Delta Hugs Texas, Adds Routes While Competitors Stumble

Delta Airlines gave a big old bear hug to the Lone Star State this week, announcing five new nonstop routes from Austin. Buckle up, y'all!

In a news release, Delta unveiled daily nonstop service to Panama City, Fla., starting March. Plus, they're adding Indianapolis; Memphis, Tenn.; San Francisco; and Tampa, Fla. to the mix. Delta says these new routes will give Austin folks "more options than ever before."

Meanwhile, Delta's stock has been on a rollercoaster. Blame it on the IT fiasco in July, caused by Austin-based CrowdStrike, which led to mass delays, cancellations, and a $500 million loss. Ouch! Despite the 9% stock drop, Delta's still the world's most valuable airline, with a market value of $34 billion. Take that, libs! Statistica

American Airlines: Route Slasher

American Airlines is on a route-cutting spree in Austin, axing four more routes after already chopping 26 this year. They're "proactively reaching out" to affected customers. Yeah, good luck with that! Despite a net income of $717 million in Q2, they're still drowning in $40 billion of debt.

Southwest: Seat Assignments? Say It Ain't So!

Southwest Airlines is switching to assigned seating. According to their news release, "preferences have evolved." They're also rolling out premium seating and red-eye flights. RIP, cattle call boarding.

Spirit & JetBlue: Budget No More

JetBlue's merger dreams with Spirit were shot down, so they're cutting 20 routes and ditching five cities. Spirit, meanwhile, is jumping on the premium seating bandwagon. Pour one out for the budget airlines we used to know.

Stay woke, Austin! Beck Andrew Salgado's on the case for the American-Statesman. Got tips? Email Bsalgado@gannett.com.