Delta Expands Saudia Codeshare Connectivity On Flights To LAX And Washington Dulles Airport
Delta Air Lines has strengthened its partnership with Saudia by adding more routes to the growing network of codeshare services. From this week, Delta Air Lines will codeshare on three routes between the US and Saudi Arabia operated by its fellow SkyTeam member Saudia.
Photo: Abdul N Quraishi – Abs | Shutterstock
The codeshare agreement applies to the following services:
- Los Angeles (LAX) – Jeddah (JED)
- Washington Dulles (IAD) – Jeddah (JED)
- Washington Dulles (IAD) – Riyadh (RUH).
It will also open up connection opportunities for passengers on both ends of the routes, with the codeshare agreement allowing baggage to be checked through to the final destination and frequent flier points to be earned on the services. The above three routes are operated by the Saudi Arabian flag carrier with the following frequencies and aircraft:
|
Route |
Aircraft |
Frequency |
|---|---|---|
|
LAX-JED |
Boeing 777-300ER |
3 x weekly |
|
IAD-JED |
Boeing 777-300ER |
4 x weekly |
|
IAD-RUH |
Boeing 777-300ER |
3 x weekly |
While Delta Air Lines’ extensive operation at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) opens up lots of one-stop connections for passengers, particularly throughout the West Coast and Hawaii, the carrier’s somewhat limited presence at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) means that passengers are able to connect to and from only a handful of destinations, including:
- Atlanta (ATL)
- Salt Lake City (SLC)
- Seattle (SEA)
- Detroit (DTW).
Increased cooperation between Delta and Saudia
This announcement comes on the back of growing cooperation between Delta Air Lines and Saudia. Earlier this month, the two carriers began codesharing on Saudia’s services between Paris (CDG) and both Riyadh (RUH) and Jeddah (JED).
Photo: StudioPortoSabbia | Shutterstock
As a result, since November 13th, 2024, passengers looking to travel between the US and Saudi Arabia have had the option of traveling on one of nine Delta Air Lines routes between the US and Paris, easily connecting onto a Saudia service to Riyadh or Jeddah.
Find out more:
Delta And Saudia Commence Codeshare Flights Connecting Paris And Saudi Arabia
The US carrier will codeshare on Saudia’s flights to both Jeddah and Riyadh.
Is Atlanta the next US destination on Saudia’s radar?
Saudia is rumored to be considering starting a route to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). In light of Saudia’s increased partnership with Delta Air Lines, such a route would be a logical addition to its route network, given that it is the US carrier’s largest hub. The airport was the world’s busiest last year, with more than 104 million passengers, more than 72% of which flew with Delta Air Lines.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
If Saudia were to begin flying to Atlanta, it would face competition from several one-stop options, including Turkish Airlines, British Airways, Emirates, Qatar Airways, and the newly announced Etihad Airways service between Atlanta and Abu Dhabi (AUH).
Find out more:
Atlanta Flights? Saudia Is Reportedly Eyeing A New Route After Starting Delta Air Lines Codeshare
After signing its new codeshare agreement with Delta, Saudia is reportedly considering flights to Atlanta, the US airline’s hub.
Those traveling on Saudia’s flights between the US and Saudi Arabia will enjoy an industry-leading onboard service, as the airline was recently recognized as having the best cabin crew at the Business Traveller North America Awards. Saudia took to X to celebrate its achievement:
