Delta will reduce its weekly flying schedule to Japan through April 30 and suspend its summer seasonal service between Seattle and Osaka this year in response to reduced demand because of the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak, the airline said.
Starting March 7 for US departures to Japan, and March 8 for Japan departures, the airline will operate the following schedule:
| Route | Peak frequency | Frequency during March 7 to April 30 |
| Tokyo-Detroit | Daily | Daily |
| Tokyo-Los Angeles | Daily | Daily |
| Tokyo-Honolulu | Daily | Daily |
| Tokyo-Seattle | Daily | Daily |
| Tokyo-Portland | Daily | Three weekly flights |
| Tokyo-Atlanta | Daily | Five weekly flights |
| Tokyo-Minneapolis | Daily | Five weekly flights |
| Nagoya-Detroit | Daily | Three weekly flights |
| Nagoya-Honolulu | Daily | Three weekly flights |
| Osaka-Seattle | Daily | Suspended |
| Osaka-Honolulu | Daily | Three weekly flights |
| Tokyo-Manila* | Daily | Daily |
* Delta’s Tokyo Narita-Manila service will end on March 27 because of its planned relocation to Haneda Airport.
Currently, Delta operates seven daily flights between the two airports in Tokyo (Haneda and Narita) and Atlanta, Detroit, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Portland (Oregon) and Seattle. Flights from Los Angeles and Minneapolis/St. Paul arrive at Haneda Airport, while the remaining flights land at Narita Airport.
The US carrier plans to shift all Tokyo flights from Narita Airport to Haneda Airport from March 28 this year, and it said this will still happen as planned. It has also started construction of its new Delta Sky Club at Haneda Airport, which is set to open in early July this year.
The airline has also postponed the launch of its new Seoul Incheon-Manila route from March 29 to May 1 this year.
Delta added that its seasonal summer service between Seattle and Osaka will be suspended for the summer of 2020, with a planned return in summer 2021. The airline first launched this seasonal service in April 2019.
The airline said full schedules will be available on its website from March 7, and it will continue to monitor the situation and may make additional adjustments as the situation continues to evolve.
Another US carrier United Airlines has also cut flights to Tokyo Narita and Osaka for the months of March and April.
According to Delta, customers with affected travel plans can go to the “My Trips” section of delta.com to help them “understand their options”. Delta said these may include rebooking on alternative Delta flights, rebooking on flights after April 30, rebooking on alternative or partner airlines, refunds or contacting the airline to discuss additional options.
Delta said it continues to offer several change fee waivers for customers who wish to adjust their travel plans in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Waiving change fees for all flights
The airline earlier announced that it will waive change fees for all flights booked between March 1 and March 31 as well as international flights previously booked that are scheduled to fly in March. It added that this travel waiver allows customers to make a one-time change to their itinerary without incurring a fee.
Additionally, Delta is allowing affected customers to make a one-time change to travel plans booked until April 30 without a fee if their plans include the following destinations:
- Shanghai and Beijing, China
- Seoul, South Korea
- All locations in Italy, including Bologna, Milan, Rome, Turin and Venice
Delta has already suspended or reduced services to mainland China, South Korea and Italy because of the coronavirus outbreak.
In other news, British Airways also announced it will waive change fees for flights booked between March 3 and March 16.
