QUESTION: How can I get around the hub premium?
ANSWER: Check airports within 100 miles of your hub and compare prices. However, extra driving, parking and layovers — plus the risk of missing connections — can reduce the value of a cheaper ticket. Some travelers told the Free Press the savings would have to be at least $300 to make an extra stop.
Q: If I book a Flint-Detroit-Amsterdam, Netherlands, round-trip ticket on Delta, can I get on and off in Detroit and skip the Flint portion?
A: No. If you miss any segment of a flight, your whole ticket is voided. The only segment you can safely miss is the last one on the return flight.
Q: Like Flint, Toledo is considered a spoke airport for Detroit’s hub. Can I save money by flying from Toledo to Detroit, then overseas?
A: No. Delta ended Toledo-Detroit flights in 2010. However, it is worth checking other spokes such as Kalamazoo, Traverse City, Lansing and Flint.
via How to get around the airport hub premium — or live with it | Detroit Free Press | freep.com.
