Southwest Airlines Flights from Houston to Austin

Southwest Airlines on this route

Houston is a Southwest Airlines hub, so Southwest Airlines typically offers several daily departures on HOU–AUS, with nonstop service where demand supports it and connections through its other hubs otherwise. The nonstop flight time is about 55m.

Fare classes available: Basic, Choice / Choice Preferred, Choice Extra. Southwest does not charge change fees on any fare; you pay the fare difference if the new flight is more expensive.

The lowest one-way fare we have on record for this route is $256 on Southwest. Fares like that usually show up on off-peak days and for travel booked a few weeks out; an agent can check whether a similar fare is available for your dates.

Because Delta Air Lines treats Austin as a hub, this pairing tends to have frequent departures throughout the day. American Airlines and Southwest Airlines also compete here, which keeps fares in check.

At 140 miles, this is a short hop: gate to gate in about 55m, which makes a same-day round trip realistic and puts driving and rail in competition with the fare. Early-morning departures are usually the cheapest and least likely to be delayed.

Recorded lows on HOU–AUS have come from American and Southwest recently. The cheapest carrier on a given day depends on how full each flight is, so a live comparison usually beats any rule of thumb.

When to fly

Southern departures see their highest fares over spring break and the winter holidays; late summer and the weeks after Labor Day typically bring the lowest prices.

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday departures are usually the cheapest days on domestic routes; Friday and Sunday are the most expensive. Early-morning and late-evening flights are often priced below the midday departures.

For domestic travel, booking three to eight weeks ahead usually captures the best price. Inside two weeks, fares climb; more than four months out, airlines have not yet released their cheapest inventory.