It was another G'day for travelers looking to head Down Under.
Delta Air Lines Inc., which recently became the world's biggest carrier by merging with Northwest Airlines, said Thursday that it would begin nonstop service between Los Angeles International Airport and Sydney, Australia, starting in July.
The start of Sydney flights -- which may prompt a fare war on the popular U.S.-Aussie route next year -- is part of a broader move by Atlanta-based Delta to expand international operations at LAX, airline officials said.
"You will be able to get anywhere in the world on Delta," said Bob Cortelyou, Delta's senior vice president of network planning. For trips to Asia, Australia and South America, "we can funnel the whole country through LAX."
In addition to Sydney, Delta will begin nonstop service between LAX and Sao Paulo, Brazil, beginning May 21. The new Sao Paulo service would complement the three weekly nonstop flights currently flown by Korean Air, an airline alliance partner.
Delta said it also would increase nonstop service from LAX to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport from seven departures a day to eight to improve connection times for travelers from the Northeast flying to Sydney.
At LAX, Delta said it planned to move Northwest flight operations from Terminal 2 on the north side of the airport to Terminal 5 on the south side by June. Despite the merger, the two airlines are still being operated as separate entities and will continue to fly under their respective heritage names for at least another two years. But the airlines' reservation system is expected to be merged by the first quarter of 2010.
Delta's new Sydney service is expected to escalate competition -- and lower air fares for travelers -- on one of the most popular routes that has long been dominated by Australia's Qantas Airways.
"This is a market that needs somebody else in there," said Terry Trippler, a Minneapolis-based consultant who runs travel advice website Tripplers View.com. "It's good for competition and good for travelers."
In addition to Delta, a new airline started by British billionaire Richard Branson, V Australia, is slated to begin service from LAX to Sydney in February. By midsummer, Southern California travelers will have a choice of four airlines when traveling nonstop to Australia: V Australia, Delta, Qantas and United Airlines.
