Summary Delta Air Lines is stepping in to replace JetBlue on the Boston-San Antonio route, filling a void. The Airbus A220-100 will serve the route, offering 109 passengers a comfortable two-class experience. JetBlue says it is ending the route due to underperformance, but Delta's strong ticket sales demonstrate a promising start.
Delta Air Lines will commence nonstop service between its hub at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and San Antonio International Airport (SAT) in the next few months. The news comes less than two weeks after JetBlue Airways announced that it would no longer fly the route at the end of October. The decision to exit SAT was just 50 route cuts that JetBlue announced last month – the most in its history.
Extended challenges related to its failed merger attempt with Spirit Airlines and its recent push for profitability have prompted the carrier to exit 15 markets entirely. Flight details According to independent aviation blog Ishrion Aviation , Delta filed the new route earlier this week. The carrier will begin the service on November 11th, with one daily flight in each direction.
DL1289 will depart from BOS just after 09:00 and arrive at SAT just after 13:00 local time. The return flight, DL2029, is scheduled to leave SAT at 14:00 and land back at BOS around 19:00. Flight Number Origin Departure Time Destination Arrival Time Duration Equipment DL1289 Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) 09:15 San Antonio International Airport (SAT) 13:13 4 hours, 58 minutes Airbus A220-100 DL2029 San Antonio International Airport (SAT) 14:00 Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) 19:05 4 hours, 5 minutes Interested in this route? Find flights between Boston & San Antonio right here! Delta will deploy its Airbus A220-100 on the route.
The aircraft accommodates a total of 109 passengers in a two-class format. First class has 12 spacious recliner seats in a 2-2 configuration, while the main cabin has the remaining 97 seats in a 2-3 layout. 15 seats in the front of the main cabin are Delta Comfort+ seats with about two to four additional inches of legroom.
San Antonio is Texas' second-largest city. A Delta spokesperson confirmed the new route in a statement to Simple Flying on Saturday. ".
..We’re excited to be connecting the Alamo City with Boston beginning this November.
Flights went on sale this weekend." Ending a route that has steady demand? JetBlue’s decision to exit SAT has ruffled some feathers among officials. Simple Flying reported last month that the carrier’s President, Marty St.
George, explained that every route “needs to earn its way” into the airline’s network and that its goal to make a profit has “lessened” the carrier’s “patience for underperforming routes.” Despite the remarks, San Antonio Aviation Department’s Director of Airports, Jesus Saenz, said earlier this month that JetBlue’s decision “has nothing to do with” performance and that “their planes are full.” The airline was to be branded in the theme of a New York taxi! Saenz's comments appear to have a basis.
According to Delta’s website, the main cabin, including Delta Comfort+ seats, is sold out on flights in each direction until at least November 14th. The only ticket available to book is in first class, which costs about $2,800 roundtrip. Delta has a total of 38 flights scheduled on the route in November – 19 each way, according to aviation data and analytics provider Cirium .
With the A220-100, the carrier will offer 2,071 seats in each direction, totaling 4,142 seats. Picking up the slack JetBlue’s capacity on the route is slightly larger, considering it uses the A220-300, which accommodates 140 passengers. This month, the airline is offering a total of 8,680 seats across 62 flights.
In September, the carrier will also deploy the A320 on the route, which has 162 seats. However, the number of frequencies will drastically reduce to a total of 38 flights – 19 in each direction. JetBlue will return to daily flights in October before axing the route on the 26th.
The A320 will only be deployed on the route, offering a total of 8,424 seats. The shift to Delta represents a loss of a little over 2,000 seats per month, but demand will likely be robust since the airline is commencing the route just before the busy holiday season. While the flights will operate daily in November, the following month will not have daily frequencies.
No flights are scheduled on Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve, resulting in a total of 56 flights on the route – 28 in each direction. It is likely due to the decrease in demand, as the busiest days of travel occur on the days surrounding the Christmas and New Year’s holidays themselves. No passengers or crew were reported injured.
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