Delta Bets Big on LAX With Routes to Philly, Monterey

Delta announced its largest-ever Los Angeles schedule, adding Philadelphia and Monterey routes plus more flights on seven routes as the LAX battle with American and United heats up.

Delta unveiled three new routes on Friday alongside frequency increases on seven existing LAX services, according to Simple Flying. Twice-daily Los Angeles–Monterey and daily Salt Lake City–Monterey flights begin December 19, 2026, operated by SkyWest for Delta Connection with Embraer E175s. Daily Los Angeles–Philadelphia service on an Airbus A321neo starts June 7, 2027. From April through July 2027, Delta will add a daily round trip to Boston and San Diego (to five daily), Seattle (to eight), Houston and San Antonio (to three), and Raleigh-Durham and Cincinnati (to two). Simple Flying reports the plan sets up Delta's largest-ever Los Angeles schedule, with more than 200 peak-day departures to nearly 70 destinations in summer 2027. Delta's Amy Martin, vice president of network planning, framed the move as continued investment in California: 'We're continuing to invest in more ways for customers to experience everything California has to offer.'

Philadelphia is the strategically pointed addition. Simple Flying notes American is currently the only airline flying nonstop between LAX and PHL, with six to eight daily departures, and Philadelphia is a major American hub serving more than 120 destinations as its principal transatlantic gateway. Delta's single daily flight won't match American's frequency, but it fills a hole for Los Angeles-based Delta customers. Live and Let's Fly notes the route was 'predicted by JonNYC months ago' and takes Delta directly into an American hub on a route United reportedly could not make work. The Monterey service is a different play: a restored market rather than new territory, as Delta last served Monterey from LAX in 1999 and from Salt Lake City in 2008, according to Simple Flying. AirlineGeeks confirms the carrier last served Monterey in 2008 per Cirium Diio data, and Live and Let's Fly notes United already serves the market.

Multiple outlets describe Delta's LAX push as heavily premium-focused. Live and Let's Fly reports Delta spent $2.3 billion on its Sky Way project connecting Terminals 2 and 3, with dedicated Delta One check-in and private security, and notes LAX is the first airport with two Delta One Lounges. Simple Flying says that by 2028 Delta expects four LAX lounge spaces exceeding 60,000 square feet with room for more than 1,000 customers, and that Delta generated $22.1 billion in premium ticket revenue in 2025, nearly matching its $23.4 billion Main Cabin business. PYOK adds a caveat: an internal memo shared with pilots earlier this year showed customer satisfaction on JFK–LAX running 9.2 points below Delta's mainline domestic score, and 12.7 points below on LAX–JFK, according to PYOK. PYOK also reports Delta still uses aging Boeing 757s on many transcontinental routes while it awaits certification of new A321neo flat-bed suites.

No airline truly dominates LAX. Simple Flying reports that per the airport's January–July 2026 traffic figures, Delta handled 8.35 million passengers, or 19.7% of the airport, ahead of United at 17.7% and American at 16.1% — with just three percentage points separating the three legacy carriers. Delta's strength is domestic: the same data showed United flew 64% more international passengers than Delta, per Simple Flying, and even American narrowly edged Delta internationally. The Points Guy cites Cirium data showing Delta led 2025 LAX departures with 53,600, versus United's 49,000 and American's 48,000. United is not standing still — The Points Guy reports United will add new long-haul LAX service to Osaka in 2027, and quotes United's Andrew Nocella from July: 'It's a very competitive marketplace, and we're in it to win it as well.'

Delta's 200-plus peak-day departures would represent a more than 20% year-over-year increase from the 166 peak-day departures to 61 destinations it operated in 2026, according to Simple Flying, which cites Delta's March claim of expanded lead as LAX's largest carrier. The expansion stacks on recent international growth: new LAX service to Hong Kong, Shanghai and Chicago, with Vancouver and Newark starting in coming months, plus Oceania expansion to Brisbane and Melbourne, Simple Flying reports. AeroXplorer argues the expansion gives travelers more nonstop options, more daily frequencies and more premium availability, benefiting business travelers and SkyMiles members chasing Medallion status through increased MQD-earning opportunities on premium-heavy routes.

The rollout is phased: Monterey service from both Los Angeles and Salt Lake City starts December 19, 2026, followed by Raleigh-Durham in April 2027, Boston in May, San Diego and Philadelphia in June, and Cincinnati, Houston, San Antonio and Seattle in July 2027, per the schedule Live and Let's Fly published. Tickets are bookable now through Delta's website and mobile app, Upgraded Points notes. AeroXplorer observes that whether Delta ultimately claims the top spot at LAX will depend on how American and United respond, and Live and Let's Fly cautions that United remains formidable across the Pacific, that American will likely expand once its gate project completes, and that the battle for LAX 'is far from over.' Upgraded Points adds that Delta has promised another new Salt Lake City route still unannounced.