Even though we had freezing temperatures and power outages just a few weeks ago, it has certainly felt like Spring here in Austin over the last few days. The busy summer travel season is fast approaching and with that, AUS is seeing expanded service and new routes being phased in throughout the spring. Keep reading to find the biggest updates for this month!
Copa Starting Nonstop Service to Panama City, Panama
On February 13th, 2023 Copa Airlines announced new, nonstop service between Austin and Panama City. This will link the Capital of Texas with the Capital of Panama and more than 50 destinations in Latin and South America. Copa, a Star Alliance member, will operate the flight 4x weekly (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday) using a Boeing 737-800 with the following schedule.
AUS-PTY: Copa 716 Depart: 3:34p Arrive: 8:16p
PTY-AUS: Copa 715 Depart: 9:18a Arrive: 2:04p
The flight will begin service on July 6th, 2023 and tickets are currently on sale at CopaAir.com.
March Events and Travel Tips
The Month of March is going to be a busy one for the city and the airport. Many major events will be calling Austin home over the next 31 days including South by Southwest, Dell Technologies Match Play and the doubleheader NASCAR Races at The Circuit of the Americas. In addition, spring break for many schools will also have an impact on travel. To help mitigate this, the Austin Airport has put together some “how-tos” for travelers transiting ABIA in the coming month.
Arrival Tips
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Passengers using the standard TSA screening should show up 2.5 hours before their scheduled departure time for domestic flights and 3 hours prior for international flights.
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If you are checking luggage or need additional time navigating the airport, give yourself even more time over the 2.5-3 hour recommendations.
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For passengers parking a car at the airport, visit ABIAParking.com to reserve your space ahead of time and get real time parking availability.
Check-In Tips
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Use both the lower curbside (Arrivals) and upper curbside (Departures) levels when arriving at the airport. The lower level is connected to ticketing counters via escalators.
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Utilize self-service check-in kiosks where available to print luggage tags and boarding passes.
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If you’re not checking bags or need assistance, utilize the airlines’ mobile app to obtain a mobile boarding pass and head straight for security.
Security Tips
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CLEAR and TSA PreCheck are available at Checkpoints 1 and 2 West. In addition, a new checkpoint, 2 East, is open near the Southwest ticketing counters.
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All gates in the Barbara Jordan Terminal are accessible from any checkpoint.
WestJet Resumes Calgary Flights
After a brief hiatus from Austin, WestJet is returning to Austin on May 18th, 2023. The airline will offer 2x weekly service (Sunday and Thursday) between Austin and Calgary using Boeing 737-700 aircraft. The flights will operate on the following schedule.
AUS-YYC: WS 1481 Depart: 3:25p Arrive: 6:25p
YYC-AUS: WS 1480 Depart: 9:40a Arrive: 2:35
Tickets are available on WestJet.com.
Air Service Updates
In addition to the two new airlines and routes outlined above, some new routes and frequencies are coming to Austin.
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New Route: Monterrey, Mexico (MTY) on Spirit
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New Route: Montrose, CO (MTJ) on Southwest
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New Route: Omaha, NE (OMA) via Allegiant
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New Route: Vail, CO (EGE) via American
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New Service: Pensacola, FL (PNS) via Southwest
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New Service: Sacramento, CA (SMF) via American
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Returning Service: Vancouver, Canada (YVR) via Air Canada
