Austin’s transatlantic expansion just keeps on rolling, and I didn’t see this one coming.
Continue reading: KLM Launching Flights To Austin In 2020
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
KLM willl cut the Havana route in order to make slots available for Austin! Cool route, but sad to see HAV go.
@Daniel agreed that this will likely replace HAV. I would imagine this route has much greater profit potential.
LH was launched in 2019, NOT 2018. Condor previously provided service to FRA from Austin but no longer does.
I live in Austin, and I’m thrilled. It’s a great town but the limited long haul service at Bergstrom is an ongoing PITA.
"Austin’s transatlantic expansion just keeps on rolling, and I didn’t see this one coming."
You should read my blog more. 😉 I've been saying that we get either AMS or CDG service in 2020 for the last year. It had to wait for all the new gates to open at the airport - until this spring the airport had only two long haul capable gates but now there are six - that wasn't done in time to open sales for the 2019 season, and the airport had to get its ducks in a row for subsidies. [Amsterdam is one of the key cities targeted by the airport to subsidize new service https://viewfromthewing.com/2019/08/27/austin-is-looking-to-hand-out-subsidies-for-new-international-routes-and-hawaii/ ]
By the way Lufthansa's Frankfurt flight replaced Condor service this past spring.
New routes like this may only be "successful" thanks to the huge incentives the city of Austin is offering to attract new service. See here for the new program just adopted last week (I doubt the timing of this new route announcement is a coincidence):
http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=327599
These programs are becoming more common among secondary airports and can add up to millions in fee waivers / marketing expenditure for the first couple years. Let's see if the routes stick once those expire...
Am happy to continue to see flights added to my current city, but with all these new gates and terminal expansions, the Achilles heel will be the current immigration and baggage claim set up before clearing customs. Came back from Cancun w/ Sun Country at the same time a BA 747 landed and it was chaos. Now potentially 4 transatlantic flights will land within a couple hours? Geez.
Love getting new flights to my city -- but I'm spoiled and fly to Houston to take Singapore to Europe. Sorry KLM!
Good for Austin, one of the best cities in USA! Excited to see the expansions. Need a ME carrier..