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The 10 longest (and 10 shortest) Delta Air Lines flights

Zach Wichter
Zach Wichter
Aviation Industry Reporter
Zach has been interested in things that go since he was a kid. He previously worked at The New York Times and spent much of his time there covering the aviation industry, including contributing to the paper’s reporting on the 737 Max crisis at Boeing. He grew up in Bethpage, on Long Island, and graduated from Northwestern University in 2013 where he majored in journalism and gender and sexuality studies.
Dec. 23, 2019
•
3 min read
Delta 767-J Business LAX-JFK
The 10 longest (and 10 shortest) Delta Air Lines flights
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Singapore Airlines made global headlines last year when it relaunched its Newark-Singapore flight. The 9,534-mile flight allowed the carrier to reclaim the title of having the "world's longest flight," bumping Qatar Airways and its 9,032-mile Doha-Auckland, New Zealand, flight out of the top spot.

Another title shift could happen in the coming years if Qantas Airways decides to push ahead with its "Project Sunrise" flights. The Australian carrier made headlines of its own this fall as it tested several ultra-long flights to Sydney – including from New York and from London – to great fanfare. Each would be longer than Singapore's current record-holder, and Qantas says it will decide soon whether to press ahead. If it does, flights could begin in 2023.

But have you ever wondered what the longest flight is on your preferred carrier? Or the shortest? Given all the buzz about long flights recently, we decided to see what clocked in as the longest and shortest flights for each of the 11 biggest U.S. carriers.

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What did we find? Today we look at Delta Air Lines. Its longest route on the December schedule is Atlanta-Johannesburg while its shortest is the 74-mile hop it operates between Detroit and Lansing, Michigan.

Next: Frontier Airlines. Previous: Alaska Airlines | Allegiant Air | American Airlines

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Longest

  1. Atlanta (ATL) - Johannesburg (JNB): 8,433 miles
  2. Mumbai (BOM) - New York (JFK): 7,797 miles
  3. Atlanta (ATL) - Shanghai (PVG): 7,659 miles
  4. Los Angeles (LAX) - Sydney, Australia (SYD): 7,487 miles
  5. Atlanta (ATL) - Seoul (ICN): 7,139
  6. Detroit (DTW) - Shanghai (PVG): 7,137 miles
  7. Atlanta (ATL) - Tokyo (NRT): 6,850 miles
  8. Detroit (DTW) - Beijing (PEK): 6,632 miles
  9. Detroit (DTW) - Seoul (ICN): 6,624 miles
  10. Detroit (DTW) - Nagoya, Japan (NGO): 6,552 miles

Shortest

  1. Detroit (DTW) - Lansing, Michigan (LAN): 74 miles
  2. Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP) - Rochester, Minnesota (RST): 76 miles
  3. Atlanta (ATL) - Columbus, Georgia (CSG): 83 miles
  4. Cleveland (CLE) - Detroit (DTW): 95 miles
  5. Detroit (DTW) - Saginaw/Bay City, Michigan (MBS): 98 miles
  6. Atlanta (ATL) - Chattanooga, Tennessee (CHA): 106 miles
  7. Los Angeles (LAX) - San Diego (SAN): 109 miles
  8. Kalamazoo, Michigan (AZO) - Detroit (DTW): 113 miles
  9. Detroit (DTW) - Grand Rapids, Michigan (GRR): 120 miles
  10. Seattle (SEA) - Vancouver, British Columbia (YVR): 127 miles

*Certain regional flights are operated and planned by affiliates independently of Delta's scheduling teams and are not included.

Source: Delta Air Lines. Flights based based on regularly scheduled flights during the carrier's December schedule. Next update: March 2020.

For more info about the airline, check out TPG's Delta Air Lines by the numbers post.

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    Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits.

Pros

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  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.