Delta Air Lines opens up 2nd 'totality' flight for 2024 total solar eclipse

Meredith Garofalo
·3 min read
A total solar eclipse seen through an airline window.
A total solar eclipse seen through an airline window.

Update for Feb. 26: This story has been updated to include the new additional "path of totality" flight that Delta has opened up due to popular demand.

If you're looking for a more unique way to experience the total solar eclipse, Delta Air Lines has another special flight along the path of totality available.

This will be a rare way to literally follow the eclipse from within the path of totality, offering a literal birds-eye view of the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. Delta originally opened a flight that flies along the path of totality from Austin, Texas to Detroit, Michigan, but that flight sold out within 24 hours.

But on Monday (Feb. 26), Delta Air Lines announced up a second total eclipse flight, this time taking off from Dallas, Texas. The new flight will be aboard an Airbus A321neo (a larger plane than the original eclipse flight to allow for more passengers) and will leave Dallas at 12:30 p.m. Central Time before arriving in Detroit around 4:20 p.m. ET along with the original flight from Austin.

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"This flight is the result of significant collaboration and exemplifies the close teamwork Delta is known for — from selecting an aircraft with larger windows to determining the exact departure time from Austin and the experiences at the gate and in the air," Eric Beck, Managing Director of Domestic Network Planning for Delta Airlines, said in a release announcing the original flight. "Thanks to teams across the company, the idea of viewing a total eclipse from the air will become a reality for our customers."

While there will be only two flights along the direct path of eclipse totality, other travelers can still get a glimpse at the eclipse while en route to their destination on five other flights that day:

  • DL 5699, DTW-HPN, 2:59 pm EST departure ERJ-175

  • DL 924, LAX-DFW, 8:40 am PST departure A320

  • DL 2869, LAX-SAT, 9:00 am PST departure A319

  • DL 1001, SLC-SAT, 10:08 am MST departure A220-300

  • DL 1683, SLC-AUS, 9:55 am MST departure, A320

Afraid of flying or would rather keep your feet on the ground while being in the path of totality? You don't have to be at 30,000 feet to have a great seat — you just need to make sure you're in the right location at the right time.

an aircraft flies through the sky directly beside the moon as it blocks out the sun in the sky
an aircraft flies through the sky directly beside the moon as it blocks out the sun in the sky

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"The April 8 eclipse is the last total eclipse we'll see over North America until 2044," Warren Weston, Delta Air Lines Lead Meteorologist, said in a statement announcing the flight. "This eclipse will last more than twice as long as the one that occurred in 2017, and the path is nearly twice as wide."

Delta did also put out a disclaimer that as always, factors out of their control including delays with air traffic and weather could impact the maximum time in the totality path. But for those of us who've flown before, you know the drill to plan ahead and stay positive for the best conditions!

More information and booking details can be found at Delta.com.