Delta to Offer a "Path of Totality" Solar Eclipse Flight

Totality is the stage of a solar eclipse in which the moon completely blocks the sun. It happens once every year or two and is typically only visible from Earth’s poles or the middle of the ocean. That’s why this impending eclipse, set to take place on April 8, is so special. It’s expected to cross over Mexico, the United States and eastern Canada, the last total solar eclipse to do so until August 2044.

In short: you’re going to want to see it. And if you really want to go all in, Delta is offering the opportunity to experience it from 30,000 feet.

Per NBC News, the airline is now operating two flights on April 8 to “give people on board the chance to spend as much time as possible within the eclipse’s ‘path of totality.’” The first flight — which will be aboard a A220-300 aircraft, leaving from Austin at 12:15 p.m. CT and landing in Detroit at 4:20 p.m. ET — was announced on February 19 and sold out in less than 24 hours. It inspired a second flight on an even bigger aircraft (an A321neo), which will depart from Dallas-Fort Worth at 12:30 p.m. CT and arrive in Detroit at 4:20 p.m. ET.

It’s Time to Book Your Hotel for the 2024 Solar Eclipse

Here are all the best places to witness this rare event — from Texas to Maine

According to NASA, the path of the eclipse will enter the United States in Texas and travel through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Small parts of Tennessee and Michigan will also experience the total solar eclipse. Totality will begin in Dallas at 1:40 p.m. CT, and flight plans have been designed to maximize time within the path of totality with the caveat that they are subject to change “due to factors outside of Delta’s control such as weather and air traffic control that could impact timing and aircraft.”

Can’t swing the special eclipse flight? Delta travelers will also have prime eclipse-viewing opportunities on five additional routes on April 8:

DL 5699, DTW-HPN, 2:59 p.m. EST departure, ERJ-175
DL 924, LAX-DFW, 8:40 a.m. PST departure, A320
DL 2869, LAX-SAT, 9:00 a.m. PST departure, A319
DL 1001, SLC-SAT, 10:08 a.m. MST departure, A220-300
DL 1683, SLC-AUS, 9:55 a.m. MST departure, A320

It does bear mentioning that, regardless of whether you plan to watch from the comfort of an A321 or the ground, eclipses must be viewed with proper eye protection like eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers to prevent retinal burns, even if the sun is totally covered by the moon. Don’t be *that* guy.