Delta Air Lines is returning to a transcontinental route that will put it in direct competition with American Airlines’ premium offering between New York and Southern California.
Delta Restores New York To Orange County Nonstop, Putting Pressure On American’s Premium Transcontinental Stronghold
Delta will begin nonstop service between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Orange County’s John Wayne Airport six times weekly beginning May 7, 2026, using a Boeing 757-200 with a premium-heavy cabin including lie-flat Delta One seats up front (there will be no service on Saturday).
This route pits Delta head-to-head with American, which has long served JFK-SNA with its Airbus A321T aircraft. In sheer product terms, American’s Collins Diamond seats and Delta’s Delta One lie-flat seats in business class are largely identical, but what sets American apart on this particular route is the first class section and the free meal service in coach on these flights…