Delta Launches Nonstop Service Between Detroit Hub, Sao Paulo

New service to Brazil is airline's latest expansion into Latin America; introductory fares available for as low as $399* each way

News provided by

Delta Air Lines

Oct 21, 2010, 10:00 ET

DETROIT, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) today connects its Detroit hub and South America for the first time, with new nonstop service to Sao Paulo, Brazil, the airline's latest expansion into Latin America.

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The inaugural flight is scheduled to depart from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport at 7:30 p.m. today, arriving in Sao Paulo Guarulhos International Airport at 8 a.m. tomorrow.

Service will operate twice weekly through Dec. 15, when it will increase to five days each week to coincide with the start of the Brazilian tourist season.

"Delta's new service between our international hub in Detroit and Sao Paulo, South America's largest business market, will further strengthen business and trade opportunities and boost economic activity in both cities," said Andrea Fischer Newman, Delta's senior vice president – Government Affairs. "This service is testament to our continued support for the Detroit market and the strong growth we have seen here."

The launch marks Delta's most recent international flight from Detroit, which is a growing global gateway for the airline. In recent months Delta has added new service from Detroit to Seoul-Incheon and Hong Kong and expanded flights to Shanghai. Next year, Delta will begin nonstop service** between Detroit and Haneda Airport in Tokyo, which will open for trans-Pacific flights for the first time in three decades.

On a year-round basis, Delta offers Detroit customers service to 158 nonstop destinations, including 28 international destinations and five in Asia.

"Delta's new, non-stop service from Detroit to Sao Paulo is a landmark event for the community in that it represents Detroit's first ever nonstop service to South America and first ever service south of the Equator," said Joe Cambron, director of Air Service Development for Wayne County Airport Authority. "Sao Paulo is the auto capital of South America, so linking it with Detroit will stimulate the economies of both cities while also easing the journey for passengers already traveling this important route."

The flights will be operated with 216-seat Boeing 767-300ER aircraft, with 35 BusinessElite seats and 181 seats in Economy Class.

To celebrate the new service, Delta has been offering special introductory fares, starting at $399 each way from Detroit to Sao Paulo and $499 each way from Sao Paulo to Detroit, for travel from Oct. 28 through Feb. 25, 2011. *Additional taxes, fees, restrictions and baggage charges may apply. Fares shown are based on a required round-trip ticket purchase. See below for details.

Delta has been investing heavily in Latin America in recent years, growing from almost no presence a decade ago to serving more than 60 destinations across Latin America and the Caribbean today. Delta's recent growth in the region includes:

An expanded alliance relationship with Brazilian carrier GOL, which includes codesharing on flights beginning in early 2011, and an agreement to share benefits for Delta's SkyMiles and GOL's SMILES frequent flyer programs.

New nonstop flights between Mexico City and Minneapolis-St. Paul and Memphis beginning in December 2010 and January 2011, respectively.

New nonstop service between Cancun, Mexico and Austin, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; Tampa, Fla.; and San Antonio, each beginning Feb. 19, 2011**.

An announcement that Aerolineas Argentinas, the flag carrier of Argentina, will become the second Latin American member of Delta's SkyTeam global airline alliance, benefiting Delta customers with increased access to and from South America and complementing existing SkyTeam member AeroMexico.

To Brazil, Delta currently offers service between Atlanta and Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Manaus and the capital city of Brasilia; and service between New York-JFK and Sao Paulo.

Delta Air Lines serves more than 160 million customers each year. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 351 destinations in 64 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs more than 75,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft. A founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance, Delta 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 13,000 daily flights, with hubs in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita. The airline's service includes the SkyMiles frequent flier program, the world's largest airline loyalty program; the award-winning BusinessElite service; and 50 Delta Sky Clubs in airports worldwide. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes, check bags and review flight status at delta.com.

*Terms and Conditions: Fare shown available at delta.com. Tickets cost $20 more if purchased from Delta over the phone, $35 more at a Delta ticket counter or ticket office, and these amounts are nonrefundable. Tickets are non-transferable. Seats are limited. Tickets: Fare shown is one-way. Round-trip purchase is required. Tickets must be purchased at least 7 days prior to departure or within 24 hours after reservations are made, whichever is earlier, but no later than October 25, 2010. Travel Period: Travel may begin on or after October 28, 2010 through February 25, 2011 and must be completed by February 28, 2011. Blackout Dates: To Sao Paulo: December 9 – 23, 2010 and January 2 – 14, 2011. From Sao Paulo: December 21, 2010 – January 16, 2011. Fare Validity: Fares are valid in the Economy (Coach) cabin on Delta Air Lines non-stop flights only. Fares shown are valid Sunday through Thursday, while higher fares apply for travel Friday and Saturday. Minimum Stay: 3 days. Maximum Stay: 3 months or February 28, 2011, whichever is earlier. Cancellations/Refunds/Changes: Tickets are nonrefundable except in accordance with Delta's cancellation policy. Fees may apply for downgrades/reissues and itinerary changes. Contact a Delta agent or visit delta.com for details. Taxes/Fees: Federal Excise tax of $3.70, Passenger Facility Charge(s) of up to $4.50, and the September 11th Security Fee of up to $2.50 for each flight segment are not included. For travel to/from Hawaii/Alaska, U.S. International Air Transportation Tax of up to $16.20 is not included. International fares do not include U.S. International Air Transportation Tax of up to $32.20 and U.S. and foreign user, inspection, security or other similarly based charges, fees or taxes of up to $299 depending on itinerary. Taxes and fees must be paid when the ticket is purchased. Baggage Charges: For travel within the United States/PR/U.S. Virgin Islands and to/from Canada, $23 USD/CAD* fee for 1 checked bag and $32 USD/CAD* fee for second checked bag when bags are prepaid during online check-in at delta.com. There is an additional $2 USD/CAD* surcharge for the first bag, $3 USD/CAD* for the second bag, when checking in via ticket counter, kiosk, or curbside. For travel to/from Aruba, Bahamas, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, and Mexico there is a $27 USD/CAD* fee for second bag checked when bags are prepaid during online check-in at delta.com. There is an additional $3 USD/CAD surcharge for the second bag, when checking in via ticket counter, kiosk, or curbside. For travel to/from EUR there is a 50 USD/CAD*/EUR* fee for second bag checked when bags are prepaid during online check-in at delta.com. There is an additional 5 USD/CAD*/EUR* surcharge for the second bag, when checking in via ticket counter, kiosk, or curbside. For all other travel, no fee/surcharge for 2 checked bags. For travel to/ from Europe there is a 200 USD/CAD*/EUR* fee for third checked bag; to/from the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, and South America there is a $100 USD/CAD* fee for the third checked bag. All allowances subject to size/weight limits. Contact a Delta agent for details. SkyMiles Partner Offers: Partner offers subject to the terms and conditions of each individual offer. Partners subject to change. All SkyMiles program rules apply. To review the rules, please visit delta.com/memberguide. Miscellaneous: Fares, taxes, fees, rules, and offers are subject to change without notice. Other restrictions may apply. ©2010 Delta Air Lines, Inc.