Delta Air Lines announces first route to New Zealand, adds service to Paris

Delta Air Lines will begin service in New Zealand later this year.

The Atlanta-based carrier announced Friday that it is adding nonstop flights from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Oakland Airport (AKL) beginning Oct. 28.

This new 6,504 mile non-stop flight will be operated daily using the Airbus A350. The new route will be available to book from Saturday, January 21, and there’s no word on how much a SkyMiles business class ticket will cost. (Chances will be very high.)

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Despite the high-profile new route, Delta will not fly the original Airbus A350 to New Zealand. Instead, it will deploy one of the used A350s it recently acquired secondhand from LATAM.

These aircraft feature a unique 339-seat configuration – known internally as the “35L” – split between a business and economy class cabin. These aircraft do not have a premium economy cabin.

In business class, travelers will find 30 lie-flat beds in a forward-looking 2-2-2 configuration. The economy cabin has an excellent 63 Comfort+ seats and 246 standard seats.

Stretch your legs: The world’s longest non-stop flights, modern

These planes are equipped with Wi-Fi connectivity, as well as seat-back screens, power outlets and USB ports in every row, helping to pass the time during the 13-hour flight.

In addition to adding route-map pins in New Zealand, Delta will increase service to Paris this summer.

The airline will add a third daily flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) on May 25. This additional frequency operates daily during the summer, although this is the last day of the additional service. Flight not yet announced.

Delta will fly the additional Paris flight on a 238-seat Boeing 767-400, which features 34 Delta One Business-class pods, 20 Premium Select recliners, 28 extra-legroom Comfort+ seats and 156 standard main cabin seats.

The new flight also goes on sale on Saturday, January 21.

For Delta, adding more summertime service to Paris makes sense. The airline has a transatlantic partnership with Air France-KLM Group (and Virgin Atlantic) and can transport passengers through Air France’s huge hub in Paris.

Although many Americans prefer to visit Paris during the summer, Delta can meet the needs of travelers who want to connect with hundreds of destinations across Europe beyond Paris.

It was not immediately clear whether Delta’s third daily flight would come at the expense of any Air France speeds or whether it would be a capacity upgrade for the joint venture partners.

That said, the biggest news is the addition of services to New Zealand, the first time the airline has flown to the Kiwi nation in its 97-year history.

The move comes amid a strong recovery in demand for flights to the Asia-Pacific region as several countries open up to US tourists.

Delta goes head-to-head with New Zealand flag carrier on new LA route. Air New Zealand flies between LA and Auckland up to twice daily, Cirium timetables show.

American Airlines previously also served this market, but will move its seasonal New Zealand winter service to the mega-hub at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) in October 2022.

In LA, Air New Zealand can tap into Star Alliance partner United Airlines’ network for additional connections beyond Southern California.

Meanwhile, Delta operates a hub in Los Angeles, so it can sell one-stop flights to many US cities, although it can’t actually offer connecting tickets beyond Oakland. All of this growth comes as Delta invests billions of dollars into the LA hub’s recently opened new skyway and modernization of terminal buildings.

Between this latest announcement and some recent updates, Delta’s network planners have been very busy. Last week, the airline announced the launch of a new long-haul route from Atlanta to Nice, France on the French Riviera.

The airline recently upgraded its long-haul route to Tel Aviv to daily service. The new route from Atlanta to Tel Aviv – technically relaunched in August 2011 – will begin service three times-weekly on March 26, 2023.

Delta will upgrade the route to daily service starting April 10, just in time for the Jewish holiday of Passover and six days earlier than announced last week.

For more information about the Delta network, see:

Delta New Zealand flight schedule

Delta Flight 65: Los Angeles to Oakland, departs at 10:30 am, arrives at 7:35 am (+2 days), always local.

Delta Flight 64: Oakland to Los Angeles, departs 2pm, arrives 6:05am, always local.