Delta Air Lines will launch its longest domestic flight yet starting this autumn, a journey from the East Coast to Hawaii covering 5,095 miles.
Delta Air Lines Adds Longest Domestic Flight To Network
Delta already flies from New York (JFK) to Honolulu (HNL), a journey of 4,983 miles, but a new Hawaiian route will be even longer, becoming Delta’s longest domestic route.
Delta will fly daily between Boston (BOS) and Honolulu from November 21, 2024, through April 30, 2025:
- DL438 / Boston – Honolulu / dep 10:15 AM arr 4:50 PM / 11 hours, 35 minutes
- DL962 / Honolulu – Boston / dep 5:20 PM arr 8:30 AM+1 / 10 hours, 10 minutes
Delta will utilize a Boeing 767-300ER for the journey with 216 seats, including:
- 26 business class
- 18 premium economy
- 172 economy
- 21 of those seats offer extra legroom
Hawaiian Airlines already serves this route year-round with an Airbus A330.
That’s a lot of capacity on that nonstop route and Delta lacks the onward connectivity to neighbor islands that Hawaiian offers…
Other New Delta Routes
In addition to the new longhaul domestic route, Delta also announced other additional Hawaii routes:
- Second day flight between Salt Lake City (SLC) and Honolulu
- operating November 6, 2024 – March 29, 2025
- Third daily flight between Seattle (SEA) and Honolulu
- operating December 21, 2024 – March 29, 2025
- Resumption of service between Atlanta (ATL) and Maui (OGG)
- operating November 21, 2024 – Mach 29, 2025
Delta also announced new nonstop service between Seattle and Miami (MIA).
All told, these routes a lot more seats to Hawaii this winter.
Is Hawaii Worthwhile From East Coast?
Returning to the new Boston – Honolulu route, I do wonder whether it is even worthwhile for New England residents to travel to Hawaii instead of warmer destinations in the Caribbean…
Of course Hawaii does not require a passport, but a flight to Barbados or to Aruba is under five hours, less than half the flight time.
If you’re just looking to get away to a warm-weather, beach destination, I’m just not sure the hassle of getting to Hawaii makes sense, especially when so may native Hawaiians hate tourists.
CONCLUSION
Delta will launch its longest domestic fight ever with new nonstop service between Boston and Honolulu. The flight will operate seasonally using a 767 aircraft. In addition, Delta will add more service to Hawaii from its other hubs.
Will you be taking advantage of these new Delta route?
I lot to argue with in this paragraph:
“ If you’re just looking to get away to a warm-weather, beach destination, I’m just not sure the hassle of getting to Hawaii makes sense, especially when so may native Hawaiians hate tourists.”
1) Hawaii is pretty unique in terms of scenery, landscape, food and culture. The Caribbean is nice too, but they offer different experiences
2) I’ve flown JFK to HNL, basically same flight at this. It’s actually pretty convenient – leave in the morning, arrive in the early afternoon in time for dinner in the evening
3) The stuff about Native Hawaiians “hating tourists” always seemed bunk to me. I am sure some do – so what? Others don’t. Service as the resorts is good, and people (locals, tourists) have been friendly when I have been there. Some subset of locals will dislike tourists all across the globe. Note their concerns and keep it moving, no need to be snowflakes about it
Also, about the point on connectivity to other islands – Hawaiian codeshares its Hawaii flights with other airlines, and it is simple enough to book a separate Southwest flight
@Anthony … Good points . I have been a denizen of a rural place in Hawaii with a lot of native Hawaiians , and they do NOT hate tourists . Tourists can be a “bother” when they drive over , park anywhere , and don’t respect the rules . But they leave by mid-afternoon when they realize there is nothing to do or buy . Although the tourists don’t directly benefit them , they do NOT have any hate for them . I’ve known these native Hawaiians for a long time , and I have Never known them to hate tourists , nor anyone else .
I love Hawaii but there is absolutely no way I am going to spend my money there. Here is a real example:between me spending summer vacation in Maui vs Sardinia in Italy.
Business class tickets:
MSP-HNL-MSP: 8h36m / $5,121 + HNL-OGG: $135
MSP-AMS:-MSP: 8h15m / $3,800 + AMS/CAG: $235
Hilton Grand Wailea: 482,000 points per night
Conrad Sardinia: 90,000 points per night
Hotels in Italy include breakfast, no stupid resort fees, free parking, no nickel and dime. Food in Italy is a small fraction of what you pay for food in Hawaii and quality is at a complete different level, no made up fees, exorbitant tips, taxes. I could go on and on showing advantages of going elsewhere than Hawaii.
Thus, the above example shows why I have been going to Europe every summer in the last 10 years. Greece, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Portugal, you get way more for your money than anywhere in the US.
I don’t disagree with you that much in terms of summer in Europe. Based on recent travel trends, a lot of Americans agree. Europe from late spring through early fall is wonderful (if also crowded). I see Hawaii as more of a fall through early spring thing, at least for me personally.
Though I will say I have been able to book Grand Wailea for 120/125K points a night (or whatever it is) pretty consistently (never been as I cancelled my most recent booking).
@Anthony: I just picked a full week in July randomly. Those were the numbers. I am sure you can playa round with dates but still no comparison what you get in Europe vs Hawaii.
This is very helpful to me. We did an October trip with the kids to the big island last year, and it was a fantastic experience, but I did really have to work the rewards system to make it work– and we got some great luck too.
Where else would you suggest for an October beach trip? We do the Caribbean more often, as we will this year, but the worry and dodging of storms in hurricane season gets tiring. Sardinia probably just a little too cool for swimming at that point, right?
We only go in July, It is hot as hell but that’s why we go to the beach. There are tons of destinations in Europe you can go with points at very interesting redemption rates. We did Hawaii 4 times. Enough for us.
Tunisia and Crete/Cyprus should be just about warm enough in October. Certainly perfectly fine in September.
Italy is an amazing place but very very different from any Polynesian island in the pacific, American or not.
Doesn’t sound like anyone is going to miss you in Hawaii.
Hotel and ticket cost is supply and demand. Welcome to the real world, Minnesota. 😉
Plus, do a real cost comparison. Most Americans aren’t costing MSP-AMS then separate ticket to Sardinia just like they don’t separate MSP-HNL from MSP-OGG nor are they focused on delta only in business to prove a point on a blog.
I’ve been to Europe a LOT more than you but saying Europe>Hawaii is just pure ignorance based on comparing NYC and Bermuda for a vacation.
To reiterate
If you want to go to Ogg from MSP in July on delta , ~$500 roundtrip
On delta to cag, it’s about $2k in economy.
Try to compare apples to apples.
Lots of reasons to go to Italy over Hawaii in the summer but learn how to do travel math.
What a moronic comment. Pick the right dates and you get what I shared. The dates I picked were real and gave me those numbers. And no, I don’t fly that distance in coach. Enjoy Hawaii, pay stupid resort fees, parking fees, outrageous food prices, ridiculous tipping expectations and spend time at Target and Costco. To each its own.
Yes. If I cherry pick your dates and routing that doesn’t need separate itineraries, I get a delta specific business class that is more than anyone would spend for a specific carrier, especially to Hawaii.
But if you know anything about points or upgrades, anyone would buy economy and upgrade from there, especially to Hawaii.
Italy is great but don’t say dumb stuff comparing Polynesia, American or not, to Italy and use fake numbers to do it.
Give me a break. You’re business to ams but all Y from there Italy to save $300 to make a point in the comments section of a blog?
Just compare apples to apples if you’re going to compare Europe to Hawaii. They’re two very(very) different markets and you’re trying to create a narrative that doesn’t exist to do your usual “America sucks”… god knows why but you seem to bring it up a lot
All of Europe is beautiful but you must be booking some crap hotels if you’re finding good hotels at your price point in July.
Sardinia really is a destination which is both niche and expensive, not a good comparison. Going to Sicily should be both cheaper and easier. Hotel prices are also fine in most parts of Europe (alright, certain destinations such as Mykonos can be super expensive)- unless you’re sticking to the American chains that is.
@MaxPower: Let me try one more time and if you are ignorant to understand it, too bad. The examples I gave above are real. They are real dates in July/2024. I have been flying Delta One from MSP to AMS for over 10 years in the summer and never ever paid more than $4k for a round trip. You just need to be flexible with your dates. This summer for example, I got 4 Delta One tickets for $3,876 per person. Yes, you have to leave and return mid week but that is available. Do you know why I don’t do Delta all the way to my final destination? Because I know something about booking travel. If I try for example MSP-CAG, MSP-ATH, MSP-BDS, etc… Delta will charge me an arm and a leg. Thus, I fly to AMS on Delta One for a very decent price and then I buy an EU airline from there. I don’t need business class for a 2 hour flight within Europe. BTW, forget about Sardinia. You probably don’t even know where it is. Look elsewhere with amazing beaches in Europe where you can redeem points. Yes, I only stay in crappy hotels. LOL! Blue Palace in Crete, Romanos in Costa Navarino, Grand Bretagne in Athens, Conrad and 7 Points in Sardinia, Il Melograno in Puglia, St Regis in Rome, Venice and Florence, Park Hyatt in Milan,…. all crappy hotels. ALL using points!
Regarding “trying to create a narrative that doesn’t exist to do your usual “America sucks”, those are your words, not mine. I simply said that spending summer vacation in Hawaii is more expensive than spending it in Europe. That’s it. And I proved in my first post but you did not like it. Too bad. Enjoy Hawaii. Don’t forget your Costco card.
You didn’t prove anything except an Inability to read what you wrote and an inability to compare prices to two destinations. If you’re going to be ignorant, don’t write about it.
Anyone that knows how to use google flights can show you nearly any July date on msp-ogg in business class roundtrip is less than $2k
Enjoy Italy. It’s a beautiful country, Just don’t post your usual “US sucks” nonsense then try to justify yourself with fake pricing. Who is paying $5k roundtrip to Hawaii in July? You’d be the only one. Hawaii and Italy are very different markets and, frankly, follow very different seasonal demand profiles.
Not sure what your Costco fascination is all about but if that’s your recollection of Hawaii, you didn’t plan your trip very well or have the money to enjoy it.
This seems like it’s going to really blow your mind, but Italy also has bulk retail stores. GASP… even Sardinia. You seem to frequent them on your travels and consider it a strange insult…
“1) Hawaii is pretty unique in terms of scenery, landscape, food and culture. The Caribbean is nice too, but they offer different experiences”
I agree. I think for east coast residents, the Caribbean and Hawaii are generally two very different experiences.
I’m not the expert on Hawaii, so perhaps there are places is Hawaii that can compete very well with places like Nassau as a truly terrible vacation choice, but they probably aren’t regularly served by a series of similarly terrible low-end cruises from the US mainland.
The Caribbean has its bright spots for sure, but an East Coast resident may be be far too familiar with the less desirable travel options in the Caribbean.
Hawaii does not have Bora Bora water. The color of the water in nearly all Hawaiian beaches pales in comparison to the reputed beaches in the Caribbean like Trunk Bay, Palm or Eagle Beach, Seven mile, or Grace Bay. People who enjoy hiking, volcanic stuff, and etc would enjoy it but not people who love a beautiful beach to actually swim in.
As for the hostility toward tourists, it’s unfortunate many native Hawaiians feel this way when they don’t give up electricity, air conditioning, food, cars, smartphones, or refrigeration invented and provided to them by the White people. If they are really serious about their feelings, they should give up colonial inventions and go back to how it was before. Normal people in the continental U.S. would gladly allow Hawaii to be independent and eliminate two senate seats.
Aloha from the Big Island!
Obviously Mr Arnett has no clue about what he’s talking about.
Hostility directed towards tourists is not exclusive to Hawaii and it’s more about how the individual conducts themselves than about native Hawaiians.
Your opinions about Hawaii’s Sovereignty is worthless.
The addition of DL on BOS-HNL is chasing premium leisure and is a capacity dump. The market likely can’t support 2 flights like that. DL has to find a place to put 767-300ERs in the slower winter months but this is a route that will likely see one carrier drop out after a season.
Hawaiian airlines is sold out usually on this route and economy seats have been creeping up to 600$ from around $300 not too long ago. Good to see some competing on this route however there might not be enough demand for two carriers. United quietly removed ewr-hnl starting in April so maybe this is a play a driving more northeast traffic connecting through bos
The biggest factor that favors Delta on this route is that Hawaii is a heavily frequent flyer market and the mainland-based airlines have an advantage because that is where people accumulate miles.
A big reason why WN needed to add Hawaii is to add value to its loyalty program. Even before DL merged with Western, its Hawaii routes were mostly from the eastern US.
DL’s Hawaii routes now reflect its nationwide hub system and all of DL’s hubs will have at least winter seasonal service to Hawaii.
I don’t think AA or UA have Hawaii from every one of their hubs.
It is clear that there are a whole lot of other airline’s fankids that are seeing their chosen airline see new routes and growth at the hands of a much more profitable Delta.
In one press release, Delta managed to throw down the gauntlet to AA, AS, B6 and HA.
And just a month ago, DL ordered 20 A350-1000s with options for 20 more. As much as some want to believe otherwise, those aircraft are being acquired to fly the Pacific where they are best suited. And they are far more capable and more cost-efficient in any other US airline’s fleet.
Given UA’s position across the Pacific, those A350s on top of the 25 A350-900s that will be TPAC capable in the next 2 years are targeted at UA and give Delta enormous firepower to build what it wants to Asia – both S. Asia and E. Asia – as well as the S. Pacific.
Add in Delta’s growth in S. America alongside Latam and DL is clearly planning to use some of its “windfall profits” to challenge established hub strength not just in N. America but worldwide.
The only question is how no other airline has managed to duplicate DL’s profitability even while making its employees the highest paid in the industry. and the obvious question is how any of DL’s competitors cope with such a beast.
Do you intend for this to be funny, or does it just end up that way?
@MrMarcus … +1 .
First of all, this is a post about Delta adding a flight from Boston to Honolulu. BUt of course, you turn it into a post about how Delta is better than every other U.S. airline. Why? What’s the point? Nobody cares.
But since you ask – how does Delta deliver its profitability? Easy – having 3 fortress hubs with lots of traffic ATL/DTW/MSP, maybe SLC. Competition is kept to a minimum in all of those markets, and local travelers pay through the nose. No other U.S. carrier has as many big hubs that they do not dominate as much – while they may have hubs in bigger markets, there’s more competition and lower fares. DL gets a premium due to their hub structure. Good for them that’s their strength.
But why oh why do you have to turn EVERY post into something like this? Who cares? Get a life.
@Jason … +1 .
Careful
Tim doesn’t know how to respond to delta’s own investor publications explaining Their own profitability via their “core” monopoly hubs. Tim gets lost in facts when you bring up delta’s own comments about where their profitability stems from 😉
One ace up DL’s sleeve is the connections (feed) in and out of BOS to the Hawaii flights which Hawaiian lacks. As noted above, DL has interconnect agreements with HA for inter island service. I would imagine many are cashing in points/miles on this segment, so no need for a truly premium (A350) airframe.
Also, If someone in Hawaii wanted Euro service, the BOS flight may work in their favor with onward service if the connections are right. Also mentioned is DL service between SEA & MIA. Again, giving the new AS/HA alliance a warning shot across the bow of the cockpit.
The REAL WILDCARD: should we get a Republican administration (or should either candidate remember what day of the week it is) would be wild to see a HA/AS/B6 consolidation. Carl Icahn is waiting in the wings; cash is no object. The Big Four would throw a fit, but we would have a true 5th nation wide carrier. Something along the lines of “PacificBlue” airlines with a call name of “PacBlue”.
I sure miss the airline art that was posted in the window of travel agents, at airport gates, and the downtown office of a major airline. Allowed you to dream about far away places you may never visit.
Eastern and Delta had some of the best; Continental had some good work as well.
Nowadays, airport gates are monochrome with the monitor as the only identifier.
Wow 30 min turanround time in HNL for such a long flight….. there is a lot of delay to be expected….
That turn would be impossible alone for ETOPS.
Will be separate aircraft.
Sad how this discussion devolved, but to go back to Matthew’s original post, I did find the comment about Hawaiians hating tourists kind of jarring and out of place. While it’s true that some no doubt do, I find them to be almost universally friendly and welcoming. I lived there for almost four years and ventured to places like Molokai, where you’d think there would be less “Aloha” toward tourists.
Also.. tough for Hawaiian airlines facing more brutal competition.
Great more Lumpenproletariat in hawaii.