On the heels of a record quarter, Delta Air Lines is ending the week in style by announcing long-awaited route intel for its first Airbus A220. The aircraft, which Delta claims will have "a widebody feel on a narrowbody jet," has had quite the parade of late. It wrapped up its time in the paint shop, successfully conducted a pre-delivery test flight and will soon be fawned over by AvGeeks who won a quartet of SkyMiles Experience auctions to tour it in Quebec.
Up until now, we'd heard that the product formerly known as the Bombardier CS100 would handle "longer Delta Connection routes" beginning in early 2019, but specifics beyond that were scarce. Now, New Yorkers have reason to celebrate, as New York-LGA to Boston (BOS) and Dallas (DFW) will be the first two routes assigned to the A220. Inaugural A220 flights are set to depart on Jan. 31, 2019, with paid and award tickets going on sale this Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018.
A more complete list of A220 routes that will go on sale by Oct. 20, 2018 is below:
| Route | In-Service |
|---|---|
| New York (LGA) to Boston (BOS) | January |
| New York (LGA) to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW) | January |
| Detroit (DTW) to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW) | March |
| New York (LGA) to Houston (IAH) | April |
| Salt Lake City (SLC) to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW) | May |
| Minneapolis (MSP) to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW) | June |
| Houston (IAH) to Detroit (DTW) | July |
| Houston (IAH) to Minneapolis (MSP) | July |
| Houston (IAH) to Salt Lake City (SLC) | July |
| New York (JFK) to Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW) | August |
Delta will be the first US airline to take delivery of the A220, which will replace less-efficient aircraft. Powered by Pratt & Whitney's latest geared turbofan PW1500G engine, the A220 takes advantage of advanced technology and composite materials designed to "deliver an expected 20 percent improvement in fuel efficiency over similar-sized aircraft when it enters service with Delta."
Tim Mapes, SVP and Chief Marketing Officer, said the following: "This aircraft is the culmination of years of listening to our customers and responding with design innovations that continue to improve Delta's domestic in-flight experience. From high-resolution seat-back entertainment screens to the widest Main Cabin seats in our fleet, the A220 will deliver an experience our customers will look forward to every time they fly."
Delta A220-100 Highlights
- 109 seats total, including seating for 12 in First Class, 15 in Delta Comfort+ and 82 in Main Cabin
- State-of-the-art interior featuring Gogo 2Ku Wi-Fi, personal power ports at each seat and complimentary premium entertainment on individual seatback screens
- The widest Main Cabin seats (18.6") in Delta's entire fleet
- First Class seats feature a width of 20.5"
- High-capacity overhead bins, extra-large windows and full-spectrum LED ambient lighting
Customers flying in Delta Comfort+ on the A220 can expect a few other perks, like more legroom and dedicated overhead bin space, in a much-preferred 2-3 seat configuration. In the First Class-cabin, passengers can look forward to the debut of "a new, modern First Class seat design in a two-by-two layout, featuring the largest IFE screens of any Delta domestic First Class seat."
If you're planning to book a seat on one of the initial routes, make sure you use the right credit card. We've assembled a guide covering the best cards for Delta loyalists, and the Delta Reserve® for Business Credit Card from American Express, which includes gratis Delta Sky Club lounge access, is offering an elevated welcome bonus of 70,000 miles after you spend $5,000 within the first three months (offer expires Nov. 7, 2018).
