Delta Air Lines will begin offering nonstop flights from Los Angeles to Auckland, New Zealand. This makes Delta the only U.S. carrier flying between the cities and marks the launch of its only service to New Zealand.

Delta Expands Long-Haul in Los Angeles, Flies To New Zealand For First Time

Delta has announced that it will launch a new daily service between Los Angeles (LAX) and Auckland, New Zealand (AKL) on October 28, 2023. The flights will be operated by an Airbus A350-900 Delta acquired from LATAM instead of its flagship aircraft with business class suites. The planes features three cabin classes: business, economy+ (extra legroom economy), and economy.

• 30 business class seats in a 2-2-2 configuration (no doors/not suites)
• 309 economy class seats
  • 63 economy+ (extra legroom economy)
  • 246 standard economy seats

The service will make Delta the only U.S. airline to fly between LAX and AKL. The flights will be available for booking starting January 21, 2023.

• DL65 will depart from LAX at 10:30 PM, arriving in AKL at 7:35 AM two days later.
• DL64 will depart from AKL at 2:00 PM, arriving in LAX at 6:05 AM the same day.

It will compete against Star Alliance-member Air New Zealand on the route. American Airlines confirmed that its route between Los Angeles to Auckland will be replaced with a service from Dallas (DFW) service last year as it reduces its international presence in Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, Delta is growing in Los Angeles. Auckland joins other new long-haul destinations that Delta has recently added from LAX, including flights to Tahiti (PPT), Paris (CDG), and London (LHR). It will also complement the airline’s current service from LAX to Sydney (SYD), which operates 10 flights per week in the winter, and daily service to Tokyo (HND).

Bottom line

Delta Air Lines will begin offering nonstop flights from Los Angeles to Auckland, New Zealand starting October 28, 2023, making it the only US carrier flying between the cities and marking its launch of service to New Zealand. The flights will be operated by an ex-LATAM Airbus A350-900 and will feature three cabin classes: business, economy+, and economy.