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Austin airport takes off with first-ever nonstop flight to Paris

Norwegian Airlines will fly direct from Austin to Paris in 2020.

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The City of Lights is now just a nonstop flight away from the Capital City. In an anticipated announcement on Thursday, October 24, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport revealed that the city's first nonstop flight to Paris will take off next May.

Norwegian Airlines will launch seasonal service from ABIA to Paris' Charles Degalle Airport (CDA) on May 6, 2020. From May 6 through September 20, flights will operate three days a week: Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Flights will operate on Fridays and Sundays from September 25 through October 23.

They depart ABIA at 4 pm, arriving in Paris at 8:15 am (with a travel time of nine hours and 15 minutes). Return flights depart Charles Degalle Airport at 10:30 am and arrive in Austin at 2 pm (total travel time: 10.5 hours).

According to the Norwegian website, one-way tickets from Austin to Paris start at just $219.90 for economy fares, while return tickets start at $249.90 for May travel. Prices fluctuate throughout the summer; in June, economy prices for outbound flights clock in at $399.

“We’re excited by today’s news that next year, Central Texas travelers will have new nonstop service to Paris, one of the top tourist destinations in the world,” says Jacqueline Yaft, ABIA director, in a release.

The announcement comes just a couple months after news that ABIA was eyeing financial incentives to entice airlines to launch nonstop service from Austin. Paris was one of seven international destinations mentioned, alongside Amsterdam, Beijing, Dublin, Paris, Seoul, Shanghai, and Tokyo, as well as Hawaii.

Austin-Bergstrom certainly has ramped up its offerings in recent years with an abundance of new nonstop flights, including several international options.

Last month, KLM Dutch Royal Airlines announced it will launch nonstop Austin-to-Amsterdam service in May 2020. Norwegian will also increase its seasonal nonstop service from Austin to London to four times a week next May.

Other international nonstops taking off from ABIA include Frankfurt, Mexico City, and seasonal service to the Caribbean and beyond.

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santa loves sunshine

Austin heats up as 4th best warm destination for U.S. winter travel

Trail of Lights Austin

Austinites love visiting the Trail of Lights every year during the winter holidays.

Mariah Carey isn't the only one defrosting in preparation for the winter season: Austin has warmed up as one of WalletHub's top five best warm weather travel destinations for 2024.

Every year, WalletHub's analysts divide nearly 70 of the biggest U.S. metropolitan areas into two categories: the top "warm" and "cold" weather destinations. The study evaluated every metro based on 37 factors, including travel costs, local costs, weather predictions, and safety.

Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown earned a score of 67.84 out of 100 possible points to claim the sunny No. 4 spot nationally in 2024. The metro slipped one spot from its previous 2023 ranking, allowing Dallas-Fort Worth to move into the No. 3 spot this year. Austin previously ranked No. 1 in 2021 and No. 2 in 2022.

Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, Nevada (No. 1), San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, California (No. 2), and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, Arizona rounded out the top five best warm-weather winter destinations.

The Central Texas metro ranked No. 3 in the national "travel costs and hassles" categories, showing major favorability towards the busy yet efficient Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Austin's near year-round sunshine earned it No. 6 in the "weather" ranking out of all 69 U.S. metros.

Here's how Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown performed in the remaining four categories:

No. 10 – Attractions rank
No. 12 – Warm weather activities rank
No. 19 – Local costs rank
No. 25 – Safety rank

As in previous years, the highest concentration of top warm weather destinations was in Florida (10 metros), followed by Texas (nine metros), then California (eight metros).

Besides DFW and Austin, the only other Texas metro to earn a spot in the top 10 in 2024 was Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land (No. 6). San Antonio-New Braunfels slipped from No. 5 in 2023 to No. 11 this year.

Atlanta, Georgia ranked No. 1 once again on the list of best cold weather destinations for winter vacations, outdoing New York City, New York (No. 2), Washington, D.C. (No. 3), and Chicago, Illinois (No. 4).

"Whether you love to have a chill in your bones during the winter travel season or prefer to escape to somewhere sunny, the top travel destinations can cost as little as $200-$300 to reach by plane from major U.S. cities, with no connections," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "In addition to being affordable, the top cities also have an abundance of attractions that fit their weather patterns, along with high-quality restaurants and relatively low crime rates."

The top 10 best warm weather destinations for winter vacations are:

No. 1 – Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, Nevada
No. 2 – San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, California
No. 3 – Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas
No. 4 – Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, Texas
No. 5 – Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, Arizona
No. 6 – Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas
No. 7 – San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, California
No. 8 – Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida
No. 9 – Charleston-North Charleston, South Carolina
No. 10 – Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, Florida

For the purpose of the study, "cold" weather was determined to be less than or equal to 46 degrees Fahrenheit, while "warm" weather was greater than or equal to 57 degrees Fahrenheit. Both guidelines were analyzed based on the 50-year average December temperatures.

The full report and its methodology can be found on wallethub.com.

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