Delta boosts 10 routes to 5 outdoor-friendly destinations for the winter
If you're planning to hit the slopes this winter, Delta Air Lines will be ready to take you there.
During the latest schedule update over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, the Atlanta-based carrier adjusted its winter timetable on ten routes to and from the mountains. Though none of the routes are new to the airline's historical schedule, Cirium timetables show that the airline wasn't originally planning to operate them this upcoming winter.
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You'll find the full list of changes in the table below, but highlights include added service to five of the nation's top ski resorts.
| Origin | Destination | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Aspen (ASE) | Atlanta (ATL) | 1x daily from Dec. 18 through April 3 |
| Aspen (ASE) | Los Angeles (LAX) | 1x daily from Dec. 18 through April 3 |
| Bozeman (BZN) | Detroit (DTW) | 1x daily from Dec. 18 through Jan. 4; then 1x weekly through April 2 |
| Bozeman (BZN) | Los Angeles (LAX) | 1x daily from Dec. 18 through Jan. 5; then 1x weekly through April 2 |
| Bozeman (BZN) | Seattle (SEA) | 1x daily from Dec. 18 through April 3 |
| Jackson Hole (JAC) | Atlanta (ATL) | 1x daily from Dec. 18 through Jan. 4; then 4x weekly through April 3 |
| Jackson Hole (JAC) | Los Angeles (LAX) | 1x daily from Dec. 18 through April 3 |
| Jackson Hole (JAC) | Seattle (SEA) | 1x daily from Dec. 18 through Jan. 4; then 1x weekly through April 2 |
| Steamboat Springs (HDN) | Minneapolis−Saint Paul (MSP) | 1x daily from Dec. 18 through Jan. 4; then 2x weekly through April 2 |
| Sun Valley (SUN) | Los Angeles (LAX) | 1x daily from Dec. 18 through April 3 |
Though the 10 routes listed above represent additional frequencies, note that service between Atlanta (ATL) and Reno (RNO) is being cut earlier than originally planned in early April.
Additionally, Delta made some more minor tweaks to other routes to the mountains during the latest schedule load, with the full list below. Most of these routes were already on the schedule, but the frequency was tweaked.
| Origin | Destination | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Bozeman (BZN) | Atlanta (ATL) | 1x daily |
| Bozeman (BZN) | Minneapolis−Saint Paul (MSP) | 4x daily from Dec. 18 through Jan. 4; then 2x daily through April 3 |
| Bozeman (BZN) | Salt Lake City (SLC) | 5x daily |
| Vail (EGE) | Atlanta (ATL) | 1x daily |
| Kalispell/Glacier (FCA) | Los Angeles (LAX) | 1x daily from Dec. 18 through Jan. 4 |
| Kalispell/Glacier (FCA) | Minneapolis−Saint Paul (MSP) | 2x daily from Dec. 18 through Jan 4.; then 1x daily through Feb. 28; then 2x daily through April 3 |
| Kalispell/Glacier (FCA) | Salt Lake City (SLC) | 4x daily |
| Steamboat Springs (HDN) | Atlanta (ATL) | 1x daily |
| Jackson Hole (JAC) | Minneapolis−Saint Paul (MSP) | 1x daily Dec. 18 through Jan. 4 |
| Jackson Hole (JAC) | Salt Lake City (SLC) | 4x daily |
| Sun Valley (SUN) | Salt Lake City (SLC) | 3x daily |
Other than Reno, the added routes represent a notable increase in flights compared to the same period in 2019 (from December through March). Cirium schedules show that Delta's latest additions bring the total to nearly 6% more flights in the 2021-22 winter season compared to the one in 2019-20.
Delta's optimistic winter boosts come as travel, especially within the leisure segment, is rebounding back to pre-pandemic levels. Thanks to the widespread vaccine rollout and falling case numbers, more and more travelers are comfortable returning to the skies.
Throughout the last year and a half, outdoor-friendly destinations have proven popular with pandemic-weary flyers looking for places with plenty of built-in social distancing. Delta seems to be betting that this trend will continue into the winter, as it expects leisure travelers to pack their skies and return to the slopes.
Though Delta's latest route boost might be considered optimistic, it's not nearly as hopeful as United's latest bet. In early June, United made a big play for winter travel, with a 39-route boost to the mountains for the winter season. Specifically, the Chicago-based carrier added service to nine outdoor-friendly destinations between December 2021 and March 2022.
As you might've guessed, all five mountain towns included in Delta's route-map adjustment were also in United's. As such, the two carriers will go head-to-head for one-stop itineraries to and from the mountains.
Ultimately, the winner is likely you, the traveler: with more options, the competition is only getting fiercer. Whether that translates to lower prices is yet to be seen, but this winter season is shaping up to be one of the busiest on record, at least in terms of the number of flights to the mountains.