American makes big cuts in Austin, brings flagship jet to Charlotte

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:

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

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.)

Alternatively, American’s Austin flyers might defect to a competitor such as Delta Air Lines or Southwest — two of the largest carriers in Austin who together offer nonstop service on many of the routes that American has now cut.

While the biggest network news might’ve been in Austin, American is also slashing two other domestic routes: Raleigh-Durham to Cincinnati and Tampa to Los Angeles. The former route launched just last year, so it’s likely that this flight wasn’t as busy as American would’ve hoped.

American debuts flagship jet in Charlotte

Separately, for the first time ever, American will fly its flagship aircraft, the Boeing 777-300ER, from Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) on a regularly scheduled service. Beginning on Nov. 5, the airline will connect CLT with London Heathrow Airport (LHR) using the 777-300ER. This winter-seasonal upgauge will run through March 29, 2025.

American’s 777-300ER features an eight-seat Flagship First cabin, as well as 52 business-class pods, 28 premium economy recliners, 28 Main Cabin Extra extra-legroom seats and 188 standard economy seats. The 777-300ER replaces the existing 777-200ER already operating on this route.

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

However, the airline is seemingly experimenting with moving around some of its premium capacity. It’ll be interesting to see whether American can fill this 304-seat jet in the winter.

Premium passengers should note that Charlotte doesn’t have a Flagship Lounge, and American has also announced plans to remove first class from the Boeing 777-300ER and replace it with a larger business-class cabin.

Those retrofit plans are supposedly underway, and it’s possible that first class might not be available for purchase throughout the winter season.

Related reading: