Delta Air Lines Strengthens Cape Air Partnership Out Of Boston

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Delta Air Lines has strengthened its partnership with commuter airline Cape Air. Covering routes out of Boston, Delta’s customers can now book select Cape Air flights directly through Delta, and SkyMiles members can earn and redeem miles on eligible Cape Air flights. All this comes as Delta doubles down in Boston, its newest official hub.

Delta Airbus A220
Delta Air Lines is growing more relevant in Boston. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

Delta strengthens Cape Air partnership

Delta Air Lines has announced a strengthened partnership with Cape Air. The Atlanta-based airline already has an interline partnership with the commuter airline. Now, however, Delta’s customers have more options when flying out of Boston.

Customers can now book Cape Air services to 11 different cities. Those are all along the northeast US coast. Flights can be booked directly at Delta’s website or else through the airline’s mobile app.

Charlie Schewe, Director, New England Sales at Delta, stated the following on the partnership:

“Delta is giving customers the ability to re-connect with friends and family after the lost summer of 2020. Our enhanced partnership with Cape Air offers access to sought-after destinations across the northeast along with greater connectivity directly to Delta’s global network out of our Boston hub, where we’re committed to deepening Delta’s strong footprint.”

Cape Air
Cape Air flies small planes to regional destinations. Photo: Cape Air

For SkyMiles members, earning and redeeming miles on flights operated by Cape Air is possible after booking through a Delta channel. As a promotion, members will automatically earn 500 bonus miles on each Cape Air-operated flight booked with Delta and flown now through August 31st. This also extends to new members of the loyalty program.

Cape Air’s Boston flights

Under the partnership, customers can fly eligible Cape Air flights out of Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to the following 11 destinations:

  • Augusta State Airport (AUG) in Maine
  • Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport (BHB) in Maine
  • Barnstable Municipal Airport (HYA) in Hyannis, Massachusetts
  • Lebanon Municipal Airport (LEB) in New Hampshire
  • Martha’s Vineyard Airport (MVY) in Massachusetts
  • Nantucket Memorial Airport (ACK) in Massachusetts
  • Portland International Jetport (PWM) in Maine
  • Provincetown Municipal Airport (PVC) in Massachusetts
  • Knox County Regional Airport (RKD) in Rockland, Maine
  • Rutland-Southern Vermont Regional Airport (RUT) in Vermont
  • Adirondack Regional Airport (SLK) in Saranac Lake, New York

The route map is below:

Delta Cpae Air Boston
Cape Air’s routes out of Boston covered under the Delta partnership. Rendering created at Great Circle Mapper

Based in Massachusetts, Cape Air currently operates a fleet of 100 aircraft and flies over 400 daily flights. All of Cape Air’s flights use small aircraft. It has three types: the Cessna 402, the Tecnam P2012 Traveller, and the Britten-Norman Islander. All of the aircraft seat nine passengers. Around 500,000 passengers fly with the airline annually.

Cape Air
Cape Air is important when it comes to keeping smaller communities connected. Photo: Cape Air

What this partnership means for Boston

Delta Air Lines was on a roll in Boston before the crisis hit. After slamming on the brakes in 2020, the airline is now growing in the city in a big way. The airline will operate seven brand new destinations this year, including some that have already launched. The cities are: Reykjavik (KEF), Rome (FCO), Toronto (YYZ), Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW), Charlotte (CLT), Hilton Head (HHH), and Traverse City (TVC).

Delta Boston
Delta’s new routes out of Boston for 2021. Rendering created at Great Circle Mapper

The partnership with Cape Air is not as lucrative or large as the joint ventures the airline has with carriers like Air France-KLM, Virgin Atlantic, Korean Air, or LATAM. Nevertheless, the added destinations are important for Delta in Boston.

Delta Air Lines is attempting to use the Cape Air partnership to add some regional feed in Boston and cater to more travelers. Delta serves none of these destinations out of Boston, though it does fly to some cities, like Portland and Martha’s Vineyard, out of other cities.

Delta Boeing 757
Delta Air Lines has been going on its own expansion drive out of Boston. Photo: Getty Images

Cape Air is not adding a lot of regional feed with only nine passengers per plane, but it is flying to smaller communities that Delta cannot serve independently. More importantly, Delta gets to become more relevant to New England travelers.

Cape Air also has a partnership with JetBlue out of Boston. So, for Delta, this is a natural response to the competition and being able to market to customers in the Boston area and beyond its ability to sell flights to various destinations, thus matching or exceeding the competition.

What do you make of Delta’s strengthened Cape Air partnership? Let us know in the comments!



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