When you fly with major airlines, they use a system where they have central “hub” cities and smaller “spoke” cities. If you’re not flying directly to or from a hub city, you’ll likely have to take a connecting flight to get to your destination. Where you have to connect depends on your starting and ending cities, as well as the airline you’re using.
For example, if we’re flying from Orlando to the West Coast, we usually have to connect in Houston, Dallas, or Atlanta. There are sometimes exceptions to this, like when an airline adds a new city as a starting point for flights to many places.
These cities have various names, as they are referred to as “target” or “focus” airports. These airports aren’t as large as the hub destinations, and there are pros and cons to connecting at a smaller airport. Here’s my experience connecting in Austin, TX (AUS), on an American Airlines itinerary from Orlando to Las Vegas.
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
We fly to Austin at least once a year when we visit Schlitterbahn Water Park in nearby New Braunfels, TX. However, this was the first time I’ve ever connected through Austin. In 2021 and 2022, American Airlines tried to turn Austin into a focus city, running flights from there to smaller cities around the Southern US and Midwest. The plan didn’t work out and AA decided to scratch many of the flights from its schedule at the beginning of 2024. However, the flights to Orlando and Las Vegas remain, making it a possible stop for connecting flights between the two cities.
While American Airlines has cut many flights to Austin, Delta Air Lines has been adding regional flights to its schedule and competing on the Orlando and Las Vegas routes.
So what is it like connecting at Austin Airport?
Connecting in Austin
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport has expanded in the past several years, adding a new section with several new gates. The expansion has been consistently adding vendors, and now most of the restaurants and shops are open. One nice thing about Austin Airport is that many of the restaurants are outposts of local establishments instead of the chains you see in every other airport. So while you can get your Starbucks and Vino Volo, you’ll find many more Austin brands like Amy’s Ice Cream and Salt Lick BBQ.
Each airline only has a few gates at the airport, so there are no long walks to your next flight.
Lounges
At Austin Airport, there are lounges for American, United and Delta. We’ve been to the American Admirals Club, and while it’s a decent spot, there’s nothing memorable about it. I’ve never seen the United Club, so I can’t comment on it. The newest club is the Delta Sky Club, which is at the end of the terminal near the Delta gates. What makes this lounge stand out is that it has a covered Sky Deck looking over the tarmac.
In addition, next to the Delta SkyClub is the Chase Sapphire Terrace. In a space that used to be a public deck, Chase has set up a terrace for Sapphire Reserve cardholders with seating and grab-and-go snacks. While it looks like they’ve added some shade from when we visited, it’s still uncomfortably hot in Austin for part of the year, so I’d probably stay inside if you’re visiting in the summer months.
Final Thought
Connecting through Austin is much easier than a mega-hub. There’s no walking through the terminal, having to take a shuttle to a different set of gates, only to have another walk to your gate. Besides Delta. the lounges at AUS aren’t the newest, but they’re functional for a short layover to have a quick bite or get some work done. The only downside would be a limited number of flights should there be a delay or flight cancellation. If you’re a business traveler, there’s also little chance of doing a same day change to a different flight.
I spent my time at the airport between the Admirals Club and grabbing brisket from Salt Lick BBQ. For your information, they serve Texas-sized portions, and my meal could have easily fed two people.
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