Delta Air Lines Adds 3 New Domestic Routes, Including 1 From NY to the West. Here Are the Details

Delta Air Lines has added three new domestic routes for its passengers. These routes include a new route from the greater New York area to the ritzy town of Vail, Colorado. Let’s take a look at what we know about these routes.

Delta Air Lines’ 3 New Routes

The Points Guy reports that, as initially reported in Cirium schedules and verified by an airline representative, the Atlanta-based carrier will start operating between the following airports on December 20.

• New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) — Eagle County Regional Airport (EGE) near Vail, Colorado
• New York City’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) — Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) in Montana
• Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) — Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers, Florida

During the busiest winter months, all of the new flights will run once a week on Saturdays. Seats on these new flights are already available for purchase through Delta Air Lines’ booking systems. As anticipated, these new flights do not offer saver awards; therefore, if you choose to spend miles, you will have to pay Delta’s dynamic SkyMiles redemption rates.

The other two flights will be operated by an Airbus A319, and Delta will use a Boeing 757-200 on the JFK to EGE route.

Flyers seeking a luxurious winter ski vacation without a stopover should find the 1,746-mile route from New York to Vail appealing. On this route, Delta Air Lines will compete with American Airlines’ daily service. The flight from Salt Lake City to Fort Myers should be appealing for people in the capital of Utah and other surrounding communities who want to avoid the cold.

Lastly, passengers should have a new way to reach Big Sky and other neighboring ski areas without going to JFK or Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), thanks to service from New York to Bozeman. United Airlines goes there from EWR, and JetBlue flies there from JFK.

Most Punctual Airline

At the top of the year, Delta Air Lines received accolades for being ranked No. 1 in flight punctuality, capping off a great year for the airline.

Cirium’s Platinum Award is given to airlines that successfully handle complex operations, deliver outstanding on-time performance, and minimize the cost of disruption to their passengers. The award emphasizes the airline’s reputation for its commitment to reliability as it starts its Centennial year.

According to Cirium data, Delta’s 2024 on-time record beat the industry benchmarks for North America and abroad, which are 76.37% and 83.04%, respectively, by 2.53% and its nearest North American competitor by 2.53%. According to Cirium, a flight is deemed on time if it lands within 15 minutes of its scheduled gate arrival. In 2024, Delta Air Lines reported that 83.46% of its 1,712,529 flights arrived on schedule.

“It’s an honor to have Cirium once again recognize the hard work and operational excellence of Delta people,” said John Laughter, Delta Air Lines’ EVP and chief of operations, in a statement accompanying the press release. “Safe, consistent operational excellence is the bedrock of Delta’s growth and the core promise of our 100-year brand.”

JetBlue is facing a $2 million fine from the Department of Transportation for its persistent tardiness, while the industry commended Delta Air Lines for its reliable on-time flight record.

The DOT’s inquiry found that between June 2022 and November 2023, JetBlue operated four flights with chronic delays at least 145 times. Every flight had continuous delays for a minimum of five consecutive months. JetBlue continued to operate three more chronically delayed flights between Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, Florida, and JFK, as well as between Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Windsor Locks, Connecticut, after the DOT warned the airline about the continuous delays on its flight between JFK and Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina.