When my husband and I decided to retire, we devised a plan. We wanted to rent out our home in California and visit the UNESCO World Heritage city of Guanajuato.
28.07.2024 - 18:06 / thepointsguy.com
It seems like Austin, Texas wasn't as hot as American Airlines had expected.
Over the weekend, the airline filed yet another major schedule change surrounding service at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS).
This time, American is exiting five routes in Austin, as first seen in Cirium schedules and later confirmed to TPG by a carrier spokesperson. (American is also dropping two other domestic routes — the details of which you'll find at the bottom of this story.)
The Austin cuts include year-round service to Las Vegas, New Orleans and Orlando, as well as seasonal service to Palm Springs and Reno.
The aforementioned flights have now been canceled starting in October, and affected travelers will be offered either rerouting through an American hub or a full refund.
In a statement confirming the move, an airline spokesperson shared that "as part of the continuous evaluation of our network, American will reduce service from Austin starting in October. American will continue to offer customers access to our comprehensive global network of more than 350 destinations with one-stop connections."
With these cuts, American has effectively reversed almost all of the carrier's recent growth in the Texas capital.
During the pandemic, American doubled down on service to Austin. The airline kicked off the growth in March 2021 with 10 new routes. Just three months later, the carrier followed up with 14 more new routes there, including a mix of domestic and international destinations to cities in Mexico, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic.
This mix of business- and leisure-focused routes was part of a long-term play to capitalize on the city's growth from major companies moving or expanding there. American wanted to position itself as the carrier of choice for locals, regardless of whether they travel for work or pleasure.
In addition to new flights, American also unveiled plans for a new 15,000-square-foot Admirals Club at AUS. The proposed design calls for floor-to-ceiling windows, various seating areas, locally inspired art installations and live music from local artists.
At its peak, some aviation observers even wondered whether the airport would eventually become a focus city for American.
And now, a few years later, Austin will look just like many of the carrier's other outstations.
Late last year, the airline cut a whopping 21 routes from Austin. Now, with the additional five cuts, American is left with service from AUS to:
Going forward, American Airlines travelers must connect through nearby hubs to get to many top destinations from the city. (American said that it is increasing capacity on these hub routes and that these adjustments are within its recent capacity guidance.)
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When my husband and I decided to retire, we devised a plan. We wanted to rent out our home in California and visit the UNESCO World Heritage city of Guanajuato.
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This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Amanda Mrokez, an American student in Cologne, Germany. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
Passengers traveling from Austin will soon have fewer options for direct flights on a popular carrier. American Airlines recently confirmed to Travel + Leisure it will be discontinuing several routes, including nonstop flights to Las Vegas (LAS), Orlando (MCO), New Orleans (MSY), Reno (RNO) and Palm Springs (PSP). «As part of the continuous evaluation of our network, American will reduce service from Austin (AUS) starting in October,” an American Airlines spokesperson shared with T+L. “We’re proactively reaching out to impacted customers and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.” The last scheduled day for the non-stop flights to Las Vegas, New Orleans, and Orlando is Sunday, October 6. The Reno and Palm Springs route previously operated as a seasonal service and will not be returning. American has aggressively modified its route network to increase business objectives, as company leadership previously outlined in an investor briefing. “We are taking this challenge head-on, with clear and decisive actions to deliver on a strategy that maximizes our revenue and profitability, and importantly, one that makes it easy for customers to do business with American,” American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said in a July 2024 earnings call.
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