A year ago, Boston travelers had nonstop flights to Hawaii on two different airlines. This winter? None. That’s because both Delta Air Lines and Hawaiian Airlines dropped their service between New England and the Aloha State.
But there’s good news to report.
Delta just announced it’s bringing back its Boston-Honolulu flights.
The Atlanta-based airline on Friday said it will restore service between Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), just ahead of the 2026 holiday season.
The route will reclaim the title of America’s longest domestic flight and mark the return of a seasonal route Delta previously operated for just one winter between 2024 and early 2025.
But that wasn’t the only Hawaii news the carrier shared.
Delta also announced its Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) hub will get new nonstop service next winter to a second Hawaiian destination: Maui.
Both flights will launch Dec. 19, which, for those glancing at their calendars, is the Saturday prior to Christmas. (The holiday comes on a Friday this year.)
Those routes — one new and one returning — were among a series of other moves Delta revealed to bolster its service between the U.S. mainland and Hawaii for next winter, a warming thought after a brutally cold few weeks in much of the country.
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Here’s what to know about the new service.
Boston to Honolulu
Delta will operate its Boston-to-Honolulu route four times per week for most of next winter but plans to run its planes between New England and Oahu each day during the peak holiday travel rush.
The carrier will operate its BOS-HNL flights with an Airbus A330-300, which sports:
- 34 lie-flat Delta One seats
- 21 Delta Premium Select (premium economy) recliners
- 24 extra-legroom Comfort seats
- 203 seats in the main cabin
While Delta previously went head-to-head with Hawaiian on what was — and will soon be again — America’s longest domestic route, it appears the carrier will (for now, at least) have the run to itself … unless Hawaiian follows Delta in pulling an about-face on a route it cut last year, citing underperformance.
Lounge review: Inside the fancy Delta One Lounge in Boston
Minneapolis-St. Paul to Maui
Passengers will also see the A330-300 on Delta’s all-new nonstop route from MSP to Kahului Airport (OGG) on the island of Maui.
Delta will operate five weekly round trips on this route for most of the winter but will expand it to daily service during both the peak holiday rush and the busy spring break period.
This will be the carrier’s second nonstop flight to Hawaii from Minneapolis. It already flies between MSP and HNL.
Other Hawaii additions
On top of those additions, Delta is planning a larger Hawaii expansion for next winter.
The carrier will operate extra weekly flights to Honolulu from three hubs: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
Elsewhere, the carrier is planning an earlier start this fall to its winter seasonal service from Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) to Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole (KOA) on Hawaii’s Big Island.
Its flights from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to KOA will also get a bigger plane for the winter season — one of Delta’s twin-aisle Boeing 767-300s.
Read more: Some of our favorite ways to use Delta SkyMiles
Reclaiming the mantle
The return of Boston flights to Honolulu means current service to Hawaii from the New York City area will lose the distinction of being the longest domestic flights in America.
Still, there are plenty of nonstop options to the Aloha State from JFK and nearby Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), as TPG’s Clint Henderson recently experienced for himself.
Related: The best hotels on Oahu, from luxury resorts to iconic hotels
Bottom line
If you have a stash of Delta SkyMiles to use and like the sound of Hawaii for the holidays, I’d keep a close eye on Delta’s booking channels in the coming days to try to see how the newly released award space looks. Remember, as long as you don’t book one of the carrier’s “basic” award flights, you can get your miles, taxes and fees fully restored and refunded if you later have to cancel.
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