No matter where you're heading, it's nice to have an airline you trust to get you there. That's why some travelers go to great lengths to stay loyal to a specific carrier—especially if it comes with amenities like frequent flyer miles, upgraded seats, and pre-flight perks like lounge access. But things can get complicated if the city you need to get to isn't serviced by your airline of choice—especially now that many carriers are shuffling their routes to meet changing demand. The latest example of this is Delta, which just announced it was cutting flights to six cities in the coming weeks. Read on to find out which destinations will see fewer departures from the popular airline.
READ THIS NEXT: American Is Cutting Flights to These 8 Major Cities, Starting Nov. 3.
Many airlines are shuffling schedules amid a serious staffing shortage.
PONG HANDSOME / ShutterstockWhether you've flown lately or not, you've probably heard news of the airline industry's woes during this summer's busy travel season. A staffing shortage has brought about waves of delays and cancellations, forcing many carriers to cut back on departures and change their schedules to avoid disruptions. In Delta's case, the company's top brass recently stepped up to offer an apology and assure future passengers the carrier was taking action.
"This quarter's operational performance has not been up to our industry-leading standard," Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines, told CNBC during an interview with CNBC on July 13, per The Points Guy. He also added that the airline "pushed too hard" and had "scaled back a bit" to help relieve ongoing issues.
The company's actions appear to have positively affected operations, with Bastian noting a 99.2 percent completing factor and only 25 cancellations through the first 11 days of July, thanks to the amended schedules. And now, the airline is adding to its list of schedule changes.
Delta is cutting flights to six cities in the coming weeks.
ShutterstockOn Aug. 8, new data uploaded to flight schedule information website Cirium showed that Delta was cutting flights between six cities in the coming weeks, The Points Guy first reported. The first change will take effect on Sept. 11, when the airline will drop service between its midwestern hub in Detroit (DTW) and Allentown, Pennsylvania (ABE). Then, starting Oct. 5, the carrier is cutting its routes between Detroit and Cedar Rapids, Iowa (CID); Dayton, Ohio (DAY); and Fort Wayne, Indiana (FWA). The airline will also drop its flights between Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) and Moline, Illinois (MLI) that same day.
Despite the changes, none of the dropped flights will leave any of the affected cities without Delta service from other airports, The Points Guy reports. The airline confirmed the changes and cited a shift in demand for the route reconfiguration.
"We continue to monitor and adjust our flight schedules as needed on an ongoing basis; staying in line with current customer demand trends," a Delta spokesperson told The Points Guy.
The airline is bulking up its schedule with new flights elsewhere.
iStockThe planned schedule changes don't only include dropped routes. Beginning Oct. 6, Delta will add up to three round-trip flights daily between Boston Logan Airport (BOS) and Westchester County Airport (HPN)—otherwise known as White Plains—near New York City. The new departures mark the first time the airline has serviced the route since the 1990s, The Points Guy reports.
This isn't the only new route Delta has recently added.
ShutterstockDespite the recent route downsizing, Delta has also recently shifted its focus to new international routes as demand has picked up. On July 29, the carrier announced it would add new flights to its schedule that would affect six destinations. Beginning on Dec. 17, the airline will kick off nonstop service for three flights a week each between Los Angeles (LAX) and Tahiti (PPT) and between Atlanta (ATL) and Cape Town, South Africa (CPT). The carrier will also be relaunching service between Atlanta and Tel Aviv, Israel (TLV) as of May 8 of next year, for the first time since it discontinued the route in 2011, Simple Flying reports.
The announcement also saw domestic routes getting a boost, with nonstop service between Miami (MIA) and Los Angeles relaunching on Dec. 17. The new leg marks the first time Delta has operated the route since dropping it in 2018, The Points Guy reports.
"Offering our customers new and additional access to these international cultural powerhouses is central to our unwavering commitment to connect the world," Joe Esposito, Delta's Senior Vice President of Network Planning, said in a press release. "As we continue to invest in our leading-airline position in Atlanta and Los Angeles, we know our customers will enjoy unparalleled connectivity to Delta's global network, coupled with our award-winning hospitality, whether they're traveling for business or pleasure."
