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Delta goes up against American, JetBlue in 6-route Boston boost

July 19, 2021
4 min read
Delta goes up against American, JetBlue in 6-route Boston boost
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The competition is brewing in Boston.

Over the weekend, Delta Air Lines filed a notable schedule update for its Boston hub, adding six leisure-focused routes to the Caribbean just in time for the peak winter season.

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Cirium schedules show that the Atlanta-based carrier is adding the following routes, most of which haven't been operated since the outset of the pandemic in March 2020. Delta confirmed the changes with TPG, but didn't have a statement to share.

OriginDestinationFrequencyNotes
Boston (BOS)Aruba (AUA)Flights begin Dec. 18 with 4x weekly flightsLast operated in March 2020
Boston (BOS)Montego Bay, Jamaica (MBJ)Flights begin Dec. 18 with 5x weekly flightsLast operated in May 2021
Boston (BOS)Nassau, Bahamas (NAS)Flights begin Dec. 19 with 4x weekly flightsLast operated in March 2020
Boston (BOS)Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (PUJ)Flights begin Dec. 19 with 5x weekly flightsLast operated in March 2020
Boston (BOS)St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (STT)Flight begin Dec. 18 with 3x weekly flightsLast operated in May 2021
Boston (BOS)Turks & Caicos (PLS)Flights begin Dec. 18 with 1x weekly flight on SaturdaysLast operated in March 2020

Notably, all six routes that Delta is restarting are already operated by JetBlue, and four of them are flown by American Airlines as well.

For Delta, the move comes as leisure travel continues its recovery from the depths of the pandemic. With domestic summer travel at all-time highs, the carrier's likely betting that the momentum will continue when the snow starts falling and the sun sets earlier.

But this latest boost likely isn't only about the increased demand.

Boston is one of Delta's newest hubs — it was designated as such in 2019 — and the airline was aggressively growing there leading up to March 2020. The pandemic stymied Delta's growth plan, but now that the recovery is underway, the airline's boosting Boston once again.

“We’re really just pulling that old playbook back out to continue to reestablish the footprint that this building was designed for,” Henry Kuykendall, Delta’s senior vice president of East Coast airport operations, told TPG at Logan Airport in mid-May. “Boston was one of our fastest-growing hubs.”

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(Photo by Zach Griff/The Points Guy)

Delta plans to hire about 200 customer service and below-wing employees at Logan, Kuykendhall said — on top of all of the employees previously on voluntary leaves or furloughs during the pandemic, who have already been recalled.

Though Delta is pulling out its pre-pandemic playbook in Boston, the airline is going to face some competitive headwinds with its latest expansion.

In July 2020, American Airlines and JetBlue upended the competitive status-quo with their new Northeast Alliance, which is focused on building connectivity in both New York and Boston.

Since then, the two carriers have launched a slew of new routes, additional frequencies and enhanced schedule coordination in both markets, much of which goes up against Delta's existing foothold there.

Just this year, Delta has retaliated against American and JetBlue by adding more lie-flat seats on the premium Boston to Los Angeles transcon hop, as well as announcing four new Boston and New York routes.

Now, Delta's bringing the competition to the Caribbean. How it'll fare is anyone's guess, but the heat is on.

Featured image by (Photo by Zach Griff/The Points Guy)
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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Build your loyalty to Delta by applying for the carrier's mid-tier card option, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card. The annual fee is quickly recouped by the card's travel perks, such as an application credit to Global Entry or TSA Precheck, annual companion certificate and so much more. Plus you can fast-track to elite status simply through card spend.

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  • Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
  • Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
  • Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Plus enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding and settle into your seat sooner.
  • New: Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
  • Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
  • Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
  • Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
  • Enjoy a per-visit rate of $50 per person for Card Members and up to two guests to enter the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a Delta flight.
  • Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
  • Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • $250 Annual Fee.
  • Terms Apply.
  • See Rates & Fees