I can’t say that I’m terribly surprised, but Delta Air Lines will be canceling one of its long haul routes as of late 2025, as flagged by @xJonNYC.
In this post:
Delta will stop flying to French Polynesia
In December 2022, Delta launched a seasonal, 3x weekly flight between Los Angeles (LAX) and Papeete (PPT), in French Polynesia. The flight has been operating with the following schedule:
DL119 Los Angeles to Tahiti departing 11:40AM arriving 6:40PM
DL118 Tahiti to Los Angeles departing 8:40PM arriving 7:20AM (+1 day)
The 4,095-mile route has been operated by a Boeing 767-300ER, and has been blocked at 9hr westbound and 8hr40min eastbound. While the service has operated for three seasons, it’s soon coming to an end.
Currently the route is scheduled to be available through June 7, 2025, and then it was supposed to resume again as of October 7, 2025. However, Delta has just pulled all inventory for the route, so it’s no longer on sale, suggesting that this route is being cut.
With this reduction, Delta’s long haul destinations out of Los Angeles include Paris (CDG), Sydney (SYD), and Tokyo (HND), on a year-round basis, plus Auckland (AKL) and Brisbane (BNE), on a seasonal basis. Furthermore, Delta plans to add flights to Shanghai (PVG) as of June 2025, and flights to Melbourne (MEL) as of December 2025.
Why didn’t Delta’s service to Tahiti work out?
For context on the competitive landscape between the United States and Tahiti:
- Delta’s SkyTeam partner Air France flies between Los Angeles and Tahiti, as part of a “direct” flight from Paris
- Air Tahiti Nui flies from Tahiti to both Los Angeles and Seattle; the airline isn’t part of an alliance, but has partnerships with Alaska and American
- United flies between San Francisco and Tahiti
- Ultra low cost carrier French Bee flies between San Francisco and Tahiti, as part of a “direct” flight from Paris
I was surprised back when this service was added, so I can’t say that I’m surprised that it’s now being cut. For one, Delta partner Air France already operates the route, and offers a superior passenger experience, plus connectivity from Paris. So the incremental value of Delta adding service was limited.
Beyond that, though, Delta’s fundamental issue is that it lacks a West Coast fortress hub. For example, United has been operating service to Tahiti out of San Francisco on a year-round basis, and the ability to make that work comes down to how much connectivity the airline has there. Delta (and United, for that matter) does’t have that same level of service in Los Angeles.
Bottom line
In late 2022, Delta launched a 3x weekly, seasonal flight between Los Angeles and Tahiti. Unfortunately after a few seasons, this route will be canceled. As of October 2025, Delta will no longer fly to French Polynesia. On the plus side, Air France is a Delta partner, and continues to offer service in the market, so it’s not a huge loss. But that also makes you wonder why Delta added this service in the first place.
What do you make of Delta cutting its Tahiti flights?
We wanted to fly BNA to PPT with Delta. The connections were terrible with 16+ hour layovers on the west coast (I think it was LAX?). We ended up flying United, BNA to SFO to PPT. Reasonable layover time. Delta can't make it work it they don't want it to.
DL tried several times including from the launch of the flight to use a plane other than the 763 but capacity is limited.
As much as people want to talk about the business class product on the 763, its real limitation is that it, like the 777-200/ER is a high CASM aircraft which is not ideal for leisure routes.
and AF is and will continue to fly LAX-PPT.
and DL is certain...
DL tried several times including from the launch of the flight to use a plane other than the 763 but capacity is limited.
As much as people want to talk about the business class product on the 763, its real limitation is that it, like the 777-200/ER is a high CASM aircraft which is not ideal for leisure routes.
and AF is and will continue to fly LAX-PPT.
and DL is certain to add more LAX-Asia flying when the 35Ks arrive, surpassing the number of international destinations that UA serves from LAX.
and DL at SEA is the 2nd largest US carrier gateway to SEA based on destinations served.
As for the "Delta doesn't have a fortress hub on the west coast" - that is precisely why UA will fail at its domestic expansion. It has no interior US hubs other than IAH which can be remotely close to being fortress hubs
That must be why United's margins have been closing the gap with Delta... their failure in DEN and ORD domestic build up ...
(insert heavy sarcasm and heavy eye rolls)
Dude, just take a day off from defending Delta. Your brain needs it.
You've been saying Delta is going to go nuts on LAX-Asia for years now once the A35k arrives but they can't even make it on lower gauge aircraft. A35k are more...
That must be why United's margins have been closing the gap with Delta... their failure in DEN and ORD domestic build up ...
(insert heavy sarcasm and heavy eye rolls)
Dude, just take a day off from defending Delta. Your brain needs it.
You've been saying Delta is going to go nuts on LAX-Asia for years now once the A35k arrives but they can't even make it on lower gauge aircraft. A35k are more efficient on a CASM basis, but Delta still has to fill the "available seat" portion of the CASM equation to spread the cost. They have yet to show they can fill any meaningful Y capacity out of LAX and Delta certainly will NOT have the best J product out of LAX to Asia even with the A35K.
As evidenced with current and dropped Delta longhaul LAX routes, to date, anywhere without a JV partner on the other end, Delta will be competing on price in all cabins, not premium product. And delta seems too scared to fly to most of their JV partner hubs out of LAX as it is.
Is it twice now they've dropped the biggest market out of LAX, LHR?
for someone that needs to argue incessantly against DL, your logic, once again, fails.
first, don't forget that UA actually dropped a couple of LAX routes. Wanna remind us of which ones?
second, DL has a JV partner that flies LAX and PPT - DL still has a presence in the market.
third, HND is not a JV partner route on the other end and yet DL does quite well on that route.
fourth,...
for someone that needs to argue incessantly against DL, your logic, once again, fails.
first, don't forget that UA actually dropped a couple of LAX routes. Wanna remind us of which ones?
second, DL has a JV partner that flies LAX and PPT - DL still has a presence in the market.
third, HND is not a JV partner route on the other end and yet DL does quite well on that route.
fourth, DL's 35Ks will seat less than UA's 77Ws and it will be far more fuel efficient. Yes, DL will expand across the Pacific not just from LAX but from other gateways.
fifth, you also realize that UA dropped one of its 2 LAX-LHR flights after DL dropped its own flight. UA is all about market share and trying to bully competitors out of the market which is why UA underperforms DL in profits across both the Atlantic and Pacific and Latin America.
sixth, let us know how well UA's profits are when it decides to pay its employees post covid wage rates. Add at least a half billion per year off of annual rates and then another half billion in profit sharing and maybe UA employees would care about their jobs. Suppose it is because they are so underpaid that UA's cancellation rate and baggage handling is at the bottom of the industry - worse than AA's - which nobody seems to think is a premium airline.
yeah, max, let's argue all day based on your cherrypicked reality.
Delta just can't compete in a big, non-fortress hub airport that is serviced by literally every airline, including foreign-flagged airlines. The 767s are awful. The service is mediocre as is the food. Delta's product just isn't appealing against Air Tahiti Nui or Air France. And you could even fly Hawaiian through Honolulu to Tahiti.
And let's be honest: Tahiti is such a niche market.
I wouldn't say Air Tahiti Nui is better in all aspects, but they're certainly cheaper and have a vastly lower cost structure, along with the stronger point of sale on both ends of PPT and CDG.
But there's the novelty or romanticism of flying the country's flag-carrier to that country. Hence why Hawaiian exists and does the business it does. Or Icelandic.
That effect is probably offset by Delta's large membership in their loyalty having a more useful FF program in the US compared to that of TN. I don't think LAX or US travelers are going to be swarming en masse to fly TN exclusively because they're the flag carrier of French Polynesia. Delta's familiarity in America would still win out on the point of sale for most US originating itineraries.
The reality is TN has...
That effect is probably offset by Delta's large membership in their loyalty having a more useful FF program in the US compared to that of TN. I don't think LAX or US travelers are going to be swarming en masse to fly TN exclusively because they're the flag carrier of French Polynesia. Delta's familiarity in America would still win out on the point of sale for most US originating itineraries.
The reality is TN has lower cost structures and fares, stronger POS and connectivity in PPT/CDG, which allows them to easily win on this market.
Such a shame that the A350-1000 hasn't been delivered yet. Would have saved this route.
The suite doors alone would have driven a 10 point load factor increase! Suites…with *doors*!
Also worth noting that, bizzarely, DK's 3x weekly flights were on the same days as AF. Would presumably make a lot more sense to do alternate days.
I will add despite Delta also failing at this. UA's own PPT route is their worst performing APAC flight by loads.
I think there is simply an oversaturation of service for what is a very leisure focused destination for the US point of sale. On the French side, there's more direct need for it for a variety of purposes, which is why TN, AF, and Bee can make it work better.
I suspect PPT will get downgauged or reduced by UA eventually.
Not a surprise. Delta defenders were thinking it being extended by a few months was some sort of indicator it wouldn't go away, when the reality was that their yields were trash and the 767 product just wasn't it. The reality was that they just needed somewhere to use their frame. The irony is their Delta One lounge has a signature PPT cocktail in LAX.
LAX continues to be a rotating dartboard for Delta longhaul,...
Not a surprise. Delta defenders were thinking it being extended by a few months was some sort of indicator it wouldn't go away, when the reality was that their yields were trash and the 767 product just wasn't it. The reality was that they just needed somewhere to use their frame. The irony is their Delta One lounge has a signature PPT cocktail in LAX.
LAX continues to be a rotating dartboard for Delta longhaul, where they cannot even operate a single daily flight to Europe year-round. Maybe NAN next for a season?
I predict BNE is next to go once the subsidies disappear. Everyone on that flight just connects to SYD or MEL anyways. Slash BNE and make MEL daily.
Other than a business traveler stuck on a corporate contract, who with their own money would pay for business-class to Europe from Los Angeles on Delta? I would much rather fly Air France or Virgin Atlantic.
Surprising this vanity route lasted as long as it did. Premium leisure is slowing very quickly as the US economy heads into a recession or likely worse. The decision by Delta to cut LAX-PPT is further evidence that its LAX hub and specifically its long haul intercontinental network there doesn't work.
Yeah everyone is always up in arms about SEA, but the reality is that SEA longhaul is one of their top performers, even getting double dailies for AMS in summer.
Meanwhile, LAX-LHR had 40% LFs and Delta can't even run CDG year-round. Keep in mind, even UA can operate LAX-LHR despite not having a partner at LHR like VS does.
Even with their stronger domestic feed, Delta just doesn't have an appeal for longhaul in...
Yeah everyone is always up in arms about SEA, but the reality is that SEA longhaul is one of their top performers, even getting double dailies for AMS in summer.
Meanwhile, LAX-LHR had 40% LFs and Delta can't even run CDG year-round. Keep in mind, even UA can operate LAX-LHR despite not having a partner at LHR like VS does.
Even with their stronger domestic feed, Delta just doesn't have an appeal for longhaul in the highly competitive landscape of LAX, where so many superior foreign carriers compete.
UA has the entire star alliance connectivity at LHR.