A hub is an airport where an airline banks its flights in waves so that passengers from many origins can connect to many destinations.
A hub is an airport where an airline banks its flights in waves so that passengers from many origins can connect to many destinations.
Also called: Hub and spoke.
How it works#
The model explains several everyday experiences: departures cluster in waves, connection times are short, and one disruption at the hub hits many flights at once. For booking it means routings through a hub are often cheaper than the nonstop, because that is where the airline manages load, and that connection reliability depends on that airport’s performance.
Not to be confused with#
A hub is not the same as a home base: an airline can run several hubs and none at the city it is named after.
In German#
The German term is Drehkreuz. German version of this term
Related terms#
- Minimum connection time: Minimum connection time is the shortest connection a reservation system will sell at a given airport between two flights.
- Point-to-point network: A point-to-point network is a model in which an airline links cities directly and does not plan connecting itineraries over a hub.
- Codeshare: A codeshare is a flight sold by one airline under its own flight number while a different airline actually operates it.
Articles that use this term#
TopicEvery article and term onBooking and flight search.