Delta Air Lines Plans to Take On United and JetBlue With New Non-Stop Flights Between Newark and Los Angeles

Delta Air Lines plans to go head-to-head with JetBlue and United Airlines after it announced plans on Friday to launch new non-stop flights between Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) beginning on April 12, 2027.

Delta already serves the New York area with up to 11 daily flights from JFK to Los Angeles, and the airline has made no secret that this particular transcontinental service is one of its most important, raking in huge amounts of cash.

There is, however, one massive challenge facing Delta as it seeks to disrupt both JetBlue and United by launching two daily flights from Newark to Los Angeles – it will be using standard configured Airbus A321neo aircraft, which only offer First Class recliner seats, and standard Economy seats.

In contrast, both JetBlue and United offer fully lie-flat seats in their premium cabins on this ultra-competitive route.

Compared to its presence at New York JFK, Delta’s presence at Newark is fairly limited, with the airline mainly serving its home hub at Atlanta Hartsfield, as well as offering flights to Boston, Cincinnati, Detroit Metro, Minneapolis Saint Paul, Raleigh-Durham, and Salt Lake City.

The new 3,950 km flight will be by far the longest route operated by Delta from Newark, and given the high percentage of premium passengers, it’s a route where lots of passengers expect lie-flat seats.

Unfortunately, with Delta’s premium-configured domestic aircraft already being utilised on other routes, and the airline’s long-awaited premium Airbus A321neo aircraft being redeployed with standard First Class recliners due to certification issues with the lie-flat Business Class seats, a standard narrowbody aircraft is going to have to suffice.

“Los Angeles plays a central role in Delta’s network, and this new nonstop service to Newark reflects our commitment to connecting customers across key business markets,” commented Scott Santoro, Delta’s vice president for Los Angeles, on Friday.

“From our state-of-the-art Terminal 3 at LAX to our industry-leading Delta Sky Clubs and the Delta One Lounge, we’re continuing to invest in a premium, seamless travel experience. By offering twice-daily flights on our Airbus A321neo, we’re delivering more choice, comfort, and reliable connectivity between the East and West Coasts.”

Even on its JFK-LAX route, which uses aircraft equipped with lie-flat Delta One seats, the airline has been struggling to maintain customer satisfaction.

According to a recently leaked internal memo, customer satisfaction, measured by Net Promoter Score (NPS), is running 9.2 points below the mainline domestic score on the JFK to LAX leg, while NPS on the LAX-JFK sector has fallen a disappointing 12.7 points below the average.

The average NPS score for the airline industry is typically between +35 and +45. However, before Southwest radically changed its strategy, it was reported that the Dallas-based carrier once boasted an exceptional NPS score of +71.

Delta did not, however, reveal what its average NPS score was. Suffice to say, though, 12.7 points below the average, whatever that might be, is not good.

This is just an indication of how tough this market is to crack. Airlines charge premium fares on this route, and passengers have high expectations. Whether a standard-configured Airbus A321neo will live up to these expectations remains to be seen.

To make matters worse, Delta admitted in the internal memo that “customer experiences on these flights are often shared widely and in real time, further amplifying the impact of every interaction.” Those social media posts are often coming from “high-profile customers, business travelers, and social media influencers.”

The answer to Delta’s woes on this route is the introduction of new Airbus A321neo aircraft with fully lie-flat Business Class seats, which will be used to replace an ageing fleet of Boeing 757s.

Unfortunately, the Business Class seats selected by Delta for this aircraft type have faced significant certification issues. So significant, in fact, that Delta is now reportedly seriously considering pulling the plug on the contract and opting for a different seat that has already been certified by U.S. regulators on narrowbody planes.

Unfortunately, that means installing a Business Class seat in a herringbone configuration, which means that passengers face towards the aisle at an angle. This is a remarkably space-efficient layout, but it does compromise space and comfort.

Delta had chosen a reverse herringbone layout, meaning that passengers face towards the windows, but with certification nowhere in sight, the airline has opted to deploy some of its new Airbus A321neo aircraft with super-sized domestic First Class cabins.