Hub Airport
A major airport used as a transfer centre by one or more airlines — the bigger the hub, the more flights and competitive fares you can find there.
What is a hub airport?
A hub airport is a major airport that serves as a central connecting point in an airline's network. Airlines operate "hub-and-spoke" networks: they fly passengers from smaller regional airports (spokes) into a central hub, and then connect them to long-haul or intercontinental routes that depart from the hub. This model allows airlines to fill large aircraft on profitable long routes by aggregating passengers from many smaller origin points.
The world's most important aviation hubs include Amsterdam Schiphol (KLM/Air France), London Heathrow (British Airways, Virgin Atlantic), Frankfurt (Lufthansa), Dubai (Emirates), Singapore Changi (Singapore Airlines), Doha (Qatar Airways), and Atlanta (Delta). Each hub offers dozens of long-haul destinations that would be uneconomical to serve from smaller airports.
Why hubs matter for finding cheap flights
Competition is most intense at major hubs, which means fares from hubs to long-haul destinations are typically lower than fares from regional airports on the same routes. Flying from Amsterdam to New York is usually cheaper than flying from Bristol to New York, even though Bristol is geographically closer, because Schiphol has far more airlines and seat capacity competing for the same passengers.
Hub airports are also where error fares and flash sales tend to appear first, because high-volume routes have more automated pricing activity and more opportunities for glitches. FairFares monitors deals departing from all major European hubs continuously.
Hub congestion and connection risk
The downside of hubs is their size. Heathrow Terminal 5, Frankfurt's Terminal 1, and JFK's Terminal 4 are large enough that a minimum connection time of 60–75 minutes is advisable even if the airline officially allows 45 minutes. During peak seasons, delays are common, and missed connections at busy hubs can mean waiting 8–12 hours for the next available flight.
When routing through a hub on a connecting itinerary, always check the airport's average on-time performance for your airline. A 90-minute connection at Schiphol is comfortable; a 90-minute connection at Heathrow T5 during a bank holiday can be stressful.