Associated with everything from its taco scene and country music to being a blue dot in a conservative state, the Texan capital of Austin experienced a major burst of popularity during and immediately after the Covid pandemic.According to city statistics, the population of Austin jumped from 1.6 to 2.3 million between 2013 and 2023 as many moved there from states such as California for both the lifestyle and lower real estate prices.Amid a burst of both relocation and tourist interest, multiple airlines redirected significant resources toward expanding their networks out of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS). While some of these routes lived up to demand predictions, others proved less popular than anticipated.Delta Air Lines will cancel two flights from Austin by October 2026Throughout 2024 and 2025, American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines have all cut flights from Austin to multiple parts of the country, after launching the routes a year or two earlier.While most airlines have now adjusted their networks to more accurately reflect present-day demand out of Austin, Delta just revealed that it will cancel two additional routes from the city by October.Related: Another airline shuts down and cancels all flights over fuel crisisAn airline spokesperson confirmed that flights to the city from Memphis International Airport (MEM) and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) will be phased out by Oct. 5 to “better align with demand,” without elaborating on further reasons for the cancellation.Delta also confirmed that although regular service between these cities will end, the airline will continue running certain seasonal flights during college football weekends when the Texas Longhorns play at Louisiana State University or when Ole Miss plays at the University of Texas at Austin.The airline is still betting big on its Austin network with the launch of new year-round service from Columbus and Kansas City that began on June 7 and seasonal flights from Montana’s Asheville, Bozeman, and Kalispell, which launched on June 13.An additional flight between Austin and San Jose will launch on Oct. 6 alongside increased frequencies from the city to Orlando.
Airlines have had different results betting on Austin’s sustained demand among visitors.Image source: Shutterstock
What to do if you already booked your ticket on a canceled Delta flightUnlike other airlines that significantly reduced their service out of the city, Delta also opened a new crew base in Austin in October 2025, KXAN reported.Those who already booked their Delta flights to Austin on the canceled routes past October will be contacted by an airline representative with their rebooking and refund options.More Travel News:Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in the BahamasUnexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026Low-cost airline launches easier way to get to Sri LankaAlternatively, travelers can initiate the refund process independently through their flight booking. Those whose fare class would otherwise not allow for refunds to the original method of payment are entitled to one in situations where the airline cancels the flight.”If your flight was canceled or impacted by a significant delay or significant schedule change , we automatically try to rebook you,” Delta writes on its website. “If we can’t rebook you and you take no action within 24 hours, we’ll automatically refund you to your original payment method.”Related: Another airline files for bankruptcy protection, cancels flights