Hub and Spoke is air carriers use of selected cities as "hubs" or connected points for service on their systems to regional destinations.
In the context of travel, the term "hub and spoke" refers to a type of network or system in which a central hub is connected to a number of smaller locations or nodes, known as spokes. This term is often used to describe the structure of an airline route network, in which a central hub airport is connected to a number of smaller airports.
Here's how the hub and spoke model works in the context of airline travel:
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The hub airport serves as the central point of the network, and all flights to and from the hub pass through it.
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The spoke airports are smaller airports that are connected to the hub airport. Flights between the spoke airports and the hub airport are known as "feeder" flights, and they typically operate on a more frequent basis than flights between the spoke airports themselves.
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Passengers traveling between two spoke airports can connect through the hub airport, rather than traveling directly between the spoke airports. This allows airlines to offer a larger number of destinations while still maintaining a relatively efficient route network.
Here are a few examples of how the hub and spoke model might be used in the context of travel, transportation, and hotels:
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An airline operates a hub in Dallas, with spoke airports in Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles. A passenger traveling from Chicago to Los Angeles could connect through Dallas, rather than flying directly between the two cities.
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A hotel chain operates a hub hotel in New York City, with spoke hotels in smaller cities and towns throughout the region. Guests traveling between two spoke hotels could stay at the hub hotel and travel to the other spoke hotel by car or public transportation.