Air Wars
Who needs United? Delta launches new nonstop flights to New York and IAH's biggun price matches
As Houstonians continue to see air travel offerings reduced with former favorite Continental merged and the new United Airlines showing the city little love, other carriers are picking up the slack.
Delta Air Lines will launch daily nonstop service between George Bush Intercontinental (IAH) and New York's LaGuardia Airport (LGA), beginning Wednesday.
As the Houston Airport System revealed back in January, this route has been added thanks to recent Delta expansion at LaGuardia. The Houston Business Journal reports that the Atlanta-based airline has increased its service there by 60 percent, with more than $160 million invested in upgrades to LaGuardia's facilities.
Delta's IAH to LGA service will take place four times daily.
Delta already operates a daily flight between William P. Hobby (HOU) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York.
The IAH to LGA service will take place four times daily — with flights departing from Houston at 7 a.m., 10:25 a.m., 2:45 p.m. and 6:55 p.m. — and will be operated by Shuttle America and Compass Airlines, two Delta Connection Carriers.
In the wake of Delta's move, United Airlines quickly matched its competitor's price — both are now $346 for a round-trip ticket to LaGuardia departing in early September for example.
"New York City is obviously a key market for us, from the standpoint of both the leisure traveler as well as the business traveler," Genaro Peña, Houston Airport System's director of air service development, said in a statement.
This expanded Delta route also connects Houston travelers with other destinations, including Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Salt Lake City.
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