Delta Air Lines to Offer Special Flight Along the Solar Eclipse Path
While the hotel brand Days Inn by Wyndham is offering a pair of photographers “2024’s hottest gig” and $10,000 by flying them up in a private helicopter to capture the total solar eclipse in April, American company Delta Air Lines is selling a special flight to view the eclipse for other umbraphiles, a fancy word for someone who chases eclipses.
“If you’ve ever wanted to experience a total solar eclipse from the sky, Delta has you covered this April,” the company explains in a press release. “The airline is offering a special flight from Austin to Detroit on April 8, 2024, specifically for umbraphiles to be able to spend as much time as possible directly within the path of totality.”
Delta Flight 1218 will be operated on an Airbus A220-300, which has extra-large windows, and the flight will depart from Austin, Texas, at 12:15 PM CT and land in Detroit, Michigan, at 4:20 PM ET. The flight plan promises to provide fliers the best chance to see the solar eclipse at its peak.
It will be the last total solar eclipse visible in North America for two decades, and the path of totality will cross a large swath of the United States, ranging from Texas to Maine.
“This flight is the result of significant collaboration and exemplifies the close teamwork Delta is known for — from selecting an aircraft with larger windows to determining the exact departure time from Austin and the experiences at the gate and in the air,” says Eric Beck, Managing Director of Domestic Network Planning. “Thanks to teams across the company, the idea of viewing a total eclipse from the air will become a reality for our customers.”
Of course, space is limited. Delta says that for those who aren’t on the particular flight, there are still Delta flights that will offer a nice view of the eclipse, weather permitting. DL 5699, DL 924, DL 2869, DL 1001, and DL 1683 will all be along the path at different points. The complete flight details are on Delta’s website.
“The April 8 eclipse is the last total eclipse we’ll see over North America until 2044,” adds Warren Weston, Delta Air Lines Lead Meteorologist. “This eclipse will last more than twice as long as the one that occurred in 2017, and the path is nearly twice as wide.”
As NPR reports, other airlines are getting in on the eclipse, too. Southwest Airlines has detailed some good flights for eclipse enthusiasts, and more airlines will likely follow suit.
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.
