Delta bolsters frequency to Sydney for Aussie summer

The move has been made in anticipation of increased demand throughout the Australian summer travel season, as well as the busy holiday season.

It marks an increase from the seven flights per week Delta currently operates, with its daily return services connecting Sydney and California on its flagship A350-900 aircraft.

From 16 December, the Georgia-based carrier will continue to operate its flights DL40 and DL41, adding additional services to LA as DL42 and to Sydney as DL43, each three days per week.

From this date, DL40 from Sydney to LAX is scheduled to take off at 11:20am daily, landing in Los Angeles at 6:00am on the same day.

DL41, from LAX to Sydney, departs California at 10:30pm daily, and lands in Sydney at 8:30am two days later.

Meanwhile, additional service DL42 from Sydney to LAX takes off on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 2:15pm, and lands in LA at 9:00am the same day.

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The return additional service DL43 takes off from Los Angeles at 11:30pm on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, landing in Sydney at 9:15am two days later.

It comes as rival United currently offers direct flights to Sydney from both LA and San Francisco, while American Airlines recently revealed that it will suspend all services to Australia indefinitely.

It also comes ahead of the completion of Delta Sky Way project at LAX, anticipated to be open for business in 2023.

The project, which includes a $2.3 billion investment by Delta, will see the consolidation of the existing Terminals 2 and 3 into a 1.2-million-square-foot complex with 27 gates.

Part of the new terminal will be up and running by April, including a new centralised check-in lobby and expanded security checkpoint and baggage claim area.

It also follows news that Virgin Australia in December severed partnership ties with Delta, in favour of Chicago-based rival United Airlines.

Virgin said the new arrangement with United will triple its reach and unlock loyalty benefits for Velocity Frequent Flyer members.

United was the only American airline flying commercially between the US and Australia during the height of the pandemic, and still today offers more flights than any other US carrier.

Virgin had been working with rival Delta for more than a decade and said it will work with the business to transition its Velocity partnership, while existing bookings will be honoured.

As of Tuesday, 5 April, the new partnership has not yet been introduced, and reward seats on Delta flights can still be claimed through Velocity.

Virgin Australia Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka said, “Virgin Australia customers will have significantly more options for travel from Australia to the States, with more than three-times as many services available to them, which is great news for Australian travellers.”