NEW YORK, Feb. 6, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Residents of upstate New York soon will have increased choice and comfort in air travel as Delta Air Lines upgrades all its existing air service within the state of New York to jet aircraft and adds more flights for customers in Binghamton. By Labor Day, Delta will upgrade all remaining service operated with Dash-8 turboprop aircraft between its New York-JFK hub and Albany and Syracuse to quiet, comfortable and reliable 50-seat Bombardier regional jets. Also, effective May 7, Delta will add two new daily jet flights between Binghamton and JFK.
Upgraded jet service to Albany and Syracuse will be phased in throughout the spring and summer, with the first upgrade of two turboprop flights to jets occurring April 17 in Syracuse. Upgrade dates for the remaining two flights between JFK and Syracuse and Delta's four round-trip flights between JFK and Albany will be announced later this spring.
"Without question, Delta is New York City's leading airline and we are pleased to improve and expand our reach to the upstate with more convenient and comfortable jet service to all of New York's leading airports," said Glen Hauenstein, executive vice president -- Network Planning and Revenue Management. "Increasing customer choice across New York has been a key part of our strategy to boost JFK's status as a world-class hub and increase connecting opportunities between New York and the more than 70 domestic and international destinations now served by Delta from JFK."
In the last year, Delta has added 12 new domestic destinations from JFK, including flights to Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo and now Binghamton, to feed flights to more than 30 international cities.
"This new service will be a shot in the arm for air service across upstate New York," said Sen. Charles Schumer of New York. "Delta has expanded its commitment to bringing high quality service to previously underserved communities. There is no question that the new jets are a win-win for business and leisure travelers alike because they will not only provide faster, more comfortable flights, but they will encourage future growth across the board. When companies consider which region to locate their business in, they often look at the air service options. Up until a few years ago people complained there was no way to fly here at a reasonable rate. That is now changing and these flights are a part of this change. I commend Delta on this expansion and look forward to working with them to increase service and bring down fares in upstate New York."
Delta's new flights from Binghamton will be available for sale at delta.com and other distribution channels beginning today and are scheduled as follows:
New service between Binghamton and New York-JFK
Flight* Departs Arrives Effective
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5958 Binghamton New York-JFK May 8, 2007
at 6:20 a.m. at 7:35 a.m.
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6130 Binghamton New York-JFK May 7, 2007
at 3 p.m. at 4:20 p.m.
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5959 New York-JFK Binghamton May 7, 2007
at 9:15 a.m. at 10:30 a.m.
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6131 New York-JFK Binghamton May 7, 2007
at 6:40 p.m. at 8 p.m.
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*Operated by Delta Connection carrier Freedom Air
With the new schedule to New York, Delta will continue to offer one daily flight between Binghamton and its largest hub in Atlanta. Flights will leave Binghamton at 11 a.m. each day and will arrive in Atlanta at 1:25 p.m., with return flights from Atlanta departing at 12:20 p.m. and arriving Binghamton at 2:28 p.m.
To celebrate the new service, Delta is offering customers a special low introductory fare of $99 one way, based on a round-trip purchase, for travel between Binghamton and New York-JFK. Customers should act fast, however, as tickets at these special fares must be purchased by Feb. 23 with travel completed by June 30. Additional taxes/fees/restrictions apply. Fare shown is available for purchase only on delta.com or from your travel agent. See below for more details.
Delta's new nonstop service between JFK and Binghamton is the latest in a series of new routes that have boosted Delta to operate the most departures to the most destinations from New York-JFK. Recent expansion has included new nonstop service from New York-JFK to London-Gatwick, England, Accra, Ghana, and Mumbai, India, in addition to a significant expansion of service from JFK to key markets in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states.
Delta also has announced plans to add nonstop flights between New York-JFK and Phoenix (effective Feb. 15); St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (effective March 3); Portland, Oregon (effective April 19); Pisa/Tuscany, Italy (effective May 31); and Bucharest, Romania (effective June 5).
To support the continued growth of the JFK hub, Delta has invested more than $20 million in renovations to its Terminal 2 and 3 facilities at JFK. Recently completed refurbishments include the addition of a new, dedicated BusinessElite check-in area in Terminal 2, refreshing facilities in Delta's BusinessElite lounge and Crown Room Clubs, and adding new international check-in kiosks throughout the facility.
Delta Air Lines (Other OTC:DALRQ) offers customers service to more destinations than any global airline with Delta and Delta Connection carrier service to 304 destinations in 52 countries. With more than 50 new international routes added in the last year, Delta is America's fastest growing international airline and is a leader across the Atlantic with flights to 31 trans-Atlantic destinations. To Latin America and the Caribbean, Delta offers nearly 600 weekly flights to 58 destinations. Delta's marketing alliances also allow customers to earn and redeem SkyMiles on more than 14,000 flights offered by SkyTeam and other partners. Delta is a founding member of SkyTeam, a global airline alliance that provides customers with extensive worldwide destinations, flights and services. Including its SkyTeam and worldwide codeshare partners, Delta offers flights to 453 worldwide destinations in 97 countries. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes and check flight status at delta.com.
The Delta logo is available at http://www.primezone.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=1825
Travel for some itineraries may be on Delta Connection carriers Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Chautauqua, Comair, Freedom Airlines and Shuttle America.
Restrictions: Fares shown are available for purchase only on delta.com or from your travel agent. Tickets cost $10 more if purchased from Delta over the telephone or $15 more if purchased at an airport or city ticket office, and these amounts are nonrefundable. Travel agents may impose an additional service charge for ticketing. Tickets are non-transferable. Seats are limited and fares may not be available on all flights or in all markets. Tickets: Fares shown are one-way. Round-trip purchase is required. Tickets must be purchased at least 21 days prior to departure, but no later than February 23, 2007. See delta.com for online ticket purchase requirements and restrictions. Travel Period: Travel may begin on or after May 7, 2007. Travel must be completed by June 30. 2007. Blackout Dates: May 25 and 28, 2007 and June 29, 2007. Fare Validity: Fares are valid in the Economy (Coach) cabin only on flights operated by the Delta Connection carrier Freedom Airlines. Minimum Stay: 3 nights. Maximum Stay: June 30, 2007. Cancellations/Refunds/Changes: Fares are nonrefundable. Delta may permit you to apply a portion of the fare value to future travel upon payment of applicable fees and fare difference, otherwise the ticket will have no value. Fees may apply for downgrades/reissues and itinerary changes. Delta may allow you to cancel certain electronic tickets until midnight of the day after purchase (or midnight of the departure date of the first flight, whichever comes first) without penalty if purchased at the time of reservation directly from Delta. Contact a Delta agent or visit delta.com for details. Taxes/Fees: Fares do not include a $3.40 Federal Excise Tax, Passenger Facility Charge(s) of up to $4.50, or the September 11th Security Fee of up to $2.50 for each flight segment in the passenger's ticketed itinerary. A flight segment is defined as a takeoff and a landing. These taxes and fees are the responsibility of the passenger and must be paid at the time the ticket is purchased. Miscellaneous: Fares and rules are subject to change without notice. Offers subject to change and void where prohibited by law. Special offers issued at delta.com may not be applied to or combined with other Delta fares or offers. Other restrictions may apply.