The month of April will see a solar eclipse viewable in several states across the U.S. For optimal viewing experiences, consumers may be able to turn their attention to the airline sector.
What Happened: A total solar eclipse will be visible to residents in the U.S., Canada and Mexico on April 8, 2024.
To capture the interest in the total solar eclipse in the U.S., airline company Delta Air Lines Inc (NYSE: DAL) launched a special flight that will travel in the line of the eclipse to offer passengers a unique experience.
Delta will fly from Austin, Texas, to Detroit, Michigan, for its special "path of totality" flight on April 8.
Flight 1218 will take place on an A220-330 aircraft from Airbus, which is said to have extra-large windows to enhance the viewing experience. The flight departs from Austin at 12:15 p.m. CT and lands in Detroit at 4:20 p.m. ET (3:20 p.m. CT).
"This flight is the result of significant collaboration and exemplified 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 in the air," Delta Managing Director of Domestic Network Planning Eric Beck said.
Delta will also offer five additional routes during the total solar eclipse that it said will have "prime eclipse-viewing opportunities."
Most tickets for Delta's Flight 1218 are sold out with a few main cabin seats left for $1,357 each.
Why It's Important: This marks the first total solar eclipse visible in the U.S. since August 21, 2017.
Also of note is that "The April 8 eclipse is the last total eclipse we'll see over North America until 2044," Delta Air Lines Lead Meteorologist Warren Weston said. "This eclipse will last more than twice as long as the one that occurred in 2017 and the path is nearly twice as wide."
Based on demand for Delta's solar eclipse flight, there could be additional flights added and other airlines may look to add their versions of Delta's solar eclipse special experience.
DAL Price Action: Delta shares trade at $40.49 on Tuesday versus a 52-week trading range of $30.60 to $49.81.