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- Sdmccray1984
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Non-hub airports as connecting points
With the recent announcement of AA’s PVG service from Sea-Tac, as well as AA’s decision to route all PVG stuff through there instead of DFW, I’m wondering how common it is for airlines to run connections through non-hub cities. And can it be advantageous to plan connections in that way (LGA to PHX via RDU because I hate JFK)? Your thoughts...
Re: Non-hub airports as connecting points
Connections at outstations aren’t a huge deal, and in the States WN sells connections at some pretty small stations. I’ve connected at WN stations as small as CLE.
Re: Non-hub airports as connecting points
That’s kind of normal if you’re trying to nonrev on AA between DFW and ORD precovid.
DFW to OKC/DSM/STL/MCI/ICT/TUL/XNA/COU/IAH/AUS/SAT to ORD or vice versa.
Much easier to do than DFW - ORD direct.
Though the Texas outstations of IAH/AUS/SAT could be harder than just going to ORD directly.
DFW to OKC/DSM/STL/MCI/ICT/TUL/XNA/COU/IAH/AUS/SAT to ORD or vice versa.
Much easier to do than DFW - ORD direct.
Though the Texas outstations of IAH/AUS/SAT could be harder than just going to ORD directly.
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- YQBexYHZBGM
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Re: Non-hub airports as connecting points
Woodreau wrote:That’s kind of normal if you’re trying to nonrev on AA between DFW and ORD precovid.
DFW to OKC/DSM/STL/MCI/ICT/TUL/XNA/COU/IAH/AUS/SAT to ORD or vice versa.
Much easier to do than DFW - ORD direct.
Though the Texas outstations of IAH/AUS/SAT could be harder than just going to ORD directly.
This is an essential strategy for nonrev travel on any airline's network if load factors are high at your departure airport. The objective then becomes to keep moving and avoid being left behind. Get on any flight that has seats available in the direction of travel, provided the destination airport also has flights to one of the airline's other hubs.
As far as airlines planning a long-haul point-to-point flight to connect to their network through a station other than one of their major hubs, it can be a primarily geographic decision, as AA's SEA-PVG demonstrates. The potential market x-PVG is so large that the only real consideration is to provide a connection to AA's network anywhere it makes sense. Geographic proximity to Asian destinations vs. AA's hubs, and the availability of onward flights to other points in AA's network make SEA an obvious choice, even though they will face competition for origin/destination market share.
A different example was AC's YHZ-BDA nonstop flight, which operated for over 30 years but has since been dropped. While the economic and educational ties established by this route remain to some degree, the connection now must be made via YYZ, which is a considerable detour.
Re: Non-hub airports as connecting points
ish but in this case given the alaska code share this is sort of a hub route right
Re: Non-hub airports as connecting points
I've been nonreving for 22 out of 28 years and I can attest that Woodreau is correct. I've done quite a few weird routings to get home. I even considered flying SFO-LHR-IAH since I couldn't get literally anywhere out of SFO as a nonrev coming back from ICN. On my last big trip just before covid my backup plan was to do DEN-RIC and drive to IAD to get to TLV because DEN-IAD didn't look so hot. But I lucked out with the nonstop.
Re: Non-hub airports as connecting points
TWA772LR wrote:I've been nonreving for 22 out of 28 years and I can attest that Woodreau is correct. I've done quite a few weird routings to get home. I even considered flying SFO-LHR-IAH since I couldn't get literally anywhere out of SFO as a nonrev coming back from ICN. On my last big trip just before covid my backup plan was to do DEN-RIC and drive to IAD to get to TLV because DEN-IAD didn't look so hot. But I lucked out with the nonstop.
Flexibility was - is - the key when non-revving. I remember using TYS a few times to get from IAH to EWR and back. Used PIT for that trip once, too.
EDIT: Just remembered, I used LAS once for that commute as well.
Re: Non-hub airports as connecting points
FlyHossD wrote:TWA772LR wrote:I've been nonreving for 22 out of 28 years and I can attest that Woodreau is correct. I've done quite a few weird routings to get home. I even considered flying SFO-LHR-IAH since I couldn't get literally anywhere out of SFO as a nonrev coming back from ICN. On my last big trip just before covid my backup plan was to do DEN-RIC and drive to IAD to get to TLV because DEN-IAD didn't look so hot. But I lucked out with the nonstop.
Flexibility was - is - the key when non-revving. I remember using TYS a few times to get from IAH to EWR and back. Used PIT for that trip once, too.
EDIT: Just remembered, I used LAS once for that commute as well.
Yep. I've done a few connections in OKC between IAH and DEN. Also did DEN-ELP on UA and ELP-DAL on WN for a weekend during my WN internship.
Re: Non-hub airports as connecting points
Not only that, if you're flying hub-hub, and the flight is oversold, if you know the non-hub stations which are good, the gate agents will generally help you out if you volunteer. Pre-merger, UA served MSY non-stop from all of the hubs. I was doing ORD-LAX semi-frquently, and one day we were over, and she had nothing to LA non-stop the rest of the day. I asked about connecting in MSY, and sure enough, plenty of room. She wrote it down in her "Book of Tricks" for future need.
Re: Non-hub airports as connecting points
Have been non-revving for 30+ years. Some "memorable" itineraries would include:
HNL-NRT-ORD
HKG-GUM-HNL-ORD
BOS-YYZ-DFW
LAX-EWR-DTW-ORD
HNL-EWR-MKE-Amtrak-Metra
DFW-MKE-MKG-APN and return, with a 3 minute connection in MKG
...and numerous examples of a "detour" on a hub-to-hub route. The best of these are when you can find a routing with the same aircraft all the way through. Guaranteed connection and often very confused Flight Attendants! ("Didn't you just get off?")
HNL-NRT-ORD
HKG-GUM-HNL-ORD
BOS-YYZ-DFW
LAX-EWR-DTW-ORD
HNL-EWR-MKE-Amtrak-Metra
DFW-MKE-MKG-APN and return, with a 3 minute connection in MKG
...and numerous examples of a "detour" on a hub-to-hub route. The best of these are when you can find a routing with the same aircraft all the way through. Guaranteed connection and often very confused Flight Attendants! ("Didn't you just get off?")
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- AntonioMartin
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Re: Non-hub airports as connecting points
Woodreau wrote:That’s kind of normal if you’re trying to nonrev on AA between DFW and ORD precovid.
DFW to OKC/DSM/STL/MCI/ICT/TUL/XNA/COU/IAH/AUS/SAT to ORD or vice versa.
Much easier to do than DFW - ORD direct.
Though the Texas outstations of IAH/AUS/SAT could be harder than just going to ORD directly.
You know I once bought a Sega Genesis Airline game (for $2 at Blockbuster!!!!) that had among its rules that you could only start flights from a hub...being about 22 at the time and really a kid I 1) did not know what a hub was and 2) began to think that is how it really was....after starting my timetable collection about a year later and seeing how, for example 80 percent of Delta's flights took off or landed at Atlanta and so on....
But it's kinda normal to be rerouted through hubs (versus flying non-hub to non-hub) isnt it? In fact, of my 14 flights, none have been using non-hubs purely IIRC.
Re: Non-hub airports as connecting points
Sort of off topic
Is Non-Rev considered in passenger counts for airport traffic?
Okie
Is Non-Rev considered in passenger counts for airport traffic?
Okie
Re: Non-hub airports as connecting points
I've connected quite a bit through various non-hub airports non-reving. And some small airports at that. I've done things such as YUL-YSJ-YHZ for example...anything to make it home!
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