NYC's LaGuardia Airport has a new longest route — with a big catch
Boston, Chicago and Florida — all popular destinations from New York's LaGuardia Airport (LGA). Salt Lake City ... not so much.
However, Delta Air Lines is about to launch service from LGA to Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) beginning July 8, as first spotted by TPG in Cirium schedules and later confirmed by a carrier spokesperson.
The new route will operate during the peak summer period through Sept. 2 aboard a 109-seat Airbus A220-100. Delta operates a hub at both airports, and it can funnel connections through Salt Lake City to cities along the West Coast and beyond.
What really makes this route interesting is that it'll become the longest from LaGuardia.
At 1,982 miles, the nonstop route to Salt Lake City will be just 21 miles longer than American Airlines' flight from LaGuardia to Aruba's Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA), which was previously the airport's longest.
While the new route might make for splashy headlines, there's a big twist: Delta only plans to operate a total of 10 flights in each direction, exclusively on Saturdays.
Though Delta may certainly prefer much more frequent service, it simply doesn't have a choice. If it wants to fly from LaGuardia to Salt Lake City, it can legally only fly on Saturdays.
That's because of the airport's "perimeter rule," which restricts airlines from flying to airports that are farther than 1,500 miles away with just two exceptions — flights to Denver and any route operated on Saturdays.
So, as Delta plans its route to Salt Lake City, it's taking advantage of this exception to the perimeter rule.
(LaGuardia is also slot-constrained, meaning that airlines need special takeoff and landing permissions to operate flights there, but slots are not needed for flights on Saturdays.)
Saturday-only service isn't typically all that lucrative, especially for domestic routes. Saturdays are usually the quietest day of the week to fly, and with nearly no business travel demand, airlines must compete for their share of the leisure market traveling during the weekend — a segment that isn't usually all that profitable for airlines. (For what it's worth, introductory fares on the new Delta route start at $209.)
Though the airline also operates a hub at the other airport in Queens — John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) — Delta likely reasons that there are some travelers who would much prefer flying from the closest airport to Manhattan.
Interestingly, this isn't the first time Delta has tried to connect LaGuardia with Salt Lake City. The airline flew the route most recently on Saturdays between December 2005 and September 2010, as seen in Cirium schedules. The airline seemingly wasn't happy with its performance because the flight hasn't returned in 12 years.
Over the years, several other airlines have tried to take advantage of the Saturday exception to the perimeter rule, but none have performed well enough to operate on a consistent basis.
During the pandemic, Spirit Airlines launched what was then LaGuardia's longest flight — a 2,469-mile transcontinental to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) — but that service has since been cut. Delta also tried flights from LGA to Los Angeles in 2006, but that short-lived experiment was slashed after just six months, Cirium schedules show.
Over the past 20 years, now-defunct ATA Airlines holds the title for having flown the longest route from LaGuardia. The low-cost airline operated a 2,579-mile route between LGA and San Francisco on Saturdays from January 2004 to September 2004, but that service (along with the airline) is now history.
10 longest routes from LaGuardia Airport
Here are the 10 current longest routes from New York's LaGuardia Airport, according to Cirium schedules.
| Destination | Distance | Operated by |
|---|---|---|
Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC). | 1,982 miles. | Delta. |
Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA). | 1,961 miles. | American. |
Montrose Regional Airport (MTJ). | 1,810 miles. | American. |
Denver International Airport (DEN). | 1,619 miles. | Delta, JetBlue, Southwest and United. |
William P. Hobby Airport (HOU). | 1,428 miles. | Southwest. |
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). | 1,416 miles. | American, Delta, Spirit and United. |
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). | 1,389 miles. | American, Delta, Frontier and Spirit. |
Dallas Love Field (DAL). | 1,381 miles. | Southwest. |
Will Rogers World Airport (OKC). | 1,341 miles. | American and Delta. |
Tulsa International Airport (TUL). | 1,231 miles. | American. |
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Why We Chose It
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.