Delta is launching new nonstop flights to Hawaii from Atlanta, Detroit, and New York starting later this year.
The new routes will bring the total number of Delta routes flying to and from Hawaii to 18 every day and help connect more travelers directly to the islands from all over the mainland U.S.
These new routes begin just in time for the holidays, when Delta begins flying nonstop from Atlanta (ATL) to Maui (OGG) and from Detroit (DTW) to Honolulu (HNL) on Nov. 19, 2022. One month later, Delta will launch daily nonstop service from New York (JFK) to Honolulu (HNL) on Dec. 17, 2022.
All of these new routes will be operated by a Boeing 767-300ER, which are not updated with Delta's new 767s interiors.
Once this new service begins, Delta will have 10 different U.S. cities offering nonstop service to Honolulu (HNL) including Atlanta (ATL), Detroit (DTW), Los Angeles (LAX), Minneapolis (MSP), New York (JFK), Salt Lake City (SLC), and Seattle (SEA).
Read Next: Heading to Honolulu? Our Guide to Oahu
Delta will also have three routes flying nonstop into Maui (OGG): Atlanta (ATL), Los Angeles (LAX), and Seattle (SEA). Travelers looking to head to the Big Island (KOA) or Kauai (LIH) can fly to those destinations nonstop on Delta from Los Angeles (LAX) and Seattle (SEA).
Notably, Delta says that all of its Hawaii flights from Atlanta (ATL), Detroit (DTW), Minneapolis (MSP), and New York (JFK) include the airline's Delta One product – though as mentioned, these new routes will be on the old 767 seats that the airline is slowly phasing out, as they are quite outdated at this point.
Our Analysis
This is great news for Delta fliers and for travelers with their sights set on Hawaii in general.
We find cheap flights to Hawaii for our Thrifty Traveler Premium subscribers all the time, and we will surely be checking these additional routes when they go on sale.
One important note: Travelers with their sights set on a Hawaii trip this year or next should watch these routes closely, as we often find new routes lead to massive savings soon after the announcements.
This is also great news for competition to the Hawaiian Islands. While a number of airlines offer service to Hawaii, these new nonstop options will put pressure on the other airlines to offer more competitive fares. For instance, Hawaiian Airlines currently offers a daily nonstop flight from JFK to HNL competition-free and can cost travelers upwards of $1,000. When the Delta flight begins on that route, it could force both airlines to drop fares and compete on price.
Read Next: What is the Best Island to Visit in Hawaii? A Complete Guide
Also, travelers from Atlanta and Detroit who used to have to connect on the west coast to get to Hawaii now have a nonstop option, which could make those connecting fares on other airlines and on Delta drop, too.
Bottom Line
Delta is launching three new nonstop flights to the Hawaiian Islands just in time for the holidays this year.
The new routes are great news for travelers as new routes often lead to big savings and because the additional flights will create more competition among the airlines to help drive Hawaii fares down.
For Delta fliers, there will soon be 18 daily flights to Hawaii from all over the United States.
Lead photo courtesy of Chris Lundberg via Flickr.
Delta is dropping the DTW-HNL nonstop in the fall. I booked the route in Dec 2022 for 27 Sep, with return on 2 Oct 2023, and last week got a flight change notice that DL changed me to connections thru LAX. So once again, Delta’s DTW fliers get screwed.