Delta adds Hong Kong, new Chicago service in big LA expansion
While it's been rumored for a few days, Delta Air Lines will officially commence service to Hong Kong next year.
The airline announced Wednesday that it'll start flying from its hub at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) on June 6, 2026. Delta will deploy its flagship Airbus A350-900 on the new 7,260-mile route. The aircraft is configured with 40 Delta One Suites, 40 Premium Select recliners, 36 Comfort+ extra-legroom seats and 159 standard economy seats.
Delta will offer 30 one-stop connection options for travelers from across North America looking to get to and from Hong Kong.
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Interestingly, this isn't Delta's first foray into Hong Kong. The airline last served the market in 2018 with nonstop service from Seattle, but it pulled out at the time due to weak demand and other factors.
While the airline has been busy in recent years growing its transpacific connectivity from Seattle, Hong Kong service will return from Los Angeles. This is an interesting move, especially since United Airlines and hometown carrier Cathay Pacific already offer plenty of flights between the two cities. (Meanwhile, Seattle to Hong Kong is currently unserved, and it's possible that Alaska Airlines has the city on its expansion list.)
Perhaps Delta thinks there's simply not enough nonstop demand from Seattle to Hong Kong to make that nonstop route work. Of course, Delta also operates a big hub at LAX, but so do the three other largest U.S. airlines. It's much harder to be the No. 1 airline in Los Angeles than it is in Seattle.
In addition to its long-haul expansion, Delta will add a domestic route it's never operated before: LAX to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD). Three daily flights on this route will begin June 7, 2026; the service will have some serious competition with flights operated by American Airlines and United, as well as discounters Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines.
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Chicago and LA are both hubs for American and United, so adding Delta to the mix will not only give travelers more options, but it could also put more pressure on the struggling ultra-low-cost carriers that fly the route.
With more service by network carriers, ultra-low-cost discounters have struggled recently to fill their planes without significantly discounting their tickets. Rising costs and redesigned business models could make it harder than ever for Frontier and Spirit to survive in the LA-Chicago market.
"Launching service to Hong Kong and Chicago from LAX strengthens our presence in two of the world's most dynamic markets. As the largest global carrier at LAX, we're continuing to invest in routes that matter to our customers and deliver the premium travel experience that they've come to expect from Delta," Paul Baldoni, Delta's senior vice president of network planning, said in a statement.
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