The Ultimate Guide to Austin Points and Miles Travel

Everything you about getting the best points, miles and cheap flight deals in Austin

If you live in Austin and want to know about the best points and miles deals, cheap Austin flights and other ways that you can travel way more for less than you ever thought possible, this guide is for you.

Would you take BBQ, taco, swimming hole or outlaw country music advice from someone who didn’t live in Austin? Let’s hope not! Somebody just might say “bless your heart” if they found out you did.

So why would you get your cheap flight and reward travel advice from one of those other sites that’s based in New York or LA?

The Texas Travel Hacker is based in Austin and we’ve been flying in and out of ABIA for on dirt cheap Austin flights (actually, usually dirt free Austin flights) since before Colt McCoy was under center at the 40 acres. Read this guide and make everybody else jealous as they wonder how you manage to travel so dang much. When they ask, and they will ask, just look them in the eye and tell them it’s a Bloody Mary Morning kind of thing and walk away (editor’s note, actually, when they ask, please point them to this site).

Ok, before you fall Asleep at the Wheel, let tell you what we’re going to cover:

  • 8 Essential Secrets to Scoring Cheap Austin Flights
  • Overview
  • Non-stop destinations
  • Lounges
  • Restaurants
  • Hidden Gems + Pro Tips
  • Best card / miles strategy for Austin based travelers
  • Best use of points / miles for Austin based travelers

8 Specific Tips and Tricks to level-up your Austin Points Travel Game

Here’s the TLDR version of a points and miles strategy for the Austin based traveler that will get you the cheapest plane tickets out of the 512 that you will ever find.

You already know how much we love non-stop flights. Did you know that we also love airport lounges? The only thing better than flying super cheap or for free is to relax in a nice lounge before you get on the plane!

So, if we had to boil our own Austin points and miles strategy into a few bullet points knowing that we love to combine cheap or free flights with an elevated experience, this is what it would look like.

  1. Use British Airways Avios points to book AWESOME award deals on American Airlines, Alaska Airlines or…British Airways (any OneWorld alliance partner).
  2. Use the American Airlines Executive Advantage Card to get Admirals Club access on those flights
  3. Utilize Southwest when it is the only/best option or when there is no award availability on OneWorld Flights.
  4. Earn Companion pass on Southwest so all of your flights are always half price! Stack a Southwest Personal Card and a Southwest Business card to fast track this.
  5. Use the Chase Sapphire Reserve card to get access to the Chase Sapphire Terrace when flying outbound from ABIA on Southwest
  6. Use AMEX points to transfer to Delta when it is the best option
  7. Use AMEX Platinum card to access Delta Skyclub when flying on Delta flights
  8. When we arrive, we prefer to dip into our World of Hyatt points or use our Chase Sapphire reserve card to book an Air B’nB. 

An Overview for Cheap Austin Based Travel

Austin / Austin Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA)  is an “airport of focus” for several airlines, including American, Southwest, and, relatively recently, Delta That means we get a lot of the upside of being a hub airport (think more non-stop flights to more places) without as much of the downside (more expensive flights, less reward availability and less competition. 

That means that there is some fantastic value to be had on reward flights with points and miles for the savvy traveler (you).

If you live in Austin (or frequently travel to Austin), then this is your guide to flying to and from ABIA more often for way less money or points than you ever thought possible. 

The high level strategies you use for cheap travel will be similar no matter where you live. BUT, the specifics and the details of how you execute that strategy in a way that squeezes maximum value from your hard earned points, miles and dollars will vary widely based on where you live and where you want to go.

Quick summary of building your strategy for low cost Austin travel:

  1. Pick the right airline or airlines: the first part of your strategy to use points, miles and money to find great Austin Flight Deals is to pick what points and miles you are going to accumulate. This should be based specifically on where you want to go and which airline or airlines give you the best value. Remember, direct flights are generally cheaper and more convenient. So, your strategy should include the points and miles programs that give you the most access to reward seats on non-stops. 
  2. Accumulate Points/Miles for airline(s)
  3. Monitor airlines and routes for deals 
  4. Grab the deals and FLY!

As a general rule, the least expensive flights to book from Austin are going to be direct flights. That is true regardless of the currency you use (cash, miles, points, Franklin’s BBQ).

As always, there are exceptions, but in most cases and ESPECIALLY if you are using points from one airline to book partner award flights on another airline (think using British Airways points to book on American Airlines or Alaska Airlines) then Non Stop flights are the way to go.

That’s because these types of award rates are based on the number of miles flown. Fewer miles flown, the lower the redemption tier and the less points you need. Plus, it is often way harder to find that kind of award space on connecting flights because BOTH flights have to have award availability. Anyway, we’ll get to more of that later. 

So, if you are flying to and from Austin the next step is to map where you want to go with the available non-stop flights. Again, you don’t have to fly on direct flights exclusively but they will almost always be your cheapest option. AND, let’s be honest, as much as we love flying, in most cases, a non-stop flight is a way better, way more efficient way to travel. Cheap flights are great. Free flights are greater :- ). But, enjoying the place that you used the plane to get to is even better!

Austin Non-Stop Flights

Not sure what the direct flights to and from Austin are? Not to worry. We got you covered. We keep a database of Austin flights to track flights by type, cash prices, prices and changes.

This map shows 2023 non stop flights and we have a ton of analysis for you below to help use this info to guide your travel planning.

Map of non-stop flights to and from Austin

Side note: Austin Bergstrom International Airport also keeps an up-to-date list here or you can check the ABIA wikipedia page. These are both good sites to know about.

Which Airline has the most flights to Austin?

The top four airlines for direct flights from Austin in descending order are:

  1. Southwest Airlines (52 non stop destinations)
  2. American Airlines / American Eagle (44 non stop destinations)
  3. Allegiant Airlines (17 non stop destinations; included for list accuracy, but we don’t cover Allegiant much. Not because they aren’t worth looking at, they just don’t match our profile and their points and miles game isn’t that much fun to play; but we do love cheap flights and Allegiant is nothing if not cheap!)
  4. Delta Airlines (12 non stop destinations)

This is based on the total number of non-stop destinations. You can see that Southwest and American are waaaaaaaay ahead of the pack when it comes to total destinations from Austin.

Of course, that doesn’t matter to you if they don’t fly where you want to go. 

There are abundant flights from Austin to all of the major US cities like New York, Boston, etc. Ditto for numerous smaller cities as well and vacation / leisure destinations.

Some of our favorite direct flights from Austin are British Airways to London Heathrow, Virgin Atlantic to London Heathrow, KLM to Amsterdam, Hawaiian to Honolulu. Air Canada to Toronto, Southwest or American to multiple stops in Mexico and the caribbean (Canccun, Puerto Vallarta, Cozumel, San Juan, Costa Rica, The Bahamas) and even short domestic hops to great getaways like Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Aspen, and Destin. 

Here is a current list of non-stop flights by airline. As you look, you obviously won’t see a lot of far flung international destinations, although we are getting more. But any flight to DFW, LAX, IAH, ORD, JFK, SFO, ATL, MIA etc gets you in position to connect to wherever you want to go.

Southwest Airlines

SWA runs flights to 52 destinations from Austin (and many more beyond via connecting flights). 48 domestic flights and 4 international.

Southwest – Domestic Non-Stops / Direct
  • Albuquerque
  • Amarillo
  • Atlanta
  • Baltimore
  • Burbank
  • Chicago (Midway)
  • Chicago (O’Hare)
  • Columbus (Glenn)
  • Dallas (Love)
  • Denver
  • El Paso
  • Fort Lauderdale
  • Harlingen
  • Houston (Hobby)
  • Indianapolis
  • Kansas City
  • Las Vegas
  • Long Beach
  • Los Angeles
  • Lubbock
  • Miami
  • Midland / Odessa
  • Minneapolis / St. Paul
  • Nashville
  • New Orleans
  • Oakland
  • Oklahoma City
  • Ontario
  • Orange County
  • Orlando
  • Phoenix (Sky Harbor)
  • Pittsburgh
  • Raleigh / Durham
  • Sacramento
  • Salt Lake City
  • San Diego
  • San Jose (California)
  • St Louis
  • Tampa
  • Tulsa
  • Washington (National)
  • Charleston (South Carolina, seasonal)
  • Destin / Fort Walton Beach (seasonal)
  • Jacksonville (Florida, seasonal)
  • Montrose (Telluride / Gunnison / Crested Butte, seasonal)
  • Panama City (Florida, seasonal)
  • Pensacola (seasonal)
  • San Juan (Puerto Rico, seasonal)
Southwest – International Non Stops / Direct

Here are Southwest’s international direct flights from Austin. Obviously, you can reach any of SW’s other international locations via connection.

You can Wanna Get Away yourself to four fun and sun destinations outside of the USA on Southwest.

  • San Jose del Cabo, Mexico
  • Cancun, Mexico (seasonal)
  • Cozumel, Mexico (seasonal)
  • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (seasonal)
American Airlines

Our pals in DFW run 44 total flights from the Capital City, 8 of them to international destination.

American -Domestic Non Stops
  • Albuquerque
  • Asheville (seasonal)
  • Aspen (seasonal)
  • Boston
  • Bozeman (seasonal)
  • Charlotte
  • Chicago (O’Hare)
  • Cincinnati
  • Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)
  • Destin / Fort Walton Beach (seasonal)
  • Eagle / Vail (seasonal)
  • El Paso
  • Fort Myers (seasonal)
  • Indianapolis
  • Jacksonville (Florida)
  • Kansas City
  • Las Vegas
  • Los Angeles
  • Miami
  • New York (JFK)
  • Orange County
  • Orlando
  • Palm Springs (seasonal)
  • Panama City (Florida, seasonal)
  • Pensacola (seasonal)
  • Phoenix (Sky Harbor)
  • Philadelphia
  • Raleigh / Durham
  • Reno / Tahoe
  • Sacramento
  • Santa Fe
  • Sarasota (seasonal)
  • St Louis
  • Tampa
  • Tulsa
  • Washington (Dulles, seasonal)
American – International Direct Flights

These are the international non-stops you can book with AA. As with everywhere else, you can use AA or partners to fly pretty much anywhere in the world when you include connections from DFW, JFK, LAX, MIA, etc.

That being said, AA currently runs eight international non-stop flights to Austin. Like Southwest, think beach, sand and sun!

Psst…if you’re looking for the best place to focus for AWESOME international point redemptions from Austin, take a long look at this list and start playing with the different ways to get on these planes for free!

  • Cancun
  • Puerto Vallarta
  • Punta Cana
  • San Jose del Cabo
  • Liberia (Costa Rica, seasonal)
  • Cozumel
  • Nassau (seasonal)
  • Montego Bay (seasonal)
Delta Airlines

Delta has twelve flights to/from the 512 (737 if you’re new)

Delta – Direct Domestic Routes
  • Atlanta
  • Boston
  • Detroit
  • Las Vegas
  • Los Angeles
  • Minneapolis / St. Paul
  • New York (JFK)
  • Orlando
  • Salt Lake City
  • Seattle Tacoma
  • Cincinnati
  • Raleigh / Durham
Delta – International Direct Flights
  • Sad face … Delta currently has no direct international flights to Austin
United Airlines

United has seven direct flights from Austin. All of them are domestic

United Domestic Non-Stops
  • Chicago (O’Hare)
  • Denver
  • Houston (Intercontinental)
  • Los Angeles
  • Newark
  • San Francisco
  • Washington (Dulles)
United International Direct Flights
  • Sorry ATX, United doesn’t have any international non stops.
Other Airlines and Routes to Note:
Alaska
  • Boise (seasonal)
  • Portland (Oregon)
  • San Diego
  • San Francisco
  • San Jose (California)
Hawaiian
  • Honolulu

Non Stop International Destinations from Austin

If you’re curious, these are all of the direct flights from Austin to international destinations.

Austin Airport Lounges

Nothing elevates the on-the-ground flight experience quite like relaxing in a lounge. And while Austin doesn’t have the best lounge selection, there are options.

There are currently four lounges at ABIA. Three are airline affiliated lounges, which means you can only access them if you are flying on one of their flights (or, in some cases, a partner flight) AND you meet other criteria like holding a certain credit card or an international, first-class ticket, and the fourth is a a Chase Sapphire TERRACE, which means you have to hold a Chase Sapphire Reserve Card to enter.  

There are two phases of expansion currently underway or in planning at ABIA and there are some rumors of additional lounges coming in the future. The American announced that they would be building a new, larger space a couple of years ago, but no new details so far.

What ABIA REALLY NEEDS is an American Express Centurion Lounge and/or a Capital One Venture X Lounge. 

Until then, options are fairly limited and are tightly tied to which airline you are flying on. 

You can access the Chase Terrace regardless of what airline you are flying, but it is small and on the far east end of the airport, which may be a long way from your gate.

At any rate, if you are on top of your game, it’s not hard to guarantee you always have a nice lounge to relax in before taking off from ATX.

Here are the current Austin Airport lounges:

  • American Airlines Admirals Club
  • Chase Sapphire Reserve Terrace
    Delta Airlines SkyClub
  • United Airlines United Club

American Airlines Admirals Club:

  • Hours, Location and Important Info
  • How to get access
    • Hold the American Airlines AAdvantage Executive card from Citibank AND be flying on OneWorld Alliance flight (from Austin that means American, Alaska, British Airways)
    • Be a guest of someone who holds the American Airlines AAdvantage Executive card from Citibank AND be flying on OneWorld Alliance flight
    • Fly in international first class on a OneWorld Alliance flight
    • Be an elite OneWorld alliance member via another airline
    • Buying a day pass for $79 IF they are available.
  • Food and Drink
    • Free small bites
    • Free water, soda, juice
    • Limited free cocktails, beer, wine
    • Full bar and menu available for purchase (get extra AA points by using your AA card)
  • Is it worth it?
    • Absolutely. If you fly one world a lot and you like a nice comfy experience (hint, if you are on Austin and playing the points and miles game then you should be flying OneWorld alot)
    • This Admiral’s club isn’t the nicest or biggest, but it is an Oasis compared to the regular terminal when it’s really crowded.
    • Whether flying alone or with whole family, the Texas Travel Hacker usually tries to fly outbound from Austin on a OneWorld flight

Chase Sapphire Reserve Terrace

  • Hours, Location and Important Info
  • How to get access
    • Hold the Chase Sapphire Reserve
  • Food and drinks
    • Light grab and go snack and beverages (including beer and wine in can)
  • Is it worth it?
    • Yes, but it is small and becomes even smaller when it’s too hot to be outside.

Delta Skyclub

  • Hours, Location and Important Info
  • How to get access:
    • It’s been complicated and getting more complicated.
    • High-level, if you hold the American Express Centurion, American Express Platinum, American Express Delta Skymiles Reserve or a Delta Skymiles Platnium Card AND are traveling on a Delta Marketed ticket (excluding Basic Economy tickets), then you probably can get in
    • Flying International on Delta or international first class on a sky team flight.

United Club

Restaurants

Not into lounges or not able to get in on a particular day? Find a great, up-to-date list of Austin Airport Restaurants here. The folks at ABIA even have this map so you can see what’s available near your gate.

ABIA is still relatively small, so if you have time, walking from one end to another to eat at a place that catches your eye is doable.

Hidden Gems and Pro Tips

West and East end security entrances are almost always faster, but West end does not have TSA pre-check. If you want to see current wait times, download the MyTSA App.

  • West and East end security entrances are almost always faster, but they don’t have TSA precheck currently
  • TSA precheck — it seems like EVERYONE at ABIA has precheck. Sometimes it’s way faster to take the regular line in one of the other checkpoints.
  • East end of terminal is usually quiet and less crowded if you have kids or need an area that’s less hectic

What’s the best Points, Miles and Credit Card Strategy for Cheap Austin Flights?

The answer to that question depends 100% on you. The best strategy is the one that takes you where you need to go and where you want to go for as little cash as possible.

If you haven’t already picked an airline or airlines strategy, really look at the non stop flights above and think about how you use air travel (or how you’d like to).

Do you do more domestic flights? Do you fly alone or with a partner or spouse? Whole family?

Do you want a luxury experience all or some of the time or are you a no frills just get me there kind of traveler?

These aren’t fluffy, philosophical questions. How you answer them will determine what your best points, miles and credit card strategy.

Based on our own needs, here’s what we use:

Direct Airline Point Accumulation and Status Targets

  • American Airlines – Platinum Pro gives top-tier perks on AA like free checked bags, free preferred seats and upgrades to first and business. Plus 80% mileage earning and, the BEST PART, top tier status when flying other One World Alliance carriers like Alaska and BA.
  • Southwest – Companion Pass / A List Preferred the companion pass is the most valuable status you can earn. We love the Companion Pass and have squeezed thousands of dollars worth of value from it over the years. Adding A List Preferred means at least one person in your party (you) board in A group, get VIP line access and earn 100% rapid rewards bonus on cash flights.
  • Use AMEX, Chase, Citi and Capital 1 Points for transfer to British Airways, Delta, Virgin, United, Air France, KLM, and other for pretty much all other flights.

Between the AA Executive Card, the Southwest Premier Card, Southwest Premier Business Card, Amex Gold, Amex Platinum and Chase Sapphire Reserve card we are able to adjust spending to help achieve our status and miles goals pretty easily. Plus, the Platinum and Sapphire Reserve card help to ensure we have lounge access even when not flying on a OneWorld flight.

What’s the best Way to Use Points and Miles for Austin Flights

  • Use British Airways points to book non-stop flights on American to places like Santa Fe, Miami, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and The Bahamas for 15,000 AVIOS ROUNDTRIP. We often squeeze over 3 cents per point of value out of these bookings. AND, we get to use the Admirals Lounge
  • Use Southwest sales and the companion pass to take the whole family on vacation or to see extended family
  • Book non stop international flights to London (BA and Virgin), Amsterdam (KLM), Frankfurt (Lufthansa), Toronto (Air Canada)
  • Use Air Canada points to book super cheap connecting flights on United (10,000 points to Toronto roundtrip)

What’s the best status or earned perk to have for cheap flights to Austin?

Southwest companion pass. Southwest has more non-stops to more destinations than any other carrier at ABIA. Unless you NEVER fly with anyone else, a free companion on every flight is insane value. Not luxurious. Not sexy. But so much value.

Wrap Up

The Austin based traveler has a fantastic range of choices when it comes to easy flights to get to almost anywhere in the world, near or far. With the right strategy, you can turn your everyday spending and the travel you do into even more travel fro way less money.