Advertiser Disclosure

Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). However, the credit card information that we publish has been written and evaluated by experts who know these products inside out. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers that are on the market. See our advertising policy here where we list advertisers that we work with, and how we make money. You can also review our credit card rating methodology.

Virgin Atlantic Pulling the Plug on Nonstop Austin Flights

Nick Ellis's image
Nick Ellis
Nick Ellis's image

Nick Ellis

Editor & Content Contributor

144 Published Articles 722 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 35U.S. States Visited: 25

Nick’s passion for points began as a hobby and became a career. He worked for over 5 years at The Points Guy and has contributed to Business Insider and CNN. He has 14 credit cards and continues to le...
Edited by: Stella Shon
Stella Shon's image

Stella Shon

News Managing Editor

80 Published Articles 573 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 25U.S. States Visited: 22

With a degree in media and journalism, Stella has been in the points and miles game for more than 6 years. She most recently worked as a Corporate Communications Analyst for JetBlue. Find her work in ...

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

After launching nonstop flights between London and Austin, Texas, in May 2022, Virgin Atlantic will end the route early next year.

Virgin’s final nonstop departure from Austin (AUS) will take off on January 7, 2024, and will land at London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) the next morning.

Here’s what you need to know about this unfortunate development for the Texan capital city.

Virgin Atlantic Suspending Flights Between Austin and London

Virgin Atlantic cited a lack of corporate travel demand as the primary reason for the withdrawal from Austin, per reporting by One Mile at a Time. A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson noted that the airline is seeing demand for corporate travel — particularly in the tech sector — at “70% of 2019 levels,” which is likely insufficient to sustain the nonstop service.

After Virgin Atlantic ends flights to Austin, it will use the freed-up aircraft to increase service on the following routes:

  • Flights to Barbados (BGI) will increase from 11x weekly to 14x weekly between January 10 and March 29, 2024
  • Flights to Miami (MIA) will increase from 11x weekly to 14x weekly throughout the summer of 2024
  • Flights to Dubai (DXB) will increase from 4x to 7x weekly in the winter of 2024 and 2025
Virgin Atlantic Upper Class product on board the 787-9
Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class cabin on board the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Image Credit: Virgin Atlantic
Hot Tip:

Take a look at our guide to Virgin Atlantic’s nonstop routes to the U.S., which includes the plane types and seats you can expect on each route.

Austin’s Remaining European Service

Virgin Atlantic’s departure from Austin is sure to be a bummer for the city’s residents, though Austinites will still have several ways to get to Europe without a connection.

Virgin Atlantic’s principal competitor, British Airways, maintains daily nonstop flights to London Heathrow. Elsewhere, Dutch flag carrier KLM offers 3 weekly flights to Amsterdam (AMS), and German flag carrier Lufthansa offers 3 weekly flights to Frankfurt (FRA).

It’s safe to assume the city will see new European service in the future, though it’s unclear at this point when that will come, as there’s been a slight slowdown in the growth of the city, which is the main reason behind it attracting nonstop flights to Europe in the first place.

Final Thoughts

Unfortunately, Virgin Atlantic will end nonstop service between Austin and London just 18 months after it was launched. The route seems to be a victim of weaker-than-expected demand on the corporate side, and it perhaps faced a disadvantage when compared to hometown rival British Airways, which offers daily nonstop service between the 2 cities.

While Virgin isn’t launching a new route to take the place of the soon-to-end Austin service, it’s good to see some other popular routes across the network receiving additional flights.

Nick Ellis's image

About Nick Ellis

Nick’s passion for points began as a hobby and became a career. He worked for over 5 years at The Points Guy and has contributed to Business Insider and CNN. He has 14 credit cards and continues to leverage the perks of each.

INSIDERS ONLY: UP PULSE

Deluxe Travel Provided by UP Pulse

Get the latest travel tips, crucial news, flight & hotel deal alerts...

Plus — expert strategies to maximize your points & miles by joining our (free) newsletter.

We respect your privacy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA. Google's privacy policy and terms of service apply.

Deluxe Travel Provided by UP Pulse
DMCA.com Protection Status