Delta Air reports an increase of 450% in global travel bookings for international flights ahead of the U.S. reopening on Nov. 8.
The airline will operate 139 flights from 55 locations in 38 countries, totaling over 25,000 seats.
10 of these countries will benefit from Delta’s nonstop flights. The remaining flights will be served through its global hubs in collaboration with partners such as Air France, KLM, and Virgin Atlantic.
“This is the start of a new era for travel and for many people around the world who have not been able to see loved ones for almost two years,” said Ed Bastian, Delta’s CEO.
“We’re grateful to the U.S. government for lifting travel restrictions and are looking forward to reuniting families, friends, and colleagues over the coming days and weeks,” he added.
An aircraft flying from Sao Paulo to Atlanta will be Delta’s first to land in the United States under the new federal laws, which include being double vaccinated and presenting a negative PCR or antigen COVID-19 test.
According to reports, the strongest demand comes from travelers looking to visit New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Boston and Orlando.
Delta’s Expansion
When compared to the same period last year, transatlantic revenues were only up 35%. This has motivated the company to increase routes to make up for the losses.
The airline announced that leisure and business flights rebounded to 2019 levels in summer, with domestic and Latin American markets leading the way, at least in the third quarter.
Making the most of the reopening for European visitors, the flight carrier announced intentions to expand routes to London, Amsterdam, Dublin, Frankfurt, and Munich.
The new routes are planned to be operational by winter this year.
Navigating entry requirements
In order to make international travel easier, passengers are encouraged to use Delta FlyReady and the Delta Discover Map to expedite the entry process and verify important requirements such as vaccination certificates and negative COVID-19 test results.