Delta Air Lines announced today that they are launching a west coast shuttle with hourly service between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The airline will use Embraer E-175 jets operated by Delta Connection partner Compass Airlines. Delta will offer First Class, Economy Comfort, and Economy services on the route. According to Delta, customers will enjoy the following features on the route:

  • Check in as close to 30 minutes prior to departure
  • Dedicated check-in counters
  • Gates located near security
  • Complimentary newspapers
  • Assigned seating
  • Complimentary beverages including beers from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Starbucks Coffee, and wines from Wente Vineyards
  • Complimentary on board snacks provided by LYFE Kitchen, a California based lifestyle food brand
  • Flights will operate every hour on the hour beginning at 7am, Monday through Friday, and you can view the complete schedule here.

MJ’s Take

Well, I don’t live on the west coast but it’s a nice option that ties in with Delta’s efforts to build up LAX. The 30 minute check-in, and PreCheck (for those who are eligible) on both ends will make this useful for business travelers. Interestingly, I don’t think Delta has assigned seating for its east coast shuttle service, so that’s a unique wrinkle. I no longer live in DC, but I found the lack of assigned seating on the DCA-LGA shuttle to be mildly annoying. I like that change a lot. Hopefully, assigned seating means you can reserve a seat at booking and not at check in, like the US Airways east coast shuttles. All in all, a net positive for Delta flyers, and a bit of competition for United in the market.

-MJ, August 1, 2013 (from onboard a Delta jet via GoGo inflight wi-fi đŸ™‚ )