Delta cuts 2 Las Vegas routes, grows premium transcon offerings
Delta Air Lines is tweaking its schedule out west, adding more premium seats, but fewer flights, to California.
The SkyTeam alliance carrier will add its popular premium economy seats — Premium Select — to flights between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) from Nov. 9, a Delta spokesperson said. Premium Select will be available on certain flights operated with Boeing 767 aircraft.
Additionally, Delta is canceling two California routes from Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas: Sacramento International Airport (SMF) and San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC). The airline’s last flights on the routes will operate Jan. 11, 2026.
The changes come amid overall growth at Delta. The airline will grow seats by 2% in the second half of 2025 compared to the same period last year, schedule data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows.
And that growth comes with some exciting new routes. In November, Delta will connect Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) and Denver International Airport (DEN) as part of a broader expansion at AUS. In December, the airline will also debut its first-ever service to Melbourne Airport (MEL) in Australia and service between Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) and Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) in Lima, Peru.
Premium Select expansion
Delta’s expansion of premium economy to the JFK-SFO route comes as airlines step up their game to woo premium travelers on transcontinental routes. The airline already offers lie-flat business-class seats and its extra-legroom Comfort+ product in the market, and the addition of Premium Select will give travelers a mid-tier premium option.
Premium Select seats are comparable to Delta's domestic first-class recliner seats. They are wider, with more legroom and recline than standard economy seats, but they aren't as spacious or private as business-class suites.
Delta already offers premium economy on select flights between JFK and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and American Airlines will also begin offering premium economy on select JFK-LAX flights in October. American plans to expand its premium transcontinental offerings with the debut of its first Airbus A321XLRs later this year.
United Airlines offers premium economy on select flights between Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and both LAX and SFO, its website shows. The carrier does not serve JFK but plans to return to the airport in 2027.
Alaska Airlines and JetBlue also fly the JFK-SFO route, but neither offers a premium economy cabin.
Las Vegas slowdown
Delta’s expansion at LAS since 2023 was opportunistic. The airport is neither a major crew base nor a focus city for the airline, and competition to both SJC and SMF is fierce — Frontier Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Spirit Airlines also fly both routes, Cirium schedules show.
The decision to cut the routes, however, may be less about competition — Delta is known for not shying away from a fight — and instead more a reflection of the state of Sin City tourism.
The number of visitors to Las Vegas fell 7% year over year to 19.6 million during the first half of 2025 compared to last year, data from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority shows.
Courtney Miller, managing director at aviation advisers Visual Approach Analytics, wrote in a report earlier in August that the drop may signal a broader slowdown in U.S. leisure travel.
“When the belt gets tightened as travelers consider a slowdown, Vegas is one of the first places that feels the pain,” he wrote. Excluding the COVID-19 pandemic, the city has not seen such a dramatic drop in visitor numbers since it began collecting data in 1970, he added.
A Delta spokesperson said the route cuts from LAS were to better “align with consumer demand.”
Delta offered up to three daily flights to SJC from LAS and two daily flights to SMF, Cirium schedules show. Both routes are flown with up to 76-seat Embraer E175s.
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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.