American Cuts Deeply in Austin, Brings Flagship Jet to Charlotte

It seems Austin, Texas is not as hot as American Airlines expected.

Over the weekend, the airline filed another major schedule change involving service at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS).

This time around, American will be dropping five routes in Austin, which were first spotted on Cirium’s schedule and later confirmed to TPG by a spokesperson. (American will also be dropping two other domestic routes — details on those are at the end of this article.)

Flights to Austin include year-round service to Las Vegas, New Orleans and Orlando, as well as seasonal service to Palm Springs and Reno.

The flights have now been cancelled starting in October and affected passengers will be offered a reroute via a US hub or a full refund.

In a statement confirming the move, an airline spokesperson shared that “as part of our ongoing network review, American will reduce service from Austin starting in October. American will continue to provide customers with access to our comprehensive global network of more than 350 destinations with one-stop connections.”

With these cuts, American has reversed nearly all of the airline’s recent growth in the Texas capital.

During the pandemic, American doubled service to Austin. The airline has seen growth in March 2021 with 10 new routes. Just three months later, the carrier followed up 14 more new routes thereincluding domestic and international destinations to cities in Mexico, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic.

This mix of business- and leisure-focused routes is part of a long-term play to capitalize on the city’s growth from major companies moving in or expanding there. American wants to position itself as the airline of choice for locals, whether they’re traveling for business or pleasure.

In addition to the new flights, American also revealed plans to build a new 15,000 square foot Admirals Club at AUSThe proposed design calls for floor-to-ceiling windows, multiple seating areas, locally inspired artwork and live music from local artists.

At its peak, some aviation observers even wondered if the airport would become a key city for American.

And now, a few years later, Austin will look exactly like many of the airline’s other bases.

Late last year, the airline cut up to 21 routes from Austin. Now, with five additional cuts, American has service remaining from AUS to:

• poplar
• Boston
• Cancun
• Charlotte
• Chicago
• Dallas/Fort Worth
• Los Angeles
• Los Cabos
• Miami
• Nashville
• New York-JFK
• Orange County
• Philadelphia
• Phoenix
• Raleigh/Durham

In the future, American Airlines passengers will need to connect through nearby hubs to reach many of their top destinations from the city. (American says it is increasing capacity on these hub routes, and that these adjustments are part of its recent capacity guidance.)

Alternatively, American passengers in Austin could switch to a competitor like Delta Air Lines or Southwest — two of the largest airlines in Austin, which together offer nonstop service on many of the routes that American has now cut.

While the biggest network news may be Austin, American is also cutting two other domestic routes: Raleigh-Durham to Cincinnati and Tampa to Los Angeles. The former only launched last year, so it’s possible that the flight wasn’t as popular as American had hoped.

American Launches Flagship Jet in Charlotte

Separately, for the first time, American will fly its flagship, Boeing 777-300ER aircraftfrom Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) on a regular schedule. Beginning November 5, the airline will connect CLT to London Heathrow Airport (LHR) using a 777-300ER. This winter seasonal boost will run through March 29, 2025.

American’s 777-300ER features an eight-seat Flagship First Class cabin, as well as 52 Business Class cabins, 28 Premium Economy Reclining Seats, 28 Main Cabin Extra Seats with Extra Legroom, and 188 Standard Economy Seats. The 777-300ER replaces the 777-200ER currently operating on this route.

Traditionally, American has deployed the 777-300ER on its most premium long-haul routes from Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami and New York.

However, the airline appears to be experimenting with moving some of its premium capacity, and it will be interesting to see if American can fill the 304-seat jet in the winter.

Premium passengers should note that Charlotte does not have Flagship Loungeand American has also announced plans Eliminate First Class from Boeing 777-300ER and replaced with a larger business class cabin.

These renovation plans are said to be underway and it is likely that first class will not be sold during the winter.

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