Delta Airlines officially launched service of their fancy new Airbus A220 planes back in February. These new spacious, more fuel-efficient planes will eventually become a mainstay for Delta's domestic flights.
On Monday, we learned of Delta's plan to expand their A220 service by adding a number of new routes. Per Routes Online, Delta has filed changes to expand its Airbus A220 network, starting as early as August 2019.
Delta's planned A220 expansion includes seven routes with no end date listed. This means the service is likely indefinite, and they are as follows:
- Salt Lake City (SLC) – San Francisco (SFO): Starting Aug. 31, 2019
- Salt Lake City (SLC) – Orange County (SNA): Starting Sept. 2, 2019
- Salt Lake City (SLC) – Atlanta (ATL): Starting Dec. 21, 2019
- Salt Lake City (SLC) – New York City (JFK): Starting Dec.21, 2019
- Salt Lake City (SLC) – Seattle (SEA): Starting Dec. 21, 2019
- Seattle (SEA) – San Francisco (SFO): Starting Aug. 13, 2019
- Seattle (SEA) – Fairbanks (FAI): Starting Oct. 1, 2019
There are also a handful of seasonal routes that will run mostly through the busy holiday travel season. These new routes are as follows:
Detroit (DTW) – Austin (AUS): Service runs between Dec. 21 and Jan. 5, 2020
New York (JFK) – Fort Myers (RSW): Service runs between Dec. 21 and Jan. 4, 2020
New York (JFK) – Tampa (TPA): Service runs between Dec. 19 and Jan. 4, 2020
New York (JFK) – West Palm Beach (PBI): Services runs between Dec. 21 and Jan. 4, 2020
New York LaGuardia (LGA) – Fort Myers (RSW): Service runs between Aug. 19 and Nov. 16, 2019
New York LaGuardia (LGA) – New Orleans (MSY): Service runs between Aug. 19 and Dec. 14, 2019
Salt Lake City (SLC) – Las Vegas (LAS): Service runs between Dec. 21 and Jan. 4, 2020
Seattle (SEA) – Denver (DEN): Service runs between Oct. 1 and Jan. 5, 2020
Seattle (SEA) – Portland (PDX): Service runs between Dec. 21 and Jan. 4, 2020
Salt Lake City (SLC) – Las Vegas (LAS): Service runs between Dec. 21 and Jan. 4, 2020
Why We Love the New Airbus A220
Delta was the first U.S. airline to use these new planes, and among the first in the world. On paper, Delta's newest aircraft blows the competition away. It puts the troubled Boeing 737 MAX planes American Airlines and United are using on similar flights to shame. Here's why:
- Every seat on Delta's Airbus A220 has its own entertainment screen; American and United have ripped those out.
- Thanks to a 2-3 seating arrangement in economy, Delta's seats are 18.6 inches wide – some of the widest you'll find on any aircraft. On their newest 737s, United and American's seats are 1 to 2 inches skinnier.
- Every economy seat on the A220 features 32 inches of legroom – a decent amount for domestic flights – while the norm is 31-32 inches on the newest United and American planes.
- Lavatories onboard the 737 MAX are notoriously small, just 2 feet wide. Delta's lavatories are much bigger – and they have a window.
The Airbus A220 will be replacing less fuel-efficient aircraft and will be deployed on short- to medium-haul routes. Since 2009, Delta has retired 280 50-seat regional jets and more than 130 older, narrowbody aircraft. Their order of A220s is part of an effort to refresh its fleet with over 300 new aircraft.
Delta has 90 of these new planes on the way by 2023, so they'll eventually become a staple in their fleet.
Thrifty Tip: For a full look at the plane's interior, check out our post of the A220's first photos.
Bottom Line
More Delta A220 routes are welcome news. As mentioned above, these will eventually become a staple Delta's fleet as they retire older, less fuel-efficient aircraft.
Lead photo courtesy of Delta News Hub via Flickr