en.Wedoany.com Reported - Delta Air Lines is offering a limited-time SkyMiles promotion for its upcoming Atlanta–Riyadh nonstop route. The route, set to launch on October 23 with the Airbus A350-900 fleet, marks Delta's first-ever service to Saudi Arabia, with round-trip economy award fares starting at 30,000 SkyMiles.
Award seats are available for bookings with travel between October 23 and April 15, 2027, and can also be booked from ten additional U.S. airports connecting through Atlanta. These airports include Chicago O'Hare (ORD), Chicago Midway (MDW), Dallas Fort Worth (DFW), Detroit (DTW), Houston Hobby (HOU), Miami (MIA), New York JFK (JFK), Orlando (MCO), Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), and Washington (IAD).
The promotion offers two economy fare options: Basic Economy round-trip award fares starting at 30,000 SkyMiles, and Main Cabin starting at approximately 47,500 SkyMiles, with taxes and fees of about $77 for both. Travelers holding an eligible Delta SkyMiles American Express card can stack the airline's TakeOff 15 benefit for an additional 15% discount, bringing the cheapest round-trip award fare to approximately 25,500 SkyMiles. Delta Air Lines President Peter Carter stated that the new Riyadh nonstop service is a significant step in connecting customers with one of the world's most important and fastest-growing regions.
Weeks ago, Carter admitted to Simple Flying that initial demand for the route was "lower" than expected, a situation he anticipates will be temporary. For example, as of late July, a flight departing Atlanta on November 4 had only sold five seats, whereas long-haul international flights typically reach at least 50% occupancy by this stage. Despite this, Delta is moving forward with the route.
The launch of this route is tied to Delta's strategic partnership with Riyadh Air, for which Delta serves as the exclusive partner in North America. Riyadh Air launched its inaugural flight to London Heathrow on June 10, and has since added Jeddah, Dubai, Cairo, Madrid, Manchester, Malaga, and Kuala Lumpur to its network. The airline's CEO, Tony Douglas, stated plans to serve 22 destinations by March 2027 and over 100 by 2030, giving Delta an additional partner in the Middle East market alongside SkyTeam member Saudia.
Amid U.S.–Iran conflict, several international airlines have suspended or canceled flights to Riyadh in recent months. Cathay Pacific has suspended its Riyadh service until the end of October, and British Airways will reduce flights to Riyadh from two daily to one daily starting August 8.
Following the October 23 launch, Delta will operate daily flights on the Atlanta–Riyadh route, a frequency that lasts only one week before dropping to three weekly flights starting at the end of October, with departures on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Flight DL318 departs Atlanta at 10:30 p.m. and arrives in Riyadh at 7:35 p.m.; DL317 departs Riyadh at 11:30 p.m. and arrives in Atlanta at 7:05 a.m. the next day. The route spans 6,318 nautical miles (11,701 kilometers), with a scheduled return flight time of over 15 hours, making it one of the longest routes in Delta's network.
Delta is deploying its high-capacity Airbus A350-900 on this route, which can carry up to 275 passengers, featuring 40 Delta One suites in a 1-2-1 layout, 40 Delta Premium Select seats in a 2-4-2 layout, and 195 economy seats, including 36 Delta Comfort+ seats with extra legroom and 159 standard Main Cabin seats.
