their premium cabins without flying halfway around the world.

Booking tip: KrisFlyer miles are ideal, but check Star Alliance partners like United or Avianca for availability.

Use this card: Consider using The Platinum Card® from American Express or the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, both of which transfer to Singapore at a 1:1 ratio, but you can view all partners here.

Air France

• Los Angeles (LAX) to Tahiti (PPT)

This one is pretty underrated. If you’ve ever looked at cash prices to French Polynesia, you know they can get wild. This route helps you get there for way fewer miles.

Booking tip: Flying Blue Promo Rewards often drop the price on this route, so keep an eye out.

Use this card: All major banks transfer at a 1:1 ratio to Air France’s Flying Blue rewards program. You could use any number of our favorite cards: the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, the American Express® Gold Card, or the Bilt Mastercard® to name a few.

Ethiopian Airlines: The Fifth-Freedom Powerhouse

Ethiopian operates more Fifth-freedom flights than just about anyone. Some gems include:

• Vienna (VIE) to Copenhagen (CPH)

• São Paulo (GRU) to Buenos Aires (EZE)

• Bangkok (BKK) to Hong Kong (HKG)

• Tons of intra-Africa routes

Booking tip: United and Aeroplan miles work well, and Ethiopian tends to have wide open award space, especially in business class.

Use this card: Hold the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve®? Consider transferring some of those points over to Aeroplan. Keep in mind that almost all major banks transfer to Aeroplan at a 1:1 ratio.

How to Book Fifth-Freedom Routes with Points

• Use flight search tools: Daily Drop Pro is a great place to start. Filter by airline and look for routes that don’t include the carrier’s home base.

• Search airlines’ award charts: Many airlines make these flights available to partners. For example, you can book Singapore Airlines' Fifth-freedom flights using KrisFlyer, but also via programs like Avianca LifeMiles or United.

• Compare with cash prices: Not all Fifth-freedom flights are cheaper with points. Always compare the cost in points versus dollars, especially on shorter flights.

Bottom Line

Fifth-freedom flights are not just for the aviation geeks (like us 🙃). They’re one of the smartest ways to get more value from your miles. They’re not as common as traditional long-haul flights, but if you know where to look, you can find some serious value.

And the best part? These routes often fly under the radar, which means better availability and less competition.

So the next time you’re piecing together a trip, take a moment to see if a Fifth-freedom route fits into the puzzle.