Delta unveils 39 new and expanded routes to 22 destinations in major route-map shakeup

With a travel rebound on the horizon, Delta’s gearing up for a very busy summer in the (domestic) skies.

On Friday, the Atlanta-based carrier shared a major network adjustment, adding numerous new routes and expanding service on many others to a host of outdoor-friendly destinations.

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National Parks of the West

Delta is boosting service to nearly every major national park in the West, including on four routes to Bozeman (BZN) — a major gateway to Yellowstone — from hubs in New York-JFK, Los Angeles (LAX), Seattle (SEA) and Detroit (DTW).

The carrier also is adding flights to Glacier, Grand Teton and Yosemite national parks.

Kalispell, Montana (FCA) — the closest airport to Glacier — will get three additional Delta routes beginning in late May, from Los Angeles, Seattle and Atlanta (ATL).

Jackson (JAC), famed for its skiing, hiking and proximity to Grand Teton National Park, will be served from five Delta cities this summer.

Flyers headed to Yosemite can take Delta’s new Saturday-only service to Fresno (FAT) from Seattle.

Other additions include new service to both Rapid City (RAP) and Reno (RNO). The full list of new mountain service is below.

Beaches on the East Coast

If you prefer a more relaxed beach vacation, Delta has you covered.

The carrier is adding flights across the Eastern Seaboard, including new service from Boston (BOS) to Hilton Head (HHH) and Myrtle Beach (MYR), both of which will operate on the weekends beginning May 8.

Other East Coast additions include flights to Wilmington, North Carolina (ILM), Norfolk (ORF), Savannah (SAV) and Asheville (AVL).

Interestingly, Delta is the latest U.S. airline to double down on Traverse City, Michigan (TVC). The airport has seen impressive growth during the pandemic, with American Airlines adding new routes there. This summer, Delta will fly to TVC from five of its largest airports — ATL, BOS and LGA , MSP and DTW.

You’ll find the full list of Delta’s East Coast adjustments below.

Summer fun in New England

New England doesn’t just boast a plethora of outdoor adventures. It’ll soon have expanded Delta service, too.

For those traveling to Acadia National Park, Delta will offer daily flights from Boston, as well as Saturday-only service from Atlanta and Detroit to the nearby Bangor (BGR) airport.

Two popular Massachusetts islands — Nantucket (ACK) and Martha’s Vineyard (MVY) — will also get more flights from New York’s LaGuardia (LGA) and JFK airports.

Finally, Burlington, Vermont (BTV), will be served from three Delta cities: Atlanta, Detroit and New York-JFK.

An international escape

For a bit more adventure, Delta is adding flights to four destinations in the Caribbean.

Beginning June 5, Delta will fly to Grand Cayman (GCM) and St. Kitts (SKB) from both Atlanta and JFK. It'll also serve Bonaire (BON) and Roatan Island (RTB) with twice-weekly flights from Atlanta.

Delta's big leisure play

Friday's move is the latest in Delta's broader strategy to boost leisure flying.

In January, the carrier charged into leisure markets, including Key West and Hilton Head. February was all-in on the Salt Lake City hub, with new flights loaded to Moab, Utah and Durango, Colorado — two outdoor-friendly cities in the west. Then, last week, the carrier announced a major expansion in Alaska, with added flights to five cities in the Last Frontier.

With demand for business-oriented routes down significantly, Delta — and its major competitors — have plenty of spare aircraft that can be used on routes where people are actually flying.

Related: Delta charges into leisure markets with latest route shakeup

Right now, most travelers taking to the skies are looking for an outdoor-friendly escape or visiting family and friends. That's why we've seen airlines double down on leisure markets.

In fact, Delta is seemingly playing "catch up" with its rivals.

Both Big 3 competitors, American Airlines and United, have been playing offense in recent months, quickly adding flights to many of the cities included in Delta's Friday announcement. Southwest Airlines hasn't taken a break either. The carrier has added or announced a whopping 17 new destinations since the pandemic began to affect the United States.

Related: Southwest adds 3 more cities to its ever-growing route map

Alaska and JetBlue are also pivoting to leisure markets. The former recently announced new Bozeman flights, while the latter's new Northeast alliance with AA has fueled leisure-oriented growth, including a nonstop flight from JFK to Kalispell (FCA), sure to compete with Delta's new service.

Nevertheless, Delta is sticking to its longstanding hub-and-spoke strategy. The spokes are now just more outdoor-friendly cities. On the other hand, American and United have each experimented with point-to-point routes bypassing hubs.

Regardless of the underlying strategy, one thing is clear: if you're traveling this summer, every major U.S. airline is vying for your business.