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Airlines are betting more on Austin as the travel industry begins to awaken again.
As the vaccines roll out and the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, both American Airlines and Alaska Airlines announced a wave of new non-stop flights at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Thursday.
American said it will add 10 domestic and four international flights to and from ABIA this fall.
The new domestic fights are:
- Service to El Paso three times a day
- Twice daily connections to Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Missouri, and St. Louis
- Daily service to Jacksonville, Florida; Oklahoma City; Reno, Nevada; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Central Texans will also have four new international options as American adds Cancun, Mexico, non-stop services; Liberia, Costa Rica; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
More:Travel is back and Austin is back live, but recovery will take time
Domestic flights start at different times in September, October and November, and international flights start in October and November.
After the successful seasonal flight this summer, American Airlines will also start year-round non-stop service from Austin to Los Cabos, Mexico, and to Nassau, Bahamas.
“We added more flights from Austin earlier this year and customers said they want more,” said Brian Znotins, America’s vice president of network planning. “We strive to offer our customers even more opportunities to get in touch with family, friends and colleagues. Together with our partners, we are making it easier than ever to connect Austin with the world. “
Customers can purchase tickets for the new flights from June 14th on aa.com.
“For the past 40 years American Airlines has connected Austin and Central Texas to the world,” Austin Mayor Steve Adler said in a statement. “We couldn’t be happier with today’s announcement of a new and expanded service (in Austin). We look forward to continuing our successful partnership with American for many years to come. “
More:Mexico-based Viva Aerobus lands in Austin with two non-stop flights
Meanwhile, Alaska Airlines announced Thursday that it is planning a new route between Palm Springs, California and Austin starting November 19. It will be the only non-stop flight between the heart of the Coachella Valley and the Texas capital, with five flights a week.
“Since March, our vacation travel bookings have exceeded pre-pandemic levels,” said Brett Catlin, vice president of Network and Alliances, Alaska Airlines. “For many of our guests, self-confidence increases after the vaccination. They’ve been locked up for well over a year – now they’re ready to relax, enjoy, and explore. “
Still on the hunt for business travel
Travel industry experts say airlines are targeting the leisure market by adding more non-stop flights to tourist destinations to bring vacationers back on board. But the hospitality industry won’t see a full recovery until business travel returns, industry analysts say, and there is little evidence to suggest it will happen until at least early 2022.
“With more and more people being vaccinated and events being postponed, we expect a significant increase in demand for accommodation in the summer. This is especially true for leisure and tourist travel, ”said Paul Vaughn, senior vice president at Source Strategies, a consulting firm that tracks the Texas hospitality industry.
“Business and convention trips will take longer because many of these events are planned years in advance,” he said. “Many companies may also weigh the savings of virtual meetings over face-to-face meetings.”
While domestic air traffic has returned, international bookings are still sluggish due to quarantine regulations, closed attractions, and total entry bans such as that for most non-US residents from much of Europe entering the US.
American, Alaska and Delta Airlines are among those choosing to use some of their large jetliners on domestic routes or for shorter international trips.
“It’s like buying a Porsche and driving it to church on Sundays,” American Airlines’ Znotins recently told CNBC.
For hotel operators in Austin, the new nonstops bring hope of more trips to Austin.
“These new flights, especially international, offer travelers a new reason to explore all that Austin has to offer, including our electric nightlife, robust dining scene and fantastic boutique hotels,” said Ava Lugo, general manager of the East Austin Hotel on East Sixth Street. “We can’t wait to welcome new visitors and show them the southern hospitality for which we are known.”
More options for Austin travelers
In the past few months, airlines have introduced a number of new non-stop flights to and from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. In May, American Airlines began flying 10 year-round, seasonal routes to and from Austin Airport.
Daily, year-round service from Austin to Nashville, Las Vegas, Orlando and New Orleans began on May 6, with connections to Raleigh-Durham, Tampa and Washington-Dulles later that summer, the airline said.
The new Saturday seasonal service to Aspen, Colorado, San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, and Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Florida began June 5th.
Other airlines also offer flights from Austin. Alaska Airlines announced that it would begin daily flights from Austin to Boise, Idaho, on July 17. Allegiant Air will begin nonstop flights from Austin to Bozeman, Mont. And Bentonville, Ark this summer.
Meanwhile, Mexican low-cost airline Viva Aerobus plans to offer non-stop flights to Mexico City and Monterrey starting this month.
“The airlines know Austin in a hip destination and they know that Austinites want to travel,” airport spokesman Bryce Dubee told the American statesman earlier this month. “It’s really a focused effort on recreational destinations, national parks, and beach destinations.”
Passenger traffic at Austin Airport fell 63% in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The airport had about 6.5 million passengers last year, up from 17.3 million passengers in 2019, the highest passenger travel year ever.
The 2020 passenger count is Austin-Bergstrom’s lowest number since the airport opened in 1999. Prior to COVID-19, the airport experienced record-breaking passenger growth for 10 consecutive years.
But there are signs of recovery: During the recent University of Texas closing weekend and NASCAR events, local hotel rates and occupancy were near 2019 levels, according to Visit Austin. On Memorial Day, passenger traffic at Austin Airport rose to 25,354, the busiest Day since the beginning of the pandemic.
Although outside visitors are returning to Austin’s hotels, restaurants, and entertainment districts, industry analysts estimate it will take at least two years for the region’s hospitality industry to return to 2019 levels.
“The general trend that we’ve seen is the return of recreational travelers,” Dubee said. “That was the big deal now.”
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