Delta Adds New Interline Partner

Colorado-based Denver Air Connection, or DAC for short, has announced a new interline baggage agreement with Delta Air Lines via Facebook. This is a significant accomplishment for the airline, and it will become DAC’s third airline partner after United and American. DAC will now have interline agreements with each of the three major U.S. airlines.

While Delta has many airline partners around the world, they are very selective about who they partner with, and DAC will become only the third commuter airline in the United States that Delta joins forces with, after Florida-based Silver Airways and Massachusetts-based Cape Air.

The ability to book flights with this new interline will go active on Jan. 31, 2023. DAC operates to five major airports in the United States, and passengers will be able to take advantage of this partnership from all of them: Phoenix Sky Harbor, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Chicago O’Hare, along with its home airport in Denver. None will benefit from this new interline more than DAC’s fifth operating base, Minneapolis St. Paul, as the airport is also home to a Delta hub.

Denver Air Connection’s current route map as of January 2024. (Photo: Denver Air Connection)

Currently out of Minneapolis, DAC operates flights to Thief River Falls, Minn.; Ironwood, Mich.; as well as a recently started route to Pierre, S.D. Passengers will now be able to make use of the Delta operations without having to leave the secure area to collect their checked bags.

AirlineGeeks had a chance to talk to Denver Air Connection about their new partnership with Delta, and they did mention that, with it, they are examining the possibility of re-timing its flights to match up better with Delta’s large departure banks out of Minneapolis, but it will ultimately be based on aircraft and crew availability.

The news is welcome for aviation enthusiasts as Denver Air Connection operates the increasingly rare 30-seat Dornier 328Jet from Minneapolis. This means it is now possible to book a Dornier Jet flight on Delta’s site to one of DAC’s communities on the same ticket.

A Denver Air Connection Dornier 328Jet at Denver Intl. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)

“Our new agreement with Delta underscores our commitment to our Essential Air Service communities in the Midwest,” said Jon Coleman, Senior Vice President of ​​Corporate Strategy for Denver Air Connection in a statement. “We expect this new agreement will give us more flexibility to better serve these communities going forward.”

Editor’s Note: All information in this article was obtained directly from the airline or the Facebook post about the new interline agreement. Schedules and flights are subject to change.

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Joey Gerardi

Joey has always been interested in planes for as long as he can remember. He grew up in Central New York during the early 2000s when US Airways Express turboprops ruled the skies. He was so excited when he could drive by himself and the first thing he did with the license was get ice cream and go plane spotting for the entire day. He specializes in topics surrounding the Essential Air Service (EAS) program. He graduated from WMU with a degree in Aviation Management and Operations in 2022 and now works for a major airline.

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