Fliers can catch the April 8 total solar eclipse in-air from DL 1218, Austin-Detroit.
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COMPLETE COVERAGE | 2024 solar eclipse
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With all eyes to the sky during the year’s total solar eclipse, Delta people detail their meticulous preparation and devoted involvement ahead of the airline’s first-ever flights across the path of totality.
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After selling out its first path-of-totality flight, Delta is adding a second flight, which will depart from Dallas-Fort Worth and arrive in Detroit together with the other path-of-totality flight.
If you’ve ever wanted to experience a total solar eclipse from the sky, Delta has you covered this April.
The airline is offering a special flight from Austin to Detroit on April 8, 2024, specifically for umbraphiles to be able to spend as much time as possible directly within the path of totality.
Delta flight 1218 will be specifically operated on an A220-300, which will offer especially premium viewing due to the aircraft’s extra-large windows. The flight will depart from Austin at 12:15 p.m. CT and land in Detroit at 4:20 p.m. ET — timed to give those on board the best chance of safely viewing the solar eclipse at its peak.*
“This flight is the result of significant collaboration and exemplifies the close teamwork Delta is known for — from selecting an aircraft with larger windows to determining the exact departure time from Austin and the experiences at the gate and in the air,” said Eric Beck, Managing Director of Domestic Network Planning. “Thanks to teams across the company, the idea of viewing a total eclipse from the air will become a reality for our customers.”
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Warren Weston, one of Delta’s lead meteorologists, gives an inside look at every role Delta’s in-house meteorology team plays, from updating the Weather Information Tool and helping flight crews avoid turbulence to forecasting the weather both around major airports and up to 40,000 feet.
Even if you aren’t on this special flight, Delta travelers will also have prime eclipse-viewing opportunities on five additional routes on April 8, so don’t forget your protective viewing glasses if you’re on these flights:
- DL 5699, DTW-HPN, 2:59 pm EST departure, ERJ-175
- DL 924, LAX-DFW, 8:40 am PST departure, A320
- DL 2869, LAX-SAT, 9:00 am PST departure, A319
- DL 1001, SLC-SAT, 10:08 am MST departure, A220-300
- DL 1683, SLC-AUS, 9:55 am MST departure, A320
And for those who would rather catch the solar event from the ground, Delta flies to many destinations that are within the path of totality, including AUS, San Antonio (SAT), and Little Rock, Ark. (LIT).
“The April 8 eclipse is the last total eclipse we’ll see over North America until 2044,” said Warren Weston, Delta Air Lines Lead Meteorologist. “This eclipse will last more than twice as long as the one that occurred in 2017, and the path is nearly twice as wide.”
For booking information, visit delta.com.
*While Delta flight plans have been designed to maximize time within the path of totality, this is subject to change due to factors outside of Delta’s control such as weather and air traffic control that could impact timing and aircraft.
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