Point to point airline travel in vogue; hubs will regain strength

Low cost, point-to-point airlines in the Americas continue to leverage their new-found advantage obtained during the COVID- 19 pandemic, as passengers continue to prefer nonstop flights rather than connecting through hubs.

Research by the US ultra low cost operator Allegiant Air has shown that a strong majority of customers, regardless of whether they had booked travel, "made it abundantly clear that the prospect of connections or layovers typically occurring in crowded hubs has a major negative impact on their intention to fly during the pandemic".

But the question that looms large is: how long will that advantage last? There is little reason to doubt the long term longevity of the hub and spoke model; however, it is tough to determine when passenger comfort for connections will return to normal levels.

For now, it appears that leisure customers are becoming more comfortable with travel; however, their strong preference for point-to-point travel remains firmly intact.