With hotly contested times all but assured in the latest round of Hawaii travel shakeups, Delta Air Lines announced today it is refocusing on Hawaii. The carrier will be going head to head with arch-nemesis Alaska Airlines and with Hawaiian Airlines, just as those two hope to join forces in a merger that legacy airlines like Delta and United would not welcome.
Delta will fly to four Hawaiian island destinations from eight U.S. gateway cities with these new Hawaii flight additions. Honolulu will now be served from every one of Delta’ U.S. hub markets.
What does this Delta Hawaii expansion mean?
Before turning to the details of today’s announcement, we are focused on what this implies in the current Hawaii travel environment. First, it’s a “shot across the bow” on Alaska and Hawaiian. Secondly, it’s the first assertion from any legacy airline since the Alaska/Hawaiian merger was announced over two months ago.
The Delta attack moves along two flanks. With its new service announced, it directly targets Hawaiian Airlines’ longest domestic route from Boston to Honolulu. The second target is against Delta’s fierce competitor, Alaska Airlines, with more Delta flights from Alaska hubs in Seattle and Salt Lake City.
Flights to Hawaii will utilize the airline’s 767-300ER, which features well-reviewed Delta One suites and a true premium economy cabin. Neither Alaska nor Hawaiian have yet to introduce a Hawaii premium economy product. Shorter flights from the West Coast will use the company’s new Airbus A321neo fleet, which features neither lie-flat, nor premium economy, however.
The second flank is precisely focused on Alaska, without regard to Hawaiian.
Delta Air Lines and Alaska Airlines saw their once tight-knit partnership dissolve, sparked mainly by Delta’s Seattle expansion. Years later, the two are still in a fierce battle to sway customers, with Hawaii flights now a resurging focus for both.
Delta will begin daily year-round service between Miami and Seattle in competition with Alaska Airlines. That service starts December 21.
Lastly, Delta strikes out on its own by returning its prior route between Atlanta and Maui. It will fly from November through March and seasonally only at this point. That, of course, is subject to change.
“More Routes Throughout Hawaii” — Delta Air Lines.
In its press release earlier this morning, Delta said, “Hawaii-bound Delta customers will be able to choose from 22 daily nonstop flights next winter, including a new daily, seasonal nonstop service between BOS (Boston) and HNL starting Nov. 21 through Apr. 30.
More Delta Hawaii flights from Salt Lake City and Seattle.
“Delta will further boost its flight schedule with a second daily, seasonal frequency to HNL starting Nov. 6 through Mar. 29. Additionally, customers in SEA will see a third daily, seasonal flight to HNL beginning Dec. 21 through Mar. 29.”
Delta reinvigorates its Maui presence.
Delta will return its route to Maui from Atlanta beginning November 21 and running through March 29. from the Eastern U.S., with the resumption of service from Atlanta (starting Nov. 21 through Mar. 29.
In today’s competitive environment, more changes are sure to come. Please tell us your take on what’s happening in Hawaii air travel.
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I would love see Alaska try something different with their 737max or wide body to transatlantic flights from Sea tac airport.
Reading about competition between airlines, as a surprise come that Alaska Airlines has canceled non stop flights between San Jose and Maui – Kahului; Kauai – Lihue and Hawaii, Kona airport. Why has this happened? Is this temporary or permanent
Can u imagine if Alaska and Hawaiian wedding actually happened. Alaska could carry it’s passengers direct from Seattle international, across the Pacific to Japan, Korea, Australia, China, New Zealand, or to Europ France, England, Germany, Italy on 330s and 787s.. that would just destroy Delta’s hub in Seattle. Alaska has a much more complex network there. It would just be the end of that hub for delta as Seattle can’t support 2 airline hubs. I am sure AA and UA are just thrilled. But speaking of Hawaii flights I would much rather fly deltas old 767 or A321s then a 737max sorry southwest and Alaska not getting on that tincan it’s going to be years before they figure out all the problems with that Frankenstein plane.
Those 767s are 30 years old with inferior biz class.
Delta doesn’t need to worry about the merger due to me. I don’t ride Delta as I have Never had adequate legroom in coach on that airline, and that started in 1976.
Delta’s 767-300 feature a far inferior Delta One product. It certainly does not have a door. That photo you’re showing of the Delta One product is not accurate of what Delta is going to offer on BOS-HNL.
Big D seems a little nervous
I’m very disturbed by the incidents onboard airline flights. I venture to say that these fights are fueled by alcohol. Maybe breathalyzer test should be used to screen out drunks. I don’t want to be on any flight where there is a drunken fight! The public has a right to be protected on all airline flights and that includes being protected from drunks! Alcohol is a drug and it caused many problems which brought about laws against drunk driving. It’s time to ban alcohol on planes and ban drunks on planes!
Delta adding a third seasonal flight from SEA to HNL is still going to be smaller than what Alaska provides on the same route. I recall at least five flights a day from SEA to HNL on Alaska, leaving at times every 2 hours. What Delta may come with, of which it would start a fare war, is that they undercut Alaska in price. They have been aggressive in their pricing of flights to and from Hawaii, from experience I have had in booking “the cheapest ticket” with Delta, most times, coming up to the top of the list.
I wonder how all this will affect the fact that Delta currently leverages Hawaiian for inter island flights? For example, the last tine we flew to the Big Island we flew Delta to HNL, and then was put on a Hawaiian from HNL to Kona.
Delta had the same reaction in Phoenix, Arizona in the early 1990’s when upstart Phoenix owned America West had the temerity to have Non-Stop Service between Phoenix and Atlanta. Sadly, Delta made the decision to cut off Phoenix from Non-stop SD, LAX, SFO, PDX and Sea-Tac, forcing to connect through SLC, minimally 3 hours of travel each way. The result, America West bought USAir and eventually AA, before relocating their HQ to Dallas, but in-between, Rates became more competitive, despite being a MM in ‘91, I cast my lot with HP and was Platinum, Chairman into retirement in 2015, ignoring Delta. As long as DOT doesn’t squash Hawaiian, as they’re trying to do with Spirit, AA, and Jet-Blue, there is still a AA/Alaska tie.
Delta? Seriously? Okie dokie then! If I lived on the eastcoast, last thing I would ever consider is flying to the islands on that carrier. Not sorry, and no thank you!
Flying out of PDX we have limited options to Hawaii (Kauai), Alaska or Hawaiian. With the proposed merger we will have no options, only the merged company which means no competition and higher prices. I was hoping to see Delta add Portland flights to Hawaii in this announcement, but no. So that means I will continue to look at prices for flights and probably do what I did a few months ago, fly to Oakland and then to Kauai at a lower cost. I hope that regulators will look at the lack of competition at PDX before deciding on this merger.
Well so much for any argument being made that the merger would reduce competition in the market!
I was excited to read this until I read the part about the routes being serviced by the bucket of bolts Boeing 767’s. I remember flying on those out of DFW on AA. I’ll take the modern 787 fleet of American Airlines and look forward to the same on Hawaiian. Doesn’t sound like much competition. Will be good though as it will bring pricing pressure so I can fly more often on the 787’s at a better price!