Later this year, Delta Air Lines will launch its first-ever service to New Zealand.
The Atlanta-based airline stated on Friday that, beginning on October 28, it will offer a nonstop service between Auckland Airport (AKL) and its hub at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
An Airbus A350 will be used to operate this brand-new daily, nonstop route over 6,504 miles.
Beginning on Saturday, January 21, travelers will be able to make reservations for the new route; however, it is unknown how many SkyMiles a business-class ticket will cost.
(The likelihood that it will be significant)
Delta won't be operating their prestigious Airbus A350 to New Zealand despite the well-publicized new route.
It will instead use one of the used A350s it recently purchased from LATAM.
These aircraft have a distinctive 339-seat layout that is divided between a business- and economy-class cabin and is known internally as the "35L."
There is no premium economy cabin on these aircraft.
In business class, there are 30 lie-flat beds arranged in a 2-2-2 layout facing forward.
There are a massive 63 Comfort+ seats and 246 regular seats in the economy class.
Each row of these aircraft has a seat-back screen, a power outlet, and a USB connector, all of which should make the nearly 13-hour flights more bearable. The aircraft also have Wi-Fi connectivity.
This summer, Delta will increase its current service to Paris in addition to adding a route map pin in New Zealand.
On May 25, the airline will increase the number of daily flights between John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG).
Although the final service date of the extra flight hasn't been disclosed yet, this additional frequency will run every day during the summer.
On the additional route to Paris, Delta will operate a 238-seat Boeing 767-400 equipped with 156 regular main cabin seats, 28 extra-legroom Comfort+ seats, 20 Premium Select recliners, and 34 Delta One business class pods.
On January 21st, the new flight will also be offered for purchase.
It makes sense for Delta to increase summertime service to Paris.
The airline may route passengers through Air France's enormous hub in Paris thanks to a transatlantic joint venture agreement with the Air France-KLM Group (and Virgin Atlantic).
Although many Americans fly to Paris in the summer, Delta can also capitalize on demand from tourists seeking connections to dozens, if not hundreds, of other locations throughout Europe and beyond.
It's unclear at this time if Delta's third daily flight would compete with any Air France frequencies or if the joint venture partners will actually gain capacity as a result.
The addition of service to New Zealand, however, is big news because it will be the first time in the airline's 97-year history that it has flown to the Kiwi nation.
Following the reopening of numerous nations to American tourists, there has been a significant increase in demand for flights to the Asia-Pacific region.
On the new L.A. route, Delta will go head-to-head with New Zealand's national airline.
Cerium flight timetables indicate that Air New Zealand operates daily to twice-daily flights between Los Angeles and Auckland.
American Airlines used to serve this market as well, but in October 2022 it switched its winter-seasonal New Zealand service to its mega-hub at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).
Air New Zealand can utilize United Airlines' network in Los Angeles for further connectivity outside of Southern California, and the airline can provide passengers flying to the south of the border with several quick connections to places other than Auckland.
While Delta has a hub in Los Angeles, it can only truly offer connecting tickets beyond Auckland. Nevertheless, it can sell one-stop flights to and from several American destinations.
All of this development coincides with Delta's massive investment in its Los Angeles hub, which has recently seen the introduction of a brand-new Sky Way and upgraded terminal amenities.
The network planners at Delta have been very busy, with this most recent statement and a few other recent changes.
The airline revealed a brand-new long-distance route from Atlanta to Nice, France, on the French Riviera, last week.
The airline has added daily service to its longest route to Tel Aviv, which will soon be launched.
The new Atlanta-Tel Aviv route, which formally resumed in August 2011, will start operating three times per week on March 26, 2023.
Six days sooner than first planned and on April 10, the day of the Jewish holiday of Passover, Delta will boost the route to daily service.
Delta's New Zealand flight schedule
All times are local for Delta Flight 65, which travels from Los Angeles to Auckland at 10:30 p.m. and arrives at 7:35 a.m. (+2 days).
All hours are local for Delta Flight 64, which travels from Auckland to Los Angeles at 2 PM and arrives at 6 AM.
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