Adding more seats
Ahead of the 2025 Masters Tournament from April 7 to 13, Delta Air Lines is gearing up with an increase in flights to Augusta Regional Airport (AGS) in Georgia to cater to a surge of passengers traveling there for the tournament.
The carrier will provide up to 1,900 daily seats, its largest-ever schedule to the airport, and a 15% increase in capacity over last year’s Masters. Joe Esposito, Delta’s Senior Vice President – Network Planning, commented,
“As Delta celebrates its Centennial year, we’re proud to welcome Masters patrons to our home state of Georgia for the iconic Masters Tournament. With new service from Minneapolis and White Plains, and increased frequency from LaGuardia, we’re making it easier than ever to connect to this world-renowned event.”
Atlanta, which is Delta’s primary hub, is located just 150 miles away from the tournament’s home. According to Delta, with this increased schedule, customers will have the option of greater connectivity, with more than 215 convenient one-stop connections to Augusta through its hubs in Atlanta, Detroit, New York, Boston, and now Minneapolis-St. Paul.
The Masters Tournament attracts many fans each year in April. Delta is an official Tournament Partner of the Masters and ensures that there are enough seats to transport golf enthusiasts to the destination. Last year, the carrier offered a schedule for the event that saw more than 1,300 daily seats to Augusta Regional Airport .
The tournament
The Masters Tournament is held at Augusta National Golf Club, which was founded by Bobby Jones, the famous amateur champion, and Clifford Roberts, a New York investment banker.
But when Jones finally agreed to the name change, the event began to be called the Masters Tournament and was held with that name for the first time in 1940. The first tournament in 1934 was held in March, but since 1940, it has been scheduled each year during the first full week in April.
In 2011, Augusta National Golf Club and Masters Tournament Chairman Billy Payne also announced the formation of the Masters Tournament Foundation. Through annual investments, the foundation helps develop golf programs around the world.
Flight schedule
Some of these flights will be on Delta’s mainline aircraft, while some will be operated on its regional subsidiary airline Delta Connection, and a couple of routes will see a mix of both mainline and regional planes, as per the following schedule based on Cirium, an aviation analytics company:
Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP)
New 1x daily trip from April 6 to 14 on the mainline Airbus A319 airplane. This route will see a total of 18 return flights during this time period, offering 2,376 seats.
White Plains Westchester County Airport (HPN)
New 1x daily trip on April 9, 11, and 14 on a Delta Connection Bombardier CRJ-900 airplane. These six return flights will offer 456 seats.
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
Unsurprisingly, Delta is offering the highest number of flights from its primary hub in Atlanta, with eight daily trips from April 6 to 14. These will be on a mixed regional and mainline fleet, on aircraft such as the Airbus A320 family, Boeing 737 family as well as smaller Bombardier planes. There will be a total of 468 return flights during these days offering 37,300 seats.
LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
The carrier will offer 2x daily trips from April 6 to 14 on a Delta Connection aircraft and will upgrade to a mainline plane on April 14 for a total of 35 flights, offering 2,775 seats.
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)
Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
One daily trip from April 6 to 14 on an Embraer E175 for a total of 18 return flights, offering 1,368 seats.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
One daily trip on April 9, 11, and 14 on a Delta Connection flight.
Austin–Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)
One daily trip on April 9, 11, and 14 on Delta Connection flights, offering 444 seats.
New York JFK
One daily trip on April 9, 11, and 14 on a Delta Connection flight offering 456 seats.
Delta Air Lines has partnered with various sporting events and teams as a sponsor over the years. In September 2024, the airline announced that it partnered with Birmingham City Football Club to expand its portfolio into the United Kingdom.
The airline said that it would serve as the Official Airline Partner of the Birmingham City Football Club for the 2024-2025 season, and fans have been able to see the Delta brand on the players’ uniform, within the arena, and across the team’s digital properties.
“Delta Air Lines shares the league’s commitment to excellence and innovation and is a dedicated partner in the work to uplift and empower women's sports. As an airline partner of the WNBA, this partnership not only elevates the travel experience for the players, but also underscores Delta and the WNBA's shared dedication to enhancing the growth and visibility of women’s sports. With Delta’s support, we are eager to bring the WNBA to new heights and connect with fans in meaningful ways.”
In March 2024, Delta also became the Official Airline of the Acea Run Rome The Marathon 2024. In the run-up to the March 17 event, the carrier set up a dedicated “Walk in Stand” at the Expo Village in the Palazzo dei Congressi from March 15 to 16, where it showcased its Delta One cabin and onboard amenities, as well as its partnership with Spotify.
In 2023, Delta also partnered with PGA TOUR golfer Patrick Cantlay to feature its logo on his apparel during competition. Delta CMO Tim Mapes said the sponsorship created “another dynamic relationship with a world-class player who shares Delta’s commitment to being the best in their game.”
Of course, the carrier was also the official airline of Team USA on the road to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris in 2024, the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina in 2026, and the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028.
Delta Air Lines has a special Airbus A350-900 aircraft painted in the upcoming 2028 Los Angeles Olympics livery. Simple Flying has been following the aircraft for quite some time now and reported in March last year when it was spotted.
In December, the carrier sent its LA28 liveried Airbus A350 on its inaugural flight to Brisbane Airport from Los Angeles. This was symbolic because these are the next two cities to host the Summer Olympic Games.
The new seasonal service complements Delta’s existing Los Angeles to Sydney route in Australia. Brisbane will be the host city for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Simple Flying covered this in the article below.
