Torquelink:
Interesting piece from the RAeS but, as long-suffering SLF, if I want to go from London to, say, Buenos Aires I'd take the direct non-stop flight offered by any competent carrier rather than connect through Madrid (or anywhere else) which is why I can't get my head around this multi-hub strategy - whether BA's or anyone else's. If there are no direct services then there are a myriad of potential connections through other hubs which are at least as convenient as Madrid
I you were a civil servant or a BBC executive, I'm sure you would. But for us mere mortals, cost comes into consideration. The last three times I have long hauled, I have gone via a hub rather than direct, because it was nearly half the price.
If hubs are more efficient, and thus cheaper, people
will use them.
The only caveat here, is the hassle. Why do I have to 'enter' a country if I am not going there? If I am inbound international and outbound international two hours later, why cannot I just jump from one aircraft to the next? (Perhaps with a security screen.)
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