---
title: "What is a hub airport | Business Class Glossary"
description: "An airport where an airline bases its network and connects most of its flights, such as Frankfurt for Lufthansa or Doha for Qatar Airways."
canonical_url: https://buybusinessclass.com/glossary/hub
last_updated: 2026-11-04
---

# What is a hub airport?

Source: https://buybusinessclass.com/glossary/hub

An airport where an airline bases its network and connects most of its flights, such as Frankfurt for Lufthansa or Doha for Qatar Airways.

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## Hub airport, explained

Airlines route most of their long-haul flights through their hubs. A trip on an airline that does not fly your route nonstop usually connects at its hub.

The hub shapes the trip: the length of the connection, the lounge you wait in and how many cities you can reach. Comparing connections through different hubs is how one-stop business class trips are priced.

Airlines build their hub schedules in waves, so long-haul arrivals from one region land shortly before departures to another, and they put their best lounges there. A hub in the right direction keeps the detour short; one far off the straight line adds hours, so two airlines' hubs on the same trip can give very different total travel times.

### On a business class trip

From New York to Prague, Lufthansa connects through Frankfurt, Austrian Airlines through Vienna and Air France through Paris.

## Related terms

-   [Layover](https://buybusinessclass.com/glossary/layover)
    
    The time between two flights in a connecting city, usually a few hours. On international tickets it lasts under 24 hours; anything longer is a stopover.
    
-   [Stopover](https://buybusinessclass.com/glossary/stopover)
    
    A planned stay of more than 24 hours in a connecting city on an international ticket, as opposed to a layover, which is a short wait between flights.
    
-   [Airline alliance](https://buybusinessclass.com/glossary/airline-alliance)
    
    A group of airlines that share networks, lounges and loyalty benefits: Star Alliance, oneworld and SkyTeam.
    
-   [Positioning flight](https://buybusinessclass.com/glossary/positioning-flight)
    
    A separate flight to the city where the main trip starts, taken because a fare from there is cheaper or better.
    
-   [Fifth-freedom flight](https://buybusinessclass.com/glossary/fifth-freedom-flight)
    
    A flight by an airline between two countries that are not its home, as part of a route that starts or ends at home.
    

Further reading: [New York to Prague in business class](https://buybusinessclass.com/business-class-flights/new-york-to-prague). [Every term in the glossary](https://buybusinessclass.com/glossary).

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