Delta to expand service on two busiest cross-country routes

Transcontinental expansion complements significant investments at JFK, LAX airports 

Atlanta-headquartered Delta Air Lines plans to add additional and upgraded transcontinental service on the routes between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO), two of the busiest routes in the United States.

Delta 767-400 takes off

"Los Angeles and San Francisco are essential domestic markets from New York City," Gail Grimmett, Delta senior vice president-New York, said in a statement announcing the service changes. "Delta is committed to offering our customers a superior schedule and product on these routes."

Delta already lays claim to being the New York City area's largest carrier, offering more than 500 peak-day flights including 275 flights daily from La Guardia Airport (LGA) and 200 from JFK.

Starting in November, Delta (NYSE:DAL) will increase service between JFK and LAX from nine to 10 daily peak-day flights. Four flights will be operated with Boeing (NYSE:BA) 767 widebody aircraft, which provide direct aisle access for all Delta One customers, and six flights will use Boeing 757 aircraft featuring new interior modifications that have been completely refurbished from nose to tail, the airline said.

Delta One is the airline's name for the premium cabin and service it offers on all long-haul international flights and all cross-country flights between JFK and LAX or SFO, according to its website. Delta One customers have full flat-bed seats as well as a suite of other services, including tailored gourmet meals and wines selected by a master sommelier.

Delta will also be upgrading three of its eight daily flights between JFK and SFO to Boeing 767 widebody aircraft, making the airline the only carrier to operate widebody service on both routes. This network expansion, which will allow Delta to offer the most seats of any airline between New York-JFK and Los Angeles and San Francisco, accompanies the airline's other noteworthy investments both on the ground and in the air, the carrier added.

Delta's new Los Angeles service complements its recent $229 million facilities investment at LAX, including a newly remodeled Delta Sky Club, a renovated Sky Priority lobby, and a new premium check-in experience, Delta ONE, at LAX. Customers flying in Delta One enter the terminal through a dedicated curbside entrance, leading to a private check-in lounge with personalized luggage check and access to a dedicated security checkpoint.

Meanwhile, Delta customers at JFK continue to benefit from its $1.4 billion, state-of-the-art international gateway at Terminal 4, which opened in May 2013. That expansion featured nine new and seven renovated international gates; improved and renovated check-in areas, including a dedicated Sky Priority check-in area; a centralized security checkpoint; new dining and retail offerings; a new 24,000 square-foot flagship Delta Sky Club with the first-ever Sky Deck outdoor terrace; dual taxiways for less congestion and shorter taxi times; and improved Customs and Border Protection and baggage claim facilities. In January 2015, the second phase of Terminal 4's expansion debuted an additional 11 gates, streamlining travel for those with connecting flights at JFK and enhancing access to amenities at both terminals, the airline said.

A new Delta Sky Club in San Francisco will open in August.

Delta's Comfort+ class offers upgraded amenities like dedicated overhead space, extra legroom and premium snacks. Customers can also access free and paid streaming entertainment options through Delta Studio on any of Delta's Wi-Fi-equipped domestic flights using their own portable electronic devices.

According to SeatGuru.com, the most common configuration of the carrier's 767 aircraft offer seats in Delta One that are 21 inches wide with pitch from 76.5 to 81.4 inches. Seats in Delta Comfort+ and standard economy are 17.9 inches wide, with pitch of 35 inches in Delta Comfort+ and 31 to 32 inches in standard economy.

Delta already operates the world's largest Wi-Fi-equipped fleet, with more than 3,500 Internet connected flights daily, including its entire fleet of 620 domestic mainline aircraft. Customers in Delta One and Delta Comfort+ receive complimentary access to premium content, while customers in the Main Cabin have access to a wide selection of complimentary entertainment.

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