All Things Travel: Delta Cuts Back In Boston
BOSTON (CBS) - Delta Air Lines' growth in Boston has stalled.
On March 25, Delta will end all nine of its daily flights to Washington's Reagan Airport. The airline that introduced new international flights to London and Paris last year, with seasonal service, is cutting back in that area too.
Delta will offer only one daily flight to London over the peak summer months and will not have service to Paris this year.
The airline will likely remain number two in passengers flying in and out of Logan Airport. This summer Delta is expected to have 75 flights a day to 18 destinations during peak periods. The popular Delta Shuttle to New York will continue to operate.
U.S. Airways has provided major service from Logan to Reagan Airport for decades. In June, JetBlue Airways will add three more daily flights to Washington for a total of ten. JetBlue is concentrating on the business traveler in many of its destinations in the U.S.
Delta and U.S. Airways have exchanged slots at Reagan and LaGuardia Airport in New York, which will allow Delta to grow in New York.
A major battle for control of that market is taking place between Delta, American Airlines and United Airlines. United's merger with Continental is now complete and United is committed to expansion at the former Continental hub at Newark Airport.
The pull-back of Delta's international flights from Logan is harder to explain.
The economy in Greece, the high cost of jet fuel leading to higher air fares and the Summer Olympics taking place in London may be keeping U.S. travelers closer to home. Air France, a SkyTeam partner of Delta, can be expected to pick up many of the Paris passengers.
International travelers accounted for a little less than 10 percent of the 27,800,000 passengers using Logan Airport last year.
Bob Weiss reports on business travel on Mondays at 5:55 a.m. on WBZ NewsRadio 1030.
