Have you ever observed that some airports have full terminals reserved for just one airline? For instance, people in Los Angeles call Terminal 1 at LAX the “Southwest Terminal,” Terminal 4 the “AA Terminal,” and Terminal 7 the “United Terminal” since each section is primarily used by that one airline. Then there’sChicago O’Hare (ORD), the United States’ most highly connected airport, which handles flights for United Airlines from three of its four terminals — it’s almost a monopoly by a single airline.
This is referred to as a “hub,” which is a primary airport where an airline routes most of its flights, establishing support services there to assist its fleet and travelers — becoming familiar with these hubs can help you save money. If you’ve ever taken a cross-country flight with American Airlines, you might have experienced a layover in Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), or in Atlanta (ATL) if you’re traveling with Delta. This is because these are the main hubs for each airline, where most of their personnel are stationed, and where it’s most efficient for them to handle issues and perform maintenance.
Airlines aim to route most of their flights through these central points, employing what is known as a “hub and spoke” model. When the majority of their routes spread out from these hubs, it appears similar to the spokes of a wheel when seen on a map. The efficiency gained from this centralized approach helps lower operational expenses, which encourages airlines to boost their capacity relative to demand at these hubs. Combined with the airline’s goal of maintaining control at their selected airport, this leads to more competitive ticket prices for routes passing through those locations. In short, traveling through Dallas with American or Chicago with United can result in a more affordable booking.
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How to Benefit from the Airport Hub Network While Traveling
Whether you’re a fan of United, a supporter of Delta, or have no issues with American, it’s wise to be aware of which airport your preferred airline uses as its main base. If you reside in a city that serves as a major hub, you can potentially save money by booking flights with your local top airline. If your closest airport is smaller and you need to travel a long distance (like across the country or internationally), it might be beneficial to book a flight to your nearest hub and then arrange your next leg of the journey separately. Alternatively, if you’re fortunate, a low-cost carrier might operate from a nearby smaller airport to support its fleet — this is one way that…popular low-cost airline Breeze, which has recently received permission to operate international flights, maintains its routes at an affordable cost.
Utilizing platforms such as Google Flights and Skyscanner can assist you in evaluating prices and identifying which local hubs are available. Typically, if most of the flights that appear during your search are managed by a single airline, it indicates that you are situated close to its main base. You might even be fortunate enough to have several hubs in your region — for instance, while Chicago O’Hare mainly serves United, the city’s second major airport, Midway, is home to Southwest.
Consider signing up for airline frequent flyer programs if you reside in one of their major hub cities. You’ll not only earn miles and elite status more quickly by traveling through the hub frequently, but you’ll also be added to the mailing list for special fare sales. Additional advice: SinceAlaska Airlines was named the top frequent flyer program for 2025.According to WalletHub, individuals residing in Seattle, Honolulu, Portland, Anchorage, Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco are strongly encouraged to sign up for its membership — it has a presence in each of these locations.
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