It is an American airline that was formed in 1925. It is one of the oldest airlines out there. They are based in Atlanta, Georgia.

They have numerous subsidiaries, and they operate over 5,400 flights daily. They go to 325 destinations in 52 countries on six continents. There are a lot of places to go and see.

They are one of the founding members of the Sky Team Airlines Alliance.

Facts

• Commenced Operations
  • June 17, 1929
• Hubs
  • 9
• Based
  • Atlanta
• Focus Cities
  • Raleigh/Durham
• Subsidiaries
  • Endeavor Air
  • Hanjin
  • LATM Airlines
  • Virgin Atlantic
• Planes
  • 915
• Employees
  • Close to 90,000

History

It started as a crop dusting operation. You know when a plane flies over crops and sprays stuff on them? It was to combat the boil weevil. So they had that going for them.

In 1928, Delta Air Service was started. Passengers started to fly in 1929. They went from Dallas, Texas, to Jackson,  Mississippi. 1930, it was extended from Ft. Worth, Texas, to Atlanta, Georgia. They started to do the Mail Route 42.

They moved the headquarters from Monroe, Louisiana, to Atlanta in 1941. Later on, in 1945, the name changed to Delta Air Lines.

Growth

In 1972, Northeast Airlines was acquired by Delta. In 1978, flights from Atlanta to London started, which helped expand Delta to become who it is today. In 1981, they launched a frequent-flyer program.

Western Airlines was acquired by Delta in 1987 and started to fly trans-Pacific service. PanAm was acquired by almost all of the PanAm trans-Altantic routes and the PanAm Shuttle. By doing this, Delta became the leading airline across the Atlantic.

In 2008, it acquired NorthWest Airlines after it filed for Bankruptcy and avoided a hostile takeover from US Airways.

Hubs

They have nine hubs across the United States, and they are:

• Atlanta
• Boston
• Detroit
• Los Angeles
• Minneapolis / St. Paul
• New York
  • JFK
  • LaGuardia
• Salt Lake City
• Seattle / Tacoma

An interesting fact about Seattle/Tacoma airport is that it is the primary West Coast hub. I would have thought Los Angeles would be the primary hub, thus being a big city. But I was wrong.

Alliance and Codeshare

They are a member of the SkyTeam alliance. They also have a codeshare with the following:

Cabin layout

It depends on the plane, but they have the following areas

• Delta One
  • This is on international flights and long-haul flights. This type of class supports a laydown seat. How nice. They are mostly found on the Boeing 757s. However, they are featured in the Airbus A350, Boeing 777, and Boeing 767.
• Premium Select
  • These are featured on the Airbus A350, Boeing 777, Airbus A330, and Boeing 767.
• First Class
  • The seats are 18.5 to 20.75 inches and have between 37 and 40 inches. They get more free snacks than the coming-up classes.
• Delta Comfort+
  • They are a bit wider than the Main Cabin. They are 17 to 18.6 inches wide and 20 to 33 inches pitch. You get priority boarding, free beer,  wine, and spirits on certain flights, most of the time over 250 miles. If it is over 900 miles, premium snacks are provided for free.
• Main Cabin
  • The seats range from 17 to 18.6 inches wide and 30 to 33 inches of pitch. If the flights are over 250, you have free drinks and snacks. However, if you want some Alcoholic items, you will have to buy them.
• Basic Economy
  • The same as the Main Cabin, but they have fewer flexibility options for a low price.

Sky Club

You can use these clubs if you travel from JFK to LAX in business class. You can pay for an annual Membership. If you are flying internationally in Delta One, you get free access. Here is a list of the clubs

Summary

That is Delta. They are one of the leading airlines in the world.

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