Delta Will Add First-Ever Nonstop Route to Taiwan Next Year

Delta flyers with their sights set on Taiwan or Southeast Asia will have a new nonstop option from the United States starting in June.

The Atlanta-based carrier on Thursday announced brand new nonstop service from Seattle (SEA) to Taipei (TPE) starting June 6, 2024, offering a nonstop option for Pacific Northwest flyers – and one-stop connections from dozens more cities. It's Delta's first nonstop between the U.S. and Taiwan, with daily flights across the Pacific ocean.

The brand-new flights to Taipei are expected to go on sale later Thursday.
 

“We are excited to launch our seventh non-stop international market in the Pacific, solidifying our commitment to robust and consistent growth in the region,” Jeff Moomaw, Delta's vice president of Asia-Pacific, said in a statement. “This strategic addition underscores Delta’s dedication to expanding our network and offering customers seamless connectivity.”

Delta will run one its shiny and stylish A330-900neo planes on the route. They're equipped with the best of the best at the front of the plane – Delta One Suites – plus a dedicated Delta Premium Select cabin, Delta Comfort Plus seats with extra legroom, and 168 regular economy seats onboard.
 

While it's the first nonstop route from the U.S. to Taipei for Delta, the airline previously flew to the Taiwanese capital … from Tokyo-Narita (NRT). Delta previously ran flights from Narita to Asian cities like Taipei, Singapore (SIN), and Manila (MNL), giving customers a way to get to many other destinations on Delta jets with one quick connection.

But Taipei service ended in 2017, and the rest were dropped as Delta shifted its Tokyo flights away from Narita to the more centrally located Tokyo-Haneda (HND) airport. That changes next year as Delta flies nonstop to Taipei for the first time.

After doubling and tripling down on flights to Europe in recent years, U.S. airlines are increasingly looking across the Pacific instead. In just the last year alone, Delta has added new service to Tahiti (PPT) and Auckland (AKL) while also adding additional frequencies to Sydney (SYD) and resuming routes to Tokyo and China.

When Delta service starts next June, it'll join United as the only U.S.-based carriers flying to Taiwan – United operates a nonstop flight from its San Francisco (SFO) hub. But there'll be plenty of other competition.
 

United's Star Alliance partner EVA Air flies from Taipei to more than a half-dozen North American cities including Chicago (ORD), Houston (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), New York (JFK), San Francisco (SFO), Seattle (SEA), Toronto (YYZ), and Vancouver (YVR). Delta's own SkyTeam partner, China Airlines, also flies from Taipei to several of those U.S. cities – plus Honolulu (HNL) and tiny Ontario (ONT) in California. And newcomer Starlux Airlines began flying to Los Angeles earlier this year, with plans to add San Francisco and Seattle to its map, too.

With the shadow of mainland China looming, Taiwan hasn't gained the same popularity as other nearby countries – though foodies will tell you that should change. But connecting through Taipei is also an incredibly effective way to fly almost anywhere throughout Asia.

China Airlines' hub there will open another avenue for Delta flyers to easily book a one- or two-stop ticket to Southeast Asian hotspots like Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, and beyond.
 

Bottom Line

Delta's newest route will connect its hub in Seattle (SEA) with Taipei (TPE), its first ever nonstop flight straight to Taiwan.

Daily service is scheduled to start in June 2024, putting Delta flyers on a straight shot to an underrated country – or just a short connection away from dozens of other Southeast Asian destinations.

Lead photo courtesy of formulaone via Flickr