Starting this fall, travelers will be able to directly fly nonstop from Austin to Palm Springs courtesy of Delta Air Lines. The service, which runs from November 8, 2025, to April 26, 2026, marks the first such route in over a year, just as Palm Springs enters its peak travel season. As reported by CBS Austin, the seasonal flights will operate on Saturdays, operated by Delta Connection, a regional flight service.
Departure times are set for Austin at 11 a.m. local time, with the flight slated to arrive in Palm Springs at 1 p.m. The return journey will have planes leaving Palm Springs at 12:07 p.m. to touch down back at AUS at 5:07 p.m. This schedule is designed to quickly connect travelers to their destinations and back again. According to an interview with the CEO of AUS, Ghizlane Badawi, given to KXAN, "We’re so grateful to our partners at Delta for supporting our community’s air service needs through another new nonstop route."
The addition of this route comes on the heels of Delta's announcement of new nonstop flights tailored for the 2025 college football season, targeting cities hosting games involving the University of Texas. The airline's strategic approach seems to be geared to bolstering its presence at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, something that's expected to continue as Delta is on track to surpass American Airlines as Austin’s second-largest carrier by the summer, as per AUS deputy chief of air service, Jamy Kazanoff, to KXAN.
Delta's movements indicate a reinforced commitment to the Austin market, with expanded flight offerings and competitive scheduling. This push comes notably after American Airlines' decision to scale back, cancelling over 30 routes from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in late 2023 and 2024. Through this and other expansions, Delta served more than 3.3 million passengers in and out of Austin in 2024 alone, capturing about 15.3% of the airport's total passenger traffic. These new routes not merely connect cities and foment commerce; they signal an airline's intention to deeply root itself within a community's rhythm and routine, fostering a relationship that extends well beyond the perfunctory boarding call.
