Delta Launching Boston To Sao Paulo Flights, Replacing LATAM

Delta Launching Boston To Sao Paulo Flights, Replacing LATAM

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Delta Air Lines is launching a new route on its own metal (thanks to @IshrionA for flagging this), though only for a limited time…

Delta will fly from Boston to Sao Paulo in early 2025

Between January 6 and March 27, 2025, Delta is operating a 3x weekly flight between Boston (BOS) and Sao Paulo (GRU). The 4,790-mile flight will operate with the following schedule:

DL165 Boston to Sao Paulo departing 9:00AM arriving 8:45PM
DL164 Sao Paulo to Boston departing 10:45PM arriving 6:40AM (+1 day)

The southbound flight is blocked at 9hr45min, and will operate on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays, while the northbound flight is blocked at 9hr55min, and will operate on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays.

While the outbound flight timing is great in terms of aircraft utilization (since the plane can turn right around in Sao Paulo), the daytime flight isn’t necessarily preferred by many business travelers, and it’s also not great for connections.

Delta will use an Airbus A330-300 for the service, featuring 282 seats. This includes 34 Delta One (business class) seats, 21 Delta Premium Select (premium economy) seats, 24 Delta Comfort+ (extra legroom economy) seats, and 203 Main Cabin (economy) seats.

It would appear that Delta is simply replacing the service of its joint venture partner LATAM in the market for a period of roughly three months. LATAM has operated this route since 2018. Delta’s new service has identical timing to LATAM’s service, which is why it seems like it’s a replacement. Meanwhile LATAM will operate this service through early January, and again as of late March.

Delta will fly an Airbus A330 from Boston to Sao Paulo

It’s interesting to see Delta replacing LATAM in the market

Delta owns a stake in LATAM, and on top of that, the two airlines have a joint venture between the United States and much of South America. With a joint venture, airlines can coordinate schedules and fares, and can also share revenue.

We often see joint venture partners replace Delta in some markets, which is logical enough, since Delta has a higher cost structure than most of its partners. For example, we’ve seen Delta axe service between Los Angeles (LAX) and London (LHR), and instead that route is exclusively operated by partner Virgin Atlantic.

So in this situation, why is Delta replacing its joint venture partner LATAM, which almost certainly has a lower cost structure? In this case it seems easy enough to figure out:

  • US airlines can’t get their hands on enough wide body aircraft for their summer schedule, given the amount of transatlantic demand; however, the first three months of the year are the absolute slowest across the Atlantic
  • As a result, Delta presumably has some spare aircraft, so the airline needs to fly them somewhere
  • Meanwhile in South America, those same months are peak season (given that it’s summer in the Southern Hemisphere), so I suspect LATAM can better utilize its aircraft for other routes

All of this seems like a logical enough development. If Delta permanently replaced LATAM in this market, then I’d be a bit confused. But with Delta just taking over the service during its slowest period for long haul travel, this makes sense.

LATAM has better ways to utilize its planes in peak season

Bottom line

Delta will operate flights between Boston and Sao Paulo in early 2025, replacing the existing service by joint venture partner LATAM. It may seem confusing to see Delta get into this market for just a few months, especially given that Delta has a higher cost structure than LATAM. But it’s easier to make sense of when you look at the big picture, and consider the other places LATAM can fly planes that time of year.

What do you make of Delta launching Boston to Sao Paulo flights?

Conversations (57)
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  1. Ricardo Urdaneta Guest

    As part of their growth between the two airlines, here is my short list of routes that both airlines should add in the near future.

    ATL - Medellin (Delta)
    ATL - Brasilia (Delta)
    Lima - Boston (LATAM)

    Any routes that I missed, add them to list.

    12 more replies
  2. Regis Guest

    Boston (and environs) hosts the largest brazillian community in the US and the largest concentration of brazilans outside of Brazil. Jan-March are the Summer months in Brazil, with awesome weather, carnaval, beaches and everybody having a good time. I think this route will work for Delta.

  3. Stanley C Diamond

    ‘Delta is by far in the best position among US airlines - and among many global airlines’

    How can Tim even try to put Delta in the same league as global airlines? Just focusing on U.S. airlines Delta flies to 89 international destinations, American flies to 92 international destinations and United flies to over 120 international destinations. As Ben recently pointed out in an article about United, he says that United is truly the leader...

    ‘Delta is by far in the best position among US airlines - and among many global airlines’

    How can Tim even try to put Delta in the same league as global airlines? Just focusing on U.S. airlines Delta flies to 89 international destinations, American flies to 92 international destinations and United flies to over 120 international destinations. As Ben recently pointed out in an article about United, he says that United is truly the leader among the U.S. airlines when it comes to being a global airline as it flies to more international destinations than any other U.S. airlines. At least, United tries new routes and makes it worthwhile for the customers while Delta only looks after its bottom line.

    ‘ Delta is the only US airline that is buying widebody aircraft from Airbus. Everybody else is dependent on Boeing and their problems.’

    Yes, which shows Delta’s hypocrisy when it joined other U.S. airlines to talk smack about the ME3 when back then Delta only bought foreign made aircraft and back in 2017 it had the audacity to talk about protecting American jobs when it bought a lot of airplanes from Airbus.

    Yes, now it is a different story as Boeing is going through its own troubles but I just wanted to point out Delta’s hypocrisy and no matter what Delta did or does there will always be Tim with his own Delta poms poms cheering them to the end.

    5 more replies
  4. David Guest

    Let’s not forget latam is down an aircraft because of the incident in Milan.

    1. Tim Dunn Diamond

      yes, Latam is down an aircraft.

      As much as the mental midgets below don't want to hear it, Delta is by far in the best position among US airlines - and among many global airlines - to use its fleet not just to grow but to cover fleet needs for its JV partners.

      By fleet tracking sites, AA has received ZERO of the SIX 787s it was due to receive in 2024. UA has received...

      yes, Latam is down an aircraft.

      As much as the mental midgets below don't want to hear it, Delta is by far in the best position among US airlines - and among many global airlines - to use its fleet not just to grow but to cover fleet needs for its JV partners.

      By fleet tracking sites, AA has received ZERO of the SIX 787s it was due to receive in 2024. UA has received ZERO of the EIGHT 787s it was due to receive in 2024. HA has received TWO 787s in 2024.

      Delta is on track to receive 14 new A330NEOs and A350s in 2024.

      Even with retirement of some of its 767-300ER fleet, the refurbishment of its ex-Latam A350-900 fleet which is underway and might be completed by next summer (while AA postpones its 777W cabin refurbishment project), DL is still adding new widebody flights, expanding its network in the S. Pacific, and covering for its JV partners.

      This addition is all about DL having the widebody aircraft which other airlines do not have the aircraft to grow.

      For years, we have had to endure the endless drone of UA management about their growth plans which has been repeated endlessly by UA's fans.
      UA really has not received many new aircraft since it made that pronouncement but has shuffled aircraft around its network and continues to do so.
      AA chose to retire its 767 and A330 fleets during the pandemic and has largely not chosen to replace them.

      DL not only simply pushed back new aircraft deliveries that were scheduled to arrive during the pandemic to 2024 and be yond but added to its order book with at least 20 new A350-1000s to give it the most capable and efficient widebody that will exist in the US carrier fleet. The first of those 35Ks might arrive months ahead of schedule in 2025 as Delta appears to be taking over some of VS' A350 orders.

      DL will be growing its international network and doing it far more than other airlines, including those that try to woo the world by keeping a bunch of 737s out of domestic service where those planes could be used because Airbus will supply half of even the narrowbodies that United will receive in 2024.

      Delta was the only airline that bucked the US industry in choosing Airbus widebodies. DL's strategy will pay off handsomely in the next few years as AA and UA and even AS try to keep a stiff upper lip but will watch DL grow its international and domestic network while those that sought Boeing as their primary supplier will suffer endless delays and strategic losses.

      Regardless of whether some people want to attack anyone that tells them that reality, that is the reality that DL's ability to take over flying for LA means.
      and it means that DL will be doing international growing in the next few years.

  5. Aaron Guest

    Is it me, or would the timing be so much better if reverses? 21:00 BOS departure gets you in around 8:45 and 10:45 departure from GRU gets you in around 18:40. I doubt there are good connections on the BOS side seeing how far in the northeast corner it’s in. Connections to Europe don’t make sense either. For VFR travelers, the timing isn’t that big of an issue, however, as a tourist, 20:45 is a...

    Is it me, or would the timing be so much better if reverses? 21:00 BOS departure gets you in around 8:45 and 10:45 departure from GRU gets you in around 18:40. I doubt there are good connections on the BOS side seeing how far in the northeast corner it’s in. Connections to Europe don’t make sense either. For VFR travelers, the timing isn’t that big of an issue, however, as a tourist, 20:45 is a bit late to arrive, especially if immigration queues are long. That time seems a bit late to connect o wards to Argentina or Chile also. On the other hand, if you reverse the timing, an 18:40 arrival into Boston isn’t bad, though the queue can get long as the later Euro flights arrive that time.

    2 more replies
  6. Jake Guest

    have a feeling this is due to the new A330 pilot crew base in BOS this year. Only winter routes on the A330 are CDG, AMS, LHR, HNL (although it switches to a 763 in Spring)

    1. Tim Dunn Diamond

      they haven't even announced an opening date for the BOS 330 pilot base so far as I know but even if they have, it won't make a difference in staffing for the base in the first couple months of operation.

  7. WL Guest

    Boston has the largest Brazilian community in US I think that has something to do with that

  8. Tim Dunn Diamond

    If the flight works for LA with the current timings, it works for DL. They have a JV. There are connections at BOS and certainly on the GRU end.

    As for aircraft availability, all US airlines use more widebodies in the summer than in the winter.
    In addition, DL will receive 14 new Airbus widebodies this year - more than twice the number of 787s that AA, UA and HA will receive from...

    If the flight works for LA with the current timings, it works for DL. They have a JV. There are connections at BOS and certainly on the GRU end.

    As for aircraft availability, all US airlines use more widebodies in the summer than in the winter.
    In addition, DL will receive 14 new Airbus widebodies this year - more than twice the number of 787s that AA, UA and HA will receive from Boeing.
    Most of DL's new widebodies are coming or came after the summer so were of no use during the most peak summer period.
    DL is beginning conversion of the ex-Latam 359s to the new DL standard 35H configuration.
    They are also retiring several 767s between now and the spring but they still have more widebodies during the winter that they need for their international schedule and still have some for 2025 growth - in addition to the 11 confirmed Airbus widebodies they will receive in 2025 although some could also be received in the 2nd half of the year and not usable for the peak summer period.

    Competitively, I believe with this addition, DL will overtake UA as the 2nd largest US airline at GRU even on its own metal.

    DL appears to have a good plan to use its extra widebodies during the winter in markets other than to Europe is also operating double daily ATL-EZE and ATL-SCL for a couple months during the winter as well in addition to their increased service to the S. Pacific.

    There are other routes to S. America which DL could take over from LA even on a seasonal basis if this works.

    15 more replies
  9. Jake Guest

    When will this be available for sale?
    I was planning on purchasing the latam flights for January and they were available earlier this week. Now these flights are nonexistent on all platforms, including both delta and latam websites

  10. John doe Guest

    The reason is most likely LATAM's refurbishment of 787 cabins (installation of new business class). They probably have a gap in capacity, and delta has excess during winter months...

  11. Momma Dunn Guest

    This new route is a game changer. My son will be here to comment after he finishes his chores.

    1. ErikOJ Guest

      Yes Paul - you are an insufferable prick

  12. nomenclature Guest

    Anyone venture to guess how much money Delta loses in BOS?

  13. Billiken Guest

    DOT/FTC needs to ban airline joint ventures.

  14. Jason Guest

    The connections are all on the Brazil side. Not on the Boston side. Delta and latam do cost sharing on their joint venture routes, so there really is no huge difference in terms of cost. This is just an instance where latam has some aircraft availability issues for a certain period of time, so therefore delta is filling in. Don't read anything more into it than that.

Featured Comments Most helpful comments ( as chosen by the OMAAT community ).

The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered.

Julie Guest

You need help

7
Julie Guest

"You are seriously mistaken if you think I participate in aviation social media for the friends." I don't think anyone assumes you participate for any reason other than loneliness and jealousy of those that succeeded in the industry, unlike you in the comment section. "If you or others had half of a brain, you would realize that the more you try to denigrate me, the more I say" Please. Say what you want. You do an amazing job making yourself look like an idiot. "The fact that Delta can grow now and other airlines cannot to anywhere near the same extent is a result of the choices that each airline made years ago." Right... in January to March... when no one is using their widebodies fully.

5
Julie Guest

Are you really trying to say United and AA don't have available widebodies January to March? AA barely has any but even they do... How do you come up with this stupidity?

5
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