Austin Bergstrom (AUS): The Complete Layover Guide

Everything at AUS happens in the Barbara Jordan Terminal. The concourse runs east to west behind a single security perimeter: gates 1 to 13 at the east end, 15 to 23 in the center, 24 to 34 to the west. Walking the full length takes about 8 to 10 minutes, which makes connection planning here almost trivial. There are no trains, no buses, no terminal changes. Land, check the screen, walk.

That simplicity got simpler in 2026. The South Terminal, the small separate building Allegiant and Frontier used to fly from, closed on 31 March 2026 and is being demolished for new taxiways. Both airlines moved into the main terminal on 1 April. If a forum post or an old guide tells you to budget for a shuttle between terminals, ignore it.

Security is the main variable. Typical waits run 20 to 30 minutes, and the morning rush from 5 to 8 am and the late afternoon push can stretch past 40. The airport opened a new checkpoint on the west side in February 2026, which has taken pressure off the main lanes. The airport's own advice is 2 hours before a domestic flight and 3 before international, which is conservative for a connecting passenger who is already airside but about right if you exited or are starting your trip here.

Domestic to domestic connections need less drama than the official guidance implies. With one concourse, 45 to 60 minutes works for any gate pair as long as your inbound is on time. There is no published minimum connection time to lean on, so treat anything under 40 minutes as a sprint with no safety net.

Food is the reason people are happy to be stuck here. The Salt Lick barbecue outpost near the center of the concourse is the standing recommendation, and the live music stages by the gates are not a gimmick, they run real sets most afternoons. Wifi is free on the AUS Free WiFi network, though whether the old 4 hour session cap still applies is to be confirmed.

Overnight is where AUS fails. The building never formally closes, but the checkpoints shut after the last departures and reopen around 3 am, and anyone not connecting gets moved landside, where the benches near check in are the only option. There are no sleep pods and no rest zones. The Hilton on the old air base grounds, 2 minutes away on a free 24 hour shuttle, is the honest answer for any forced overnight.

Construction is the long term story. The Journey With AUS expansion is building toward a new 26 gate Concourse B in the early 2030s, with an interim 6 gate concourse starting construction in late 2026. For now the works mostly touch roads, garages and taxiways rather than your walk to the gate, but expect detours on the curb for years.