Delta adds new long-haul route to French Riviera, upgrades longest Tel Aviv flight
Delta Air Lines is making two exciting updates to its long-haul route map.
The first is the addition of a brand-new flight connecting the airline's mega-hub in Atlanta with Nice, a popular destination on the French Riviera for American tourists during the summer.
The new 4,749-mile route will commence on May 12 and will operate daily through Sept. 29. Delta will fly a 238-seat Boeing 767-400 on the new route, which features 34 Delta One business-class pods, 20 Premium Select recliners, 28 extra-legroom Comfort+ seats and 156 standard main cabin seats.
The new flight will be available for sale on Saturday, Jan. 14.
Meanwhile, Delta is also boosting its previously announced service from Atlanta to Tel Aviv. As of April 16 (just after the Jewish Passover holiday), the airline will upgrade this 6,437-mile route from three-times-weekly service to daily service.
Though the airline is increasing the frequency of the Tel Aviv route, it isn't changing the equipment that it'll fly — an Airbus A350 in the "35L," or the ex-LATAM configuration.
These A350s were already used when Delta took delivery of them, and they still feature the legacy cabin configuration.
In business class, travelers will find 30 lie-flat beds in a forward-facing 2-2-2 configuration, and there are no premium economy recliners on the jet. The economy cabin has a whopping 63 Comfort+ seats and 246 standard seats.
Though the flight hasn't yet launched, this represents the second major update that Delta has made to the Tel Aviv service.
When it was first announced back in July 2022, Delta planned to start Atlanta to Tel Aviv on May 10. Just a few weeks later, the carrier filed plans to start the flight much earlier than planned, on March 26.
Now, the boost to daily service comes just days after American Airlines announced that it's (somewhat surprisingly) cutting service from Miami to Tel Aviv on March 24.
Delta's move to go daily in the market might be considered an opportunistic move to capitalize on the traffic that American is giving up with its route cut.
Delta will be able to funnel connections to Atlanta from cities throughout the southeast, including Miami and the greater South Florida catchment area, with shorter total travel times than American will be able to offer with its remaining Tel Aviv service from its New York hub.
In addition to serving Israel from Atlanta and New York, the airline recently launched a new flight last May between Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and Tel Aviv. Clearly, something is working for Delta to keep boosting Israel service, while American keeps pulling back its flights in the market.
It's worth noting that United is the undisputed leader among the U.S. airlines in Tel Aviv service. The Chicago-based carrier flies to the country from Chicago, Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. In fact, United expanded connectivity from Chicago (four weekly flights) and San Francisco (upgraded to a higher-capacity Boeing 777-300ER) in a recent schedule update.
Interestingly, Delta's new flights from Atlanta to Nice and Tel Aviv technically mark service resumptions for the carrier. The airline last flew from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) to Nice in September 2006 and to Tel Aviv in August 2011, Cirium schedules show.
With the relaunch of flights from Atlanta, Delta will be able to offer many more one-stop options to some popular cities in Europe and the Middle East, giving passengers even more exciting travel options.
For more about Delta's network, check out:
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- 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.
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- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | 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. |
| 4X | 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. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
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.Excellent to Good
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. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 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.