DL starts JFK to Mumbai (Bombay) nonstop

[General Lee]

Press ReleaseSource: Delta Air Lines, Inc.

Delta Makes History With First-Ever Nonstop Service Between New York-JFK and Mumbai, India
Wednesday November 1, 1:00 pm ET
Nonstop flights save customers four hours roundtrip when compared to other connections available via Europe
NEW YORK, Nov. 1, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Delta Air Lines -- the world's fastest growing international airline -- tonight will make history when it inaugurates the first and only nonstop service between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Mumbai, India. The new route is the latest milestone in the ongoing restructuring of Delta's route network to connect more global centers of commerce to the United States nonstop, replacing routes that previously required flight connections in Europe.

"We understand that our customers' most valuable commodity is their time, and we are giving back thousands of hours each year to customers flying between the United States and India who previously had to make international connections to reach Mumbai,'' said Bob Cortelyou, Delta's vice president - Network Planning.

The new flights will significantly improve customer travel times between Mumbai and the United States, reducing the flight duration by at least two hours in each direction when compared to other airlines' one-stop service. Between Mumbai and New York, Delta will operate service using Boeing 777-200ER aircraft seating up to 268 passengers with 50 seats in BusinessElite, Delta's award-winning business class service. By summer, all customers choosing to fly BusinessElite between Mumbai and New York will enjoy Delta's recently enhanced service, including more comfortable seats with all-leather coverings, improved leg rests, more comfortable cushioning throughout the seat, and the same 60 inches of legroom that has made BusinessElite a customer favorite.



The leg from BOM to JFK is blocked as 16:20.


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[BLUE BAYOU]

16 hours and 20 minutes of that curry smell, thank goodness there is a door on the flight deck, heheh...

 

[sonny320]

I bet all the employees that work in reservations are really pleased now!!! Non-stop from there home in India to JFK!!
That's if they receive travel benefits.

 

[instructordude]

This one will go way senior.

 

[goahead]

I love Curry will you hire me DAL?
Glad to see them expanding.

 

[General Lee]

It is a 7 day trip from ATL with a 24hour layover first in Manhattan at a nice new hotel, and then a 6 star hotel in Mumbai (compared to any others, actually it is very nice), and then an early morning return to JFK with the option of a hotel or a DH to ATL. I believe it is worth 39 hours (early return on the 7th and some credit time for 1st and last day DHs). Not bad.

Future 777 trips will be great too. ATL to NRT is a 3 day worth 28 hours. (4 pilots fly these--2 Captains and 2 FOs) ATL--ICN (Seoul) will be even longer. ATL to Dubai will also have a leg over 16 hours on the return to ATL. The shortest trip (besides ATL-JFK and back tagged onto the BOM trip) by next Summer will be ATL--Tel Aviv. There will be no European flights by next Summer on the 777. That plane is very senior because you would only have to fly 2 or 3 trips a month.

Your choices would be--ATL--Tokyo, Seoul, Tel Aviv, Mumbai (via JFK), or Dubai.


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[RP 04]

Is it true that you don't have bunks on your 777's?

 

[overseas boy]

Have you been to the hotel in Mumbai?

 

[michael707767]

Is it true that you don't have bunks on your 777's?

not true. The 777s have the overhead crew rest facility.

 

[General Lee]

Is it true that you don't have bunks on your 777's?

They are quite nice. Two lie flat bunks, along with some first class chairs.

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[General Lee]

Have you been to the hotel in Mumbai?

Not yet, but I have talked to numerous people who have. They said the hotel is great, but the surroundings outside the walls are "interesting." They do know where all the good restaurants etc are, though.

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[instructordude]

Not yet, but I have talked to numerous people who have. They said the hotel is great, but the surroundings outside the walls are "interesting." They do know where all the good restaurants etc are, though.

Bye Bye--General Lee

Sounds like a great revenue opportunity for Delta. Just be careful over there.

Are you senior enough to hold the 777?

 

[iaflyer]

Delta has been going to Mumbai (BOM) for years, so the hotel is probably the same as the 767 crews were using. It might of been the Taj (can't remember exactly), but it the crews I talked to had no complaints about the hotel.

 

[dojetdriver]

not true. The 777s have the overhead crew rest facility.

I heard they ripped out the enterainment console up there save weight, is that true? If so, that would xuck being up there if you can't sleep with no windows and nothing to watch. Unless you bring your own crap.

 

[GogglesPisano]

Oddly, the best hotels are in the third world (not that India is third world anymore.) The nicest one I've ever stayed in was in Addis Ababa.

 

[General Lee]

Sounds like a great revenue opportunity for Delta. Just be careful over there.

Are you senior enough to hold the 777?

We have been flying to BOM for a long time (through FRA originally, and then CDG). We have had a flight attendant base there too, although I hear that is gone now. I am close to holding it, but I am currently on a little smaller equipment. I have some options when it comes to equipment, and I am choosing some INTL flying first, before the left seat.


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[General Lee]

I heard they ripped out the enterainment console up there save weight, is that true? If so, that would xuck being up there if you can't sleep with no windows and nothing to watch. Unless you bring your own crap.

The two first class seats have PTVs with plenty of movies (they are below the 2 lie flat bunks). But, there are NO windows up above there.

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[wsupilot]

Do the INTL trips originating in LA ever fly to Europe?

 

[General Lee]

Do the INTL trips originating in LA ever fly to Europe?

Not yet, but maybe this Summer. A tag on to Europe.

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[Bavarian Chef]

It ain't the curry that's gonna be smellin' ...

 

[michael707767]

The two first class seats have PTVs with plenty of movies (they are below the 2 lie flat bunks). But, there are NO windows up above there.

Gen, they did take the PTVs out of the crew rest area. As part of a change in entertainment systems for the entire airplane, the PTVs were taken out of the overhead crew rest area. Had nothing to do with weight, but with money. With the new system, would have cost more to get the wiring for them up there. You can read about it in the Sept 777 CLCP letter.

 

[bigboeings]

I thought that they were going to stop in Accra, Ghana on the way to Mumbai.

 

[iaflyer]

I thought that they were going to stop in Accra, Ghana on the way to Mumbai.

You've got it confused - Delta is serving Mumbai direct from JFK with the B777. They are also serving Accra from JFK with a 767.

They are ALSO (whew, lots of new cities huh?) serving ATL-Johannesburg (with a stop in Dakar each way) with the B777. The General will know if there is a crew swap in Dakar.