Alaska Airlines cuts 4 domestic routes, hitting Austin and LA hardest

Alaska Airlines made some changes to its route network.

An airline spokesman confirmed that the Seattle-based carrier is cutting four routes.

Below is a list of route cuts.

• Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) — Palm Springs International Airport (PSP), effective Nov. 30, 2022.
• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) — AUS, effective Jan. 9, 2023.
• LAX — Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), effective Nov. 30, 2022.
• San Diego International Airport (SAN) — Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA), effective May 23, 2023.

Los Angeles and Austin are the hardest hit airports. The carrier is dropping two routes from LA.

The major US airlines compete fiercely for the local market in Los Angeles. Alaska will leave the LA-to-Austin route with a mix of American, Delta, Southwest, and United.

It's possible that it's difficult for Alaska to fly the competitive route profitably because of the airlines' flights between LA and Salt Lake City. Delta has a lot of daily flights between these two hubs.

The city of Austin has seen an explosion in airline service in the past few years, even with the Pandemic, as the Texas city has seen many major companies open offices or move headquarters there.

American Airlines has grown the most in Austin in the last few years. Even though American's headquarters is in Fort Worth, Texas, the airline continues to add new routes and spread its wings.

Though American isn't ready to call Austin a focus city, it's now the airport's second largest airline by the number of flights. The new Admirals Club in the Texas capital will be one of the nicer clubs in the network.

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The cuts are good news for Alaska and its flyers. Alaska and American are both members of the Oneworld alliance and they are also partners in the West Coast international alliance, which includes elite benefits, mileage earning and redemption opportunities and more.

The only route that American doesn't operate is the one from San Diego to Santa Barbara.

Alaska added a 192-mile service to California last summer to make it easier for flyers to avoid a four-plus hour drive. According to Department of Transportation data, the airline averaged just 25 passengers per day paying an average gross fare of 93 during the third quarter of 2021.

Even though Alaska is a fan favorite for many West Coast flyers, they can still accrue mileage plan perks and status with American flights on all but one route.

Alaska Airlines removed four routes from its schedule because they weren't popular with guests.