Delta’s Fort de France foray: new route, new deal

Delta Air Lines, which dubs itself "America’s fastest-growing airline to the Caribbean," plans to start nonstop Atlanta (ATL) to Fort de France, Martinique (FDF) flights on December 16. Launch is contingent upon foreign governmental approval.

Book fast — by October 5 — and an introductory one-way ticket can be yours for as low as $259. That discount airfare is predicated on a round-trip purchase. Neither taxes nor fees are included. They’re extra.

Delta intends to field a 737-800 on the Saturday-only route. It’s scheduled to depart the carrier’s megahub at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL) at 9:45am, and pull up to the gate at Fort de France at 3:15pm. The return flight is scheduled to depart FDF at 4:05pm, and arrive ATL at 7:40pm, in time to connect to a slew of Delta flights bound for other cities.

Fort de France is the latest contribution to Delta’s southbound expansion, an expansion that encompasses more than 50 new routes to Latin America and the Caribbean.

With its March 2007 schedule, DL plans to offer travelers 246 weekly departures to 19 Mexican destinations, and 282 weekly flights to 24 Caribbean airports. This makes for a 70 percent increase in Delta’s weekly departures to Mexico and the Caribbean since the fall of 2004.

© Cheapflights Ltd Jerry Chandler