Delta Launches New Seattle Service to Seoul and Hong Kong

New routes position Seattle as a leading West Coast gateway with service to the top five Asian markets

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Aug 21, 2013, 02:00 ET

SEATTLE, Aug. 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) will add new daily nonstop service from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Seoul-Incheon International Airport and Hong Kong International Airport (both subject to government approval) beginning June 2 and June 16, 2014, respectively. Tickets will be available for purchase Aug. 24, 2013.

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"By offering new service from Seattle to Seoul and Hong Kong, Delta will now offer customers service to the top five destinations in Asia," said Mike Medeiros, Delta's vice president – Seattle. "Our expanding Seattle network, combined with investments in our aircraft, the airport and the community shows our commitment to become Seattle's premier international carrier."

Medeiros was recently tapped to lead Delta's overall Seattle strategy, which encompasses expanding airport operations, alliance partnerships, corporate customers and government and community involvement.

Delta is able to offer new service to Seoul and Hong Kong due to strong support of from its local Seattle and Pacific Northwest customers as well as its strategic partnership with Alaska Airlines. The new service will complement existing service to Shanghai, Beijing and Tokyo. All five destinations are the leading commercial centers in the region, a benefit for corporate customers traveling between the U.S. and Asia.

With these additions, Delta will serve 17 destinations in the Asia-Pacific region primarily via its U.S. gateways of Detroit, Seattle and Los Angeles, and via its hub in Narita. Since 2009, Delta's Pacific capacity has increased over 20 percent, driven in large part by the development of Detroit and Seattle into core Asia gateways.

Like all of Delta's trans-Pacific flights, the new Seoul and Hong Kong services feature full-flat bed seats in BusinessElite – each with direct aisle access – as well as Economy Comfort seating and in-flight entertainment in every seat throughout the aircraft. Delta's BusinessElite service includes a five-course gourmet meal, paired with a wine menu curated by Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson. The in-flight experience is completed with Westin Heavenly In-Flight bedding, which includes exclusively designed pillows and comforters, as well as Tumi amenity kits with products from Malin+Goetz. Every seat throughout the aircraft offers a personal on-demand entertainment system featuring an extensive library of movies, TV shows, music and games.

The Seoul flight will operate using a 210-seat Boeing 767-300ER aircraft with 35 full-flat bed seats in BusinessElite, 32 seats in Economy Comfort and 143 Economy class seats.

Hong Kong service will operate using a 234-seat Airbus 330-200 aircraft with 34 full-flat bed seats in BusinessElite, 32 seats in Economy Comfort and 168 Economy class seats.

Seattle is one of Delta's fastest-growing international gateways and last month the airline announced new nonstop service to London-Heathrow Airport beginning in March 2014. Since May, Delta service in Seattle has expanded from 33 peak-day departures to 13 destinations to its current schedule of 44 peak-day departures to 18 destinations, including six international markets. Delta has also invested $14 million in its facilities at Sea-Tac, including its recently completed lobby renovations, new Delta Sky Club, Sky Priority services, new gate area power recharging stations and expanded ticket counters.

Flight details for Seattle-Seoul service

Flight	Departs	Arrives	Service Begins
199	SEA at noon	ICN at 3:30 p.m. (following day)	June 2, 2014
198	ICN at 5:20 p.m.	SEA at 12:05 p.m. (same day)	June 3, 2014

Flight details for Seattle-Hong Kong service

139	SEA at 1:30 p.m.	HKG at 6:45 p.m. (following day)	June 16, 2014
138	HKG at 10:00 a.m.	SEA at 7:55 a.m. (same day)	June 18, 2014

Delta Air Lines serves more than 160 million customers each year. Delta was named by Fortune magazine as the most admired airline worldwide in its 2013 World's Most Admired Companies airline industry list, topping the list for the second time in three years. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 327 destinations in 63 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs nearly 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft. The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the industry's leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with hubs in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-LaGuardia, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita. Delta is investing more than $3 billion in airport facilities and global products, services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional information is available on delta.com, Twitter @Delta, Google.com/+Delta and Facebook.com/delta.