Economy and first-class flights to Austin from $124 round-trip
Austin has become a particularly popular destination, as many Americans have relocated to the Texas capital during the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you're looking to see what all the buzz is about, take advantage of economy fares under $200 to Austin from select cities. If you're flying from Los Angeles, you can also snag a deeply discounted first-class deal.
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Deal basics
Airlines: Alaska and Southwest.
Routes: Los Angeles; Denver; Kansas City, Missouri; Tulsa, Oklahoma; St. Louis; Oklahoma City; El Paso, Texas; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Nashville; and others to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS).
How to book: Directly through the airline.
Travel dates: August-November 2022 for economy fares, December 2022-March 2023 for first-class fares.
Book by: One to two days.
This deal was originally sent out from Scott’s Cheap Flights, which sends deals up to 90% off via its Premium membership, which users can try for free for 14 days and then $49 per year. You can also upgrade to the Elite tier for $199 per year and receive all the Premium deals plus premium economy, business-class and first-class alerts.
Sample routes
A variety of economy fares on Southwest Airlines are available to Austin for less than $200 round-trip, including departing from:
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), starting at $124.
- Will Rogers World Airport (OKC), starting at $168.
- Miami International Airport (MIA), starting at $170.
- Denver International Airport (DEN), starting at $178.
- Kansas City International Airport (MCI), starting at $180.
- Nashville International Airport (BNA), starting at $189.
- Colorado Springs Airport (COS), starting at $192.
This deal is particularly beneficial for LA-based travelers, who can choose between economy and first-class seats. To book this deal for an economy fare starting at $148, which is less than half of the usual $385 price tag for this route, book directly through Southwest. From there, you'll find a nonstop ticket for $124 — even lower than originally advertised.
Related: Book this, not that: The best points hotels in Austin
As a reminder, Southwest's bread and butter is that all their fares, including their cheapest fare known as "Wanna Get Away," include two free checked bags and two full-size carry-on items at no extra charge. Plus, you can cancel or change your fare anytime before departure and only pay a fare change if applicable. All of that is pretty hard to beat for a price tag under $125.
Be sure to search Southwest's Low Fare Calendar for more enticing economy fares from the other cities included in this deal.
Southwest Rapid Rewards members can book this same flight for 7,316 points plus $11.20 in taxes and fees; you would save roughly $3 by using points instead of cash according to our valuations.
LA-based travelers looking for a fancier experience can use this deal to book first-class tickets to Austin on Alaska Airlines. A flight in late January costs $358 round-trip, which is nearly 60% less than the route's usual fare amount.
Read more: Historical to hipster: 24 of our favorite hotels in Austin
Alaska's first-class fare includes one full-size carry-on and two checked bags, in addition to priority boarding, free meals and a preferred seat located at the front of the aircraft (with more legroom).
Frequent Alaska Airlines flyers could book this same flight for 40,000 miles plus $11.20 in taxes and fees. If you downgrade to the main cabin, it would cost 15,000 miles plus $11.20 in taxes and fees.
According to TPG's Awards vs. Cash Calculator, which helps users decide how to pay for a flight, using cash for this deal saves you $98 on the main cabin fare or nearly $400 on the first-class fare.
Maximize your purchase
Don’t forget to use a card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express (5 points per dollar on airfare booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel, on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), Citi Prestige® Card (5 points per dollar on airfare), Citi Premier® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve (3 points per dollar on airfare), American Express® Gold Card (3 points per dollar on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2 points per dollar on travel). Or try the Alaska Airlines Visa® credit card (3 points per dollar on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases) or the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card (3 points per dollar on Southwest purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.
The information for the Citi Prestige Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Bottom line
This deal, particularly the business-class availability from LAX, is not expected to last, so be sure to book sooner rather than later. If booking these flights on Alaska Airlines, it makes more sense to use cash instead of miles. For the Southwest flight from Los Angeles, you can save a minimal amount by using cash.
Related: Southwest adds Austin flights, boosts presence in hyper-competitive market
Updated 1/18/23