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Why doesn't Southwest have hubs?

DTOFROMSD
Explorer C

I think Vegas Phoenix and Chicago would qualify as hubs.

3 REPLIES 3

Re: Why doesn't Southwest have hubs?

bec102896
Aviator A

I believe they have hubs in Dallas (Love Field), Houston (Hobby), Chicago (Midway) just to name a few. 

Re: Why doesn't Southwest have hubs?

SWDigits
Aviator A
Solution
See this post, it's from several years ago but the key points are still relevant: https://www.southwestaircommunity.com/t5/Blog/THE-POINT-OF-OUR-ROUTE-NETWORK/ba-p/6420

Customer | Home airport DCA

Re: Why doesn't Southwest have hubs?

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A
Solution

I like this visual representation which shows Southwest definitely focuses on some cities, but it's clearly not a hub and spoke model. 

Screenshot_20200118-084043_Drive.jpg

 

The problem with hub and spoke, as referred to in the linked article above is smaller cities almost always have to fly through a hub to get somewhere. Southwest will often offer at least one non stop to several cities even from the smallest of cities. 

 

Here's another slide showing how they spread their flights around a number of large metro areas.Screenshot_20200118-084137_Drive.jpg

 

I was trying to find the slide listing their top cities by daily flights. If I remember correctly it's MDW first then DEN? And I think DEN is projected to take number 1 soon. These slides are all from the November 2019 investor presentation, http://www.southwestairlinesinvestorrelations.com/news-and-events/events-and-presentations

 

--TheMiddleSeat