Flight path A flight path ( also known as a " flight point " or " taxi " ; often abbreviated as FP ) is the primary means of zone - to - zone travel on Azeroth , Outland and Draenor . They are a transportation link between two fixed geographical points via fixed paths on faction - exclusive aerial mount s . The Alliance utilizes both the Gryphon s of the Hinterlands and the Hippogryph s of Kalimdor for transportation , while the Horde uses Kalimdor ' s Wyvern s , Lordaeron ' s massive Vampire bats , and Quel ' Thalas ' s rare Dragonhawk s . Discovery and use . A flight point is manned by a single level cap NPC , most often elite , known as flight master s . As of Patch 5 . 2 , a flight path must first be " discovered " by visiting an area ' s flight master , who will grant access to their flight point ' s route . If a flight master has a flight path to teach you , a green will appear above his or her head , and the flight master will appear as a on your mini - map . From Patch 4 . 2 to 5 . 1 . From Patch 4 . 2 to Patch 5 . 1 , players would automatically learn flight paths for areas that are level - appropriate for them . The option still existed to track down those that are higher level the old - fashioned way . Once you learn a flight path , it will be offered as a route by the flight master . If you ' ve learned all consecutive flight paths in between , you can choose a far - off destination in the flight map window and you ' ll automatically fly there - - the routes will be chained together . Patch 6 . 1 . As of Patch 6 . 1 , you can now fly to a destination point without knowing all the points in between . You still can ' t fly to ones you don ' t know , but this new feature prevents many of the inefficient routes that happened previously and also allows flying to destinations that were previously inaccessible . Request stop . Also in Patch 6 . 1 , a new feature was added to allow stopping at an intermediate flight point rather than having to wait until the last one . Cost . Different flight paths cost different amounts , but generally increase in cost dramatically if they are between higher level expansion zones . The cost of flights is reduced by 5 - 20 % due to the faction discount based on your reputation with the flight master ' s faction . Speed . Flight paths are only slightly faster than a 280 % flying mount . Flight paths usually take turns that do not need to be taken to reach their destinations . By using a swift flying mount , you can most likely beat a flight path to a destination . So if you were to fly from the Argent Tournament Grounds to Dalaran on an Epic Flying Mount it would clearly be faster . Flying mounts were previously not an option in Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms , leaving the flight paths as the fastest means of travel . This was changed in Cataclysm when flight was allowed in Azeroth . Attacks . If flight masters are attacked by members of the opposing faction , they will spawn a pair of add s to defend themselves ( s or s for Horde flight masters , s or s for Alliance ) . Flight masters , while hostile to enemy players , originally had no aggro radius to players . As of Cataclysm flight masters will now attack players unprovoked within their aggro radius . Certain places where both Alliance and Horde flight masters reside , such as Light ' s Hope Chapel , remain stationary unless attacked to allow players to remain there without causing unwanted PvP fights . Linked points . Originally at each flight point you had to select the next flight point you wanted to go to and so on until you reached your destination . AFK characters were more prevalent than they are now at flight points when the introduction of linked flight paths in Patch 1 . 10 . 0 allowed you to pick a point across the map and fly all the way there , provided that you know all the intermediate flight paths . For example , new players in Northrend sometimes quest in both Borean Tundra and the Howling Fjord , but are unable to fly between them because they are linked by several intermediate flight paths in much higher level zones . As time has passed , additional flight points have been added at various places . The way flight paths are linked is not always the most direct and expected route . Logging out in flight . If you log out in flight , upon logging back on , you will continue your flight from the same spot where you logged out . However , in a flight of multiple legs , you will then land at the next waypoint of the journey . This behavior can be used to abort a flight , provided there are waypoints before the destination . Interestingly , logging back in to an Alliance character using a flight path will change whichever steed ( Hippogryph , Skeletal Gryphon , Dragonhawk ) was being ridden before into a normal Gryphon , and Horde characters will log back in to find themselves riding a Wyvern . As of Cataclysm , some flights may no longer be aborted by logging out in flight . Several attempts or even waiting for 10 or more seconds has not aborted a flight to land at the nearest stop . The flight continued until it reached the final destination previously set when the user logged out . New characters . New characters in Azeroth automatically know their capital ' s flight path , their starting zone flight paths , and flight paths to the adjacent low level questing zone . For example , if you are an orc or a troll and you visit the Crossroads before visiting Orgrimmar , talking to the Crossroads flight master will show that you can fly to Orgrimmar even though you haven ' t visited there yet . Death Knights begin the game with access to all of their faction ' s flight paths in Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms , with the following exceptions : the Isle of Quel ' Danas , Zul ' Aman in the Ghostlands , and at the Thondroril River between the Western Plaguelands and Eastern Plaguelands . All of those flight points were added after the Death Knight class was introduced .