Delta Air Lines announced today that they will serve as the official airline of SXSW in Austin this coming March. As part of this announcement, Delta will be “bringing exclusive, premium experiences and opportunities to attendees who have a Delta SkyMiles membership.” Delta CEO Ed Bastian will also be headlining one of the SXSW Featured Sessions on Sunday, March 10th. Bastian is expected to discuss how Delta has navigated the volatility of the airline industry over almost a century.
Delta will provide SkyMiles members with improved access to the festival by providing experiences like airport hospitality, expedited festival badge pickup, a dedicated house for member hospitality, exciting member unlocks at Billboard Presents THE STAGE at SXSW, and public community engagements with nonprofit partner Waterloo Greenway.
The announcement comes at a time of growth for the carrier in Austin. Last month, Delta announced new service from Austin to McAllen, TX (MFE), Midland/Odessa, TX (MAF), and Nashville (BNA). Additional frequencies to Cincinnati (CVG) and Raleigh/Durham (RDU) were also announced, bringing the carrier’s total destinations served from AUS up to 15.
Delta is growing in Austin while other airlines continue to slash capacity citing decreased demand. American Airlines announced the cancellation of 21 routes back in November, Virgin Atlantic ceased flying to the airport altogether this month, and JSX decamped from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to Austin Executive Airport with a single route to Taos, NM.
As an Austin based flyer, I’m excited for this partnership between Delta and SXSW and hope it leads to continued investment in the airport and the community.
