Once known as a Texas boomtown, Austin has lost some steam lately, mainly due to the tech sector slowing down. But
For over 10 years, Austin was the USA's fastest-growing large city. However, it dropped to 2nd place in 2022 and 2023, per recent census data.
The city is also seeing more residents leave, with a net loss of 2,500 people from July 2022 to July 2023 – something we haven't seen in around 20 years.
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) grew to be one of the fastest-growing American airports, with a 63% increase in passengers over the last 10 years. Recently, some airlines cut back on their schedules in the city.
American stumbles
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American Airlines has made the biggest capacity cuts in Austin. It also lost notable carriers like Virgin Atlantic this year and Hawaiian Airlines in 2025.
Under former commercial chief Vasu Raja, American overestimated demand in Austin with point-to-point routes that ended up being poor performers, leading to Raja's departure earlier this year.
In a 2019 press release, Raja stated:
"We added these routes with our customers in mind to connect them to important destinations for business. While it's not our usual hub-and-spoke model, we recognize the tech community's travel needs and are excited to provide these flights."
From 2019 to 2022, American increased seat capacity in Austin by nearly 50%, becoming the airport's second-largest airline. However, between 2022 and 2024, it cut scheduled capacity by 34%, according to Cirium Diio data.
By May 2025, the airline plans to have only 42 peak daily flights from Austin, down from 76 in 2022. Besides a few leisure routes to Mexico and Aspen, Colorado, American has eliminated all point-to-point flights from Austin.
It's still unclear why American struggled in Austin. The timing wasn't great, especially with the tech boom slowing down after COVID-19.
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), American's biggest hub, is only 200 miles away.
But the biggest problem may be that American lacked a clear plan in Austin, just trying out different routes without building a crew base or upgrading airport facilities.
Delta thinks differently
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Delta is taking a different approach in Austin. As American cuts routes, Delta has added some of the same ones. For example, when American eliminated its Austin to New Orleans flight, Delta quickly took over.
The airline also encouraged SkyWest to set up a crew base in Austin for the Embraer E175, which operates mainly on Delta's behalf there.
In 2019, Delta launched a stylish SkyClub in Austin that features an outdoor patio. This 9,000-square-foot lounge is located near the airport's newer gates, which are mainly used by Delta.
Lastly, Delta is excited about Bergstrom's new midfield concourse, a 20-gate terminal scheduled to open in 2030, with Delta reportedly planning for many gates.
With a regional crew base and significant investments in airport facilities, Delta is clearly positioning itself for a bigger role in Austin.
A glimpse into the past
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The Sunbelt saw significant growth after the pandemic, especially around hubs like Phoenix, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Charlotte, where American Airlines thrived. However, Delta struggled in some areas due to not having a South-Central hub.
That wasn't always true. Delta used to have a strong presence in Dallas/Fort Worth, holding 35% of the market in 1991.
Back then, Delta operated over 250 daily flights from that airport, including long-haul routes. But by 2004, it drastically reduced flights to about 21 daily as part of a restructuring effort.
Since then, Delta has focused on its Atlanta hub instead of Texas. A hub in South-Central, like American's in Dallas/Fort Worth or United's in Houston, helps minimize travel distances and enhances connections between the East and West coasts, as well as Latin America.
Atlanta is huge, with almost 1,000 Delta flights daily, but it doesn't have the same central location as Dallas/Fort Worth. Delta's other Midwest hubs, Minneapolis and Detroit, are too far north to connect well in the Sunbelt.
We shouldn't dismiss Delta's moves in Austin. With significant investments already made and more likely coming, the airline appears committed to being the city's second-largest carrier.
Take the guesswork out of parking: find affordable options with ParkingNearAirports.io!
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Have you ever heard something about off-site parking? If not, we recommend you take a closer look at this part of the article, as this information will be handy for those who prefer to travel by air and get to the airport by their own car.
Most people suppose that parking at the airport is the fastest and most convenient option for them. However, it's not actually true. We'll explain to you why.
To be true, being in a terminal parking lot isn't convenient at all. Although on-site airport parking is the nearest place where you can leave your vehicle for the period of a trip, you can face the following difficulties:
- You will need to find a spot in a crowded lot,
- You will need to carry the luggage all the way through the parking lot,
- You must pay expensive fees without great service.
Sounds not good, right? However, we found an excellent solution for you – in this case, off-site parking can become a savior for you. So if you're trying to find a parking spot with great service nearby the airport you're flying from and don't want to leave there the most significant part of your budget, pay attention to this option.
How does it work?
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Obviously, people who chose a car as a way to get to the airport want to leave their vehicle safely while traveling and not to face the problems we described above. So what can off-site airport parking offer its customers?
Although a few miles usually separate such parking from the airport, you shouldn't worry about this. Off-site parking provides free shuttles going back and forth between the parking lot and the airport. Thanks to this, it removes any worries about getting stuck in traffic on the way to the airport during peak times. So all you need to do is choose the best time for you and inform the parking lot staff.
How does it work? Actually, everything is straightforward: when you come to the entrance, the staff will remove your luggage from your car and load it onto the shuttle, which will take you and your bags to the terminal. Then, the vehicle will be parked securely.
In addition, this type of parking is much cheaper, and this is good news, as nobody wants to waste money. Therefore, off-site parking is the perfect option to receive excellent service and save money at the same time.
Want to find some great offers? You don't need to go somewhere – just find it right here!
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We're glad to inform you that you can find this solution right here. Our booking platform, ParkingNearAirports.io, offers the best prices on airport car parking and bundles hotel and parking packages. Besides, we provide the services for top cruise ports in Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, and Texas.
Our platform allows you to reserve a parking spot through a few clicks within the application. As a result, customers receive a booking confirmation and a guaranteed parking spot upon arrival at the off-airport lot. Besides, if plans change, you can cancel hassle-free and receive a refund.
To understand it better, we would like to give you an example. Let's imagine that you live in Austin, Texas. If you're planning a trip to Denver, Colorado, you can use the services of cheap Austin-Bergstrom Airport long-term parking. If you're coming from Denver, the situation is the same – you can choose affordable parking near DIA with shuttle. So it just depends on the place you're flying from.
Also, ParkingNearAirports.io offers its customers special airport parking coupons. With the help of these coupons, you can make the price for parking even two times less. So don't forget to use them to save as much money as possible.
You can find all the necessary and helpful information connected with the off-site airport parking on our official website. Enjoy traveling!
