Flights From Boise To This State Capital Were Just Severely Slashed
One step forward, and one step back. The Boise Airport just added three nonstop flights, and now its lead air carrier is cutting back on several routes, and that includes nearly no fall or winter flights for the region's exclusive direct trip to the capital of Texas.
I suppose this goes to show that everything is, indeed, bigger in Texas, and evidently that includes the price of traveling. Now, our flights to Texas are going to be significantly more expensive...not to mention time consuming.
Alaska Airlines announced it will be suspending the daily flight between Boise, Idaho and Austin, Texas beginning October 1st. Ray Lane, a spokesperson for the airline, told the Idaho Statesman that the primary reason for this is crew shortages.
Lane says that the route will be restored temporarily at a reduced service for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. After that, he says, there are no plans to return again until at least mid-March of 2023.
Austin is one of the most popular destinations in the country for travelers. The capital city has great weather year-round, one of the best food scenes in the country, it's a music haven, and has one of the best slogans in the country, "Keep Austin Weird." Now, keeping it weird just got more difficult for Boise (and Idaho) residents.
This Boise to Austin flight is only just over a year old, as Alaska Airlines launched the service back in June of 2021. A Boise Airport spokesperson says that the airline benefited from the airport's newly created route incentive program.
Said airport incentive programs helps provide marketing reimbursements and credits toward fees that airlines will typically pay for use of the terminals and runways. Alaska Airlines reportedly fulfilled the terms of the one-year agreement to receive the maximum subsidy of about $75,000 for the Austin route before opting to pause the flight until the holiday season in 2022.
In a written statement to the Statesman, Boise Airport spokesperson Shawna Samuelson said, "We understand that Alaska is adjusting some of their route frequencies. Airlines have the ability to continue to adjust their schedules. When flight schedules adjust, any related incentive amounts are recalculated to reflect actual service."
In the meantime, if you're in or around Boise and still hoping to fly nonstop to Texas, you can fly American Airlines' daily flight to Dallas/Fort Worth or you can choose United Airlines' daily flight to Houston.
The flight from Boise to Austin isn't the only service being suspended at the Boise Airport, however. Also starting in October, Alaska will be ending its daily nonstop service between Boise and Chicago-O'Hare International Airport, dropping those flights to only three days per week. Those days will reportedly be: Sundays, Mondays, and Thursdays.
Lane says, "The primary reason for our decision to adjust service on various flights is due to a shortage of crew that wasn't anticipated when we built our schedule several months ago."
Alaska currently offers nonstop flights between Boise and 17 destinations (16 once it suspends the Austin route) and remains the airport's primary commercial air carrier. The airport will be adding a 27th nonstop destination later this month to the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, when low-cost airline aha! airlines begins its direct service.
Spirit Airlines' new flight to Las Vegas will remain a daily route, as will Southwest's service. Allegiant makes the round-trip flight two times a week, happening on Mondays and Fridays.
Here are other great deals on flights out of the Boise Airport, including the nonstop flights that the airport offers. Keep scrolling to find amazing deals on flights, including where you can travel for less than $100! Also listed are the amazing tropical vacations you can fly directly to out of Boise. Check it out!