Austin–Bergstrom International Airport (Dallas, San Antonio: coupons, construction, live)

[tcualum]

Next month my family are flying out of this airport for the first time and was wondering if there's anything I should know about parking, traffic around the airport, security lines, etc. Normally we fly out of DFW airport but we'll save almost $2,000 by flying out of Bergstrom instead of DFW. We figure we can deal with the drive to save that much money. It's a British Airways international flight if that matters.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

[RoamingTX]

It’s pretty straightforward. Nothing weird or out of the ordinary - long term parking can fill up, so you might want to reserve a spot at one of the off-site lots.

[ATX Wahine]

AUS is really a breeze to get in/out of. There may be a slight traffic backup at 71/183, but usually only a few minutes. Parking is plentiful, and security usually zips you through pretty fast. There's a lot of construction taking place at the airport, but it shouldn't affect your travel.

[ScoPro]

ABIA is a small airport compared to DFW, so no worries about getting lost. Just look at its map on their website.

We have been using this off site parking for years:
(Google up some coupons for a discount)

https://www.thefastpark.com/airport-...-bergstrom-fpr

Covered parking, shuttle follows us to our parking spot to pick us up then drops us off at the appropriate airline area curbside on the top level driveway. Pick up upon return is in the driveway right outside (across from local pickups) the baggage claim area.
24/7 service, always reliable and they give each passenger a cold bottle of water when checking out.

Don't lose your parking location ticket so the return shuttle ccan drop you off right behind your car. Drivers help with baggage, so we tip them.

We'll be traveling to London on British air in July on a 747, which recently replaced the 787 they were using.
The customs upon your return should be a lot quicker than anything at DFW or any other major international hub.

There are also a couple of other off site parking facilities.

[ATX Wahine]

ScoPro - we're taking that same flight over on 6/12 for a few weeks in England. I'm looking forward to what will probably be my last trip in a Queen of the Sky.

[DashRiprock]

Wow, I'm surprised flights out of Austin are that much cheaper, especially international flights. I've actually driven to Dallas and San Antonio in the past to save money, though those were on domestic flights.

As others have said, Bergstrom is relatively straightforward. They've recently expanded the parking garages so there's been some construction hassle but I think that's pretty much over with. I think they might have roped off most of the original close-in garage for valet parking, but I typically park in the long-term lot onsite and just walk to the terminal rather than hassling with the shuttle. It's not that far. There are other privately operated lots but I've never had to use them - the airport's long term lot has always had openings when I've flown out.

I give this city grief over a lot of things but I gotta say, they did our airport right for the most part. It's far, far better than most others I've dealt with.

fwiw, there are two outstanding breweries within spitting distance of the airport - Live Oak and Hi Sign. If you find yourself with time to kill, that's a good place to do it.

[Trainwreck20]

Originally Posted by DashRiprock

Wow, I'm surprised flights out of Austin are that much cheaper, especially international flights. I've actually driven to Dallas and San Antonio in the past to save money, though those were on domestic flights.

I suspect it is just a specific flight that is a bit unique - non-stop from Austin to London via Brit Air.

[m1a1mg]

Time of day and day of the week are important. Monday, early AM is a pain, but security does a good job pushing people through.

But I'm guessing you probably have an afternoon departure.

For any of you looking to go to Europe, take note of the new Norwegian Air flights non-stop to London. Under $1K round trip.

[Austin97]

My preferred parking is the fast park express

[tcualum]

Thanks for everyone's help. I'm feeling much less stressed now. My husband did a Matrix search which allowed us to search multiple days and cities at once. We were also surprised that it was that much cheaper for 4 tickets. Our flight is at 6:35 pm on a Tuesday with no holidays before or after. How early would you get to the airport? We have TSA Precheck if that matters.

Also, how bad do you think the traffic will be heading into town from the North? I plan to map it but Waze and Google Maps aren't always completely accurate where I live.