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Alaska Airlines cuts 4 domestic routes, hitting Austin and LA hardest
Zach Griff
Senior reporter
Zach Griff is a senior reporter at TPG. He writes travel and product reviews, deep dives into loyalty programs, news about the airline industry and more.
Oct. 07, 2022
•
3 min read
Alaska Airlines cuts 4 domestic routes, hitting Austin and LA hardest
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Alaska Airlines is the latest carrier to tweak its route network.
The Seattle-based carrier is cutting four routes from its schedule, as first seen in Cirium network data and later confirmed by an airline spokesperson.
You'll find the full list of route cuts below:
- Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) — Palm Springs International Airport (PSP), effective Nov. 30, 2022.
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) — AUS, effective Jan. 9, 2023.
- LAX — Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), effective Nov. 30, 2022.
- San Diego International Airport (SAN) — Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA), effective May 23, 2023.
The hardest-hit airports are Los Angeles and Austin, which are each losing two destinations. Perhaps most interesting is that the carrier is dropping two routes from its hub in LA.
All six major U.S. airlines operate hubs or focus cities in Los Angeles, and they compete fiercely for the local market. When Alaska exits the LA-to-Austin route, it'll cede the market to a mix of American, Delta, Southwest, Spirit and United.
The five aforementioned airlines, along with JetBlue, also fly between LA and Salt Lake City, perhaps making it difficult for Alaska to fly the competitive route profitably. (Of course, it's worth noting that Alaska's rival Delta operates plenty of daily flights between these two hubs.)
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Meanwhile, pulling two routes from Austin comes as the city has seen explosive growth in airline service in the past few years, even with the pandemic, as the Texas city has seen many major companies opening offices or moving headquarters there.
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No carrier has grown in Austin recently as much as American Airlines has. Even with American's mega-hub and headquarters just about 200 miles away in Fort Worth, Texas, the airline keeps adding new routes and spreading its wings from Austin.
Though American isn't ready to call Austin a focus city, it's now the airport's second-largest airline, behind Southwest, by the number of flights, Cirium data shows. American is even building a brand-new Admirals Club in the Texas capital that is poised to be one of the nicest in the entire network.
The cuts aren't all bad news for Alaska and its flyers. That's because Alaska and American are both members of the Oneworld alliance and they partner under a so-called West Coast international alliance, which includes reciprocal elite benefits, mileage earning and redemption opportunities, complimentary elite upgrades and more.
American operates flights on all the routes that Alaska is cutting, except for the one from San Diego to Santa Barbara — which as of May will be unserved by any carrier.
Alaska added the short, 192-mile, intra-California service last summer as a way for flyers to avoid a four-plus hour drive that's often slower with traffic. The airline averaged just about 25 passengers per day paying an average gross fare of $93 during the third quarter of 2021 (which includes much of the summer season), according to Department of Transportation data.
While Alaska is a fan favorite for many West Coast flyers, at least these travelers can still accrue Mileage Plan perks and status with American flights on all but one route.
In a statement confirming the cuts, an Alaska Airlines spokesperson said it had "removed four routes from our schedule after determining they were not popular among our guests."
Featured image by ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits.Pros
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- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.