For most flights, airlines operate within the country that serves as their home base, or they operate flights to and from that base. For example, Icelandair typically flies to and from Iceland and other countries, using Iceland as a hub. That’s why Icelandair flights from New York to Paris, for example, have a layover in Iceland’s capital of Reykjavik.
However, there are exceptions, known as Fifth Freedom flights. Airlines need a series of permissions to operate flights that neither begin nor end in the country that serves as their home base, so these flights are rare. However, if you find one, you may get a deal on a top-tier airline.
“Some more famous fifth freedom routes operating to the U.S. include Emirates between Athens and Newark, and between Milan and JFK, as well as Singapore Airlines between Frankfurt and JFK,” Herszberg says. Because Fifth Freedom flights may be less expensive, “aviation nerds will often seek out Fifth Freedom flights, particularly to try airlines which may otherwise be out of reach,” he said.
