Service made possible through successful Delta-Air France
joint venture
Pittsburgh, Raleigh-Durham customers to enjoy connecting
opportunities to more than 90 cities in Europe via Paris hub
ATLANTA, Nov. 6, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL), the world's largest airline, today announced the start of two additional nonstop flights between France and the United States with the airline's first-ever nonstop service between Paris-Charles de Gaulle International Airport and Raleigh-Durham, N.C. and Pittsburgh. The new routes, enabled by Delta's successful joint venture with Air France, will offer customers in both cities convenient connections to more than 90 cities in Europe via Air France's Paris hub.
"Strategic and unique international growth -- bolstered by our innovative partnership with Air France and merger with Northwest -- has been a cornerstone of Delta's successful business strategy over the last several years," said Robert Cortelyou, senior vice president - Network Planning. "Delta's new nonstop service from Raleigh-Durham and Pittsburgh offers customers convenient access to Paris and connecting opportunities to more than 90 destinations beyond."
Delta will make history in Pittsburgh and Raleigh-Durham with its new flights. The new trans-Atlantic route from Pittsburgh will be the only nonstop transatlantic service offered by any airline from the city. The new route from Raleigh-Durham will be Delta's first-ever nonstop trans-Atlantic flight offered from North Carolina and will be operated from Raleigh's terminal two, the airport's newest terminal, which opened Oct. 26.
"This flight will be strategically important for North Carolina and the region," said N.C. Department of Commerce Secretary Jim Fain. "In addition to supporting two-way tourism, it will facilitate business relationships between North Carolina and France."
"On behalf of the Pittsburgh region's business community, we are very pleased with today's announcement. Pittsburgh is a vibrant part of the global economy. Our regional companies generate over a third of their revenues outside the United States and foreign direct investment here is increasing as well. Direct international air service will make it easier for business investment in our region to continue growing," said Michael Langley, CEO, Allegheny Conference on Community Development.
The new nonstop service from both markets will be launched in June 2009. The routes will be operated by Boeing 757-200 aircraft, with seating for up to 174 passengers, including 16 seats in Delta's BusinessElite and 158 in economy class. Customers flying BusinessElite on any Delta international aircraft enjoy Delta on Demand featuring first-run and popular classic movies, music, TV programming and video games -- all available on demand; a five-course menu offering culinary creations by celebrity chef Michelle Bernstein; a reinvented wine program by Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson featuring wines from around the world; full-size pillows and duvets; and in-seat power outlets that allow customers to recharge their laptops.
The first phase of Delta's joint venture with Air France was implemented in April 2008 coinciding with a landmark Open Skies agreement that liberalized air transport between the European Union and the United States. Immediate benefits of the joint venture included the addition of new routes between the United States and France, with the launch of nonstop flights between Salt Lake City and Paris in June; New York-JFK and Lyon in July; and an additional daily flight between Atlanta and Paris. The agreement also helped secure Delta's entry into London Heathrow, with flights from New York-JFK and Atlanta, which were launched in cooperation with Air France. Additionally, Air France began its first trans-Atlantic flights between the United States and London Heathrow on Mar. 31, 2008.
Delta flights between France and both Raleigh-Durham and Pittsburgh are available for booking now online at www.delta.com. Flight schedules are as follows:
Delta's new service between Raleigh-Durham and Paris
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Flight Departs Arrives Effective Frequency
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204 Raleigh-Durham Paris at 8:35 a.m. June 2, 2009 Daily (except
at 6:20 p.m. (next day) Monday and
Thursday)
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205 Paris at Raleigh-Durham June 4, 2009 Daily (except
10:30 a.m. at 2:15 p.m. Wednesday and
Saturday)
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Delta's new service between Pittsburgh and Paris
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Flight Departs Arrives Effective Frequency
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188 Pittsburgh at Paris at 8:20 a.m. June 3, 2009 Daily (expect
6:15 p.m. (next day) Tuesday and
Friday)
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189 Paris at 10:40 Pittsburgh at June 3, 2009 Daily (expect
a.m. 1:55 p.m. Tuesday and
Friday)
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To celebrate the new service Delta is offering a one-way special fare of $599* from Raleigh-Durham to Paris and from Pittsburgh to Paris (based on a round-trip purchase) for travel through June 30, 2009. However, customers should act fast as availability is limited and tickets at these fares must be purchased by Nov. 21, 2008. *Additional taxes/fees/restrictions/baggage charges may apply. See below for details.
About Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines is the world's largest airline. From its hubs in Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita, Delta, its NWA subsidiary and Delta Connection carriers offer service to more than 375 destinations worldwide in 66 countries and serve more than 170 million passengers each year. Delta's marketing alliances allow customers to earn and redeem either SkyMiles or WorldPerks on more than 16,000 daily flights offered by SkyTeam and other partners. Delta and its 75,000 worldwide employees are reshaping the aviation industry as the only U.S. airline to offer a full global network. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes, check bags and flight status at www.delta.com.
The Delta Air Lines, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=1825
About Air France
Air France, winner of the Gold Award for Eco-Friendly Airline of 2008 in Travel Weekly's annual Magellan awards and recipient of Aviation Week & Space Technology's "2006 Commercial Air Transport Laureate, was also named "2005 Airline of the Year" by Air Transport World. The Air France KLM group operates more than 2,470 daily flights out of Paris and Amsterdam to 242 destinations in 105 countries. Air France currently operates from 15 U.S. gateways and provides service from 125 U.S. cities through code-share agreements with SkyTeam partners Delta and Continental. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.airfrance.us, call 1.800.237.2747 or contact your travel professional.
*Restrictions: Fares shown are available at delta.com. Tickets cost $20 more if purchased from Delta over the phone, or at a Delta ticket counter, and this amount is nonrefundable. Tickets are nontransferable. Seats are limited. Tickets: Fares shown are round-trip. Tickets must be purchased within 72 hours after reservations are made and no later than November 21, 2008. Travel Period: Travel from Raleigh-Durham may begin June 2, 2009 and must be completed by June 30, 2009. Travel from Pittsburgh may begin June 3, 2009 and must be completed by June 30, 2009. Blackout Dates: None. Fare Validity: Fare is valid only in the Economy (Coach) cabin via nonstop flights operated by Delta Air Lines. Minimum Stay: Saturday night. Maximum Stay: 30 days Taxes/Fees: A $3.50 Federal Excise Tax, Passenger Facility Charge(s) of up to $4.50 for each flight segment, and the September 11th Security Fee of up to $2.50 for each flight segment are not included. Fares do not include U.S. International Air Transportation Tax of up to $30.80 and U.S. and foreign user, inspection, security or other similarly based charges, fees or taxes of up to $299, depending on itinerary. Taxes and fees must be paid when the ticket is purchased. Baggage Charges: For travel within the United States/PR/U.S. Virgin Islands, no fee ($15 for travel on or after Dec. 5) for 1 checked bag and $50 fee ($25 for travel on or after Dec. 5) for second checked bag. For all other travel, no fee for 2 checked bags and $200 fee for third checked bag. Allowances subject to size/weight limits. Contact a delta agent or visit delta.com for details. Cancellations/Refunds/Changes: Tickets are nonrefundable except in accordance with Delta's cancellation policy. Fees may apply for downgrades/reissues and itinerary changes. Contact a Delta agent or visit delta.com for details. Miscellaneous: Fares, taxes, fees, rules, and offers are subject to change without notice. Other restrictions may apply.