Delta Expands LAX Schedule and Opens New Lounge

Delta Air Lines announced a significant expansion at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday, adding new service to Philadelphia and increasing frequencies on seven existing routes. The carrier will launch a daily flight to Philadelphia on June 7, operated by its Airbus A321neo aircraft.

This follows an earlier announcement of new service from LAX to Monterey. The airline is also boosting frequencies on flights to Boston, Cincinnati, Houston/Intercontinental, Raleigh/Durham, San Antonio, San Diego, and Seattle. According to the Cranky Weekly Review, this will give Delta its largest-ever schedule at LAX, including previously announced new services to Manila and Vancouver.

Delta's LAX Growth Strategy

While Delta will offer more flights than any other carrier from the airport, its transpacific offerings are less than those of rival United. The source notes, however, that the frequency boost means passengers can fly five times a day to San Diego. The expansion is part of Delta's ongoing attempt to entrench itself as the number one carrier at LAX.

New Delta One Lounge Opens

Delta also selected LAX as the first airport to receive a second Delta One lounge. The new 75-seat lounge in Terminal 2 provides an alternative for the airline's top passengers, who previously had to travel to Terminal 3. This lounge opening coincides with the airline planning more than 200 daily departures to nearly 70 destinations next summer.

Other Industry Updates

In other airline news, Latvian carrier airBaltic filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States on Monday. The airline said it secured a commitment for 350 million euros in debtor-in-possession financing, pending court approval, and stated business would continue as normal.

Negotiations between Breeze Airways and its pilots have entered their fourth year, leading the Air Line Pilots Association to request federal mediation. ALPA sued Breeze in January, alleging the carrier was obstructing negotiations.

Lufthansa placed an order for 20 Boeing 737-10 MAX aircraft, converted from an option on a 2023 order. The airline stated the MAX 10 will consume 30% less fuel and reduce unit costs by 20%, though deliveries are not expected until the next decade.

American Airlines and German leisure carrier Condor announced a new interline partnership. American noted it flies to more than 150 cities from Condor's U.S. gateways, which include Boston, New York/JFK, Los Angeles, and soon Chicago/O'Hare.

The Cranky Weekly Review also included brief updates on several other carriers, including Air Astana resuming Dubai flights, Korean Air confirming a 103-aircraft order from Boeing, and Qatar Airways planning to add 138 jets within five years.