DALLAS — On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will occur in the United States. Its path will curve across the nation from Texas to Maine, and an event like this will not return until 2044.
Eclipse flights offer prime viewing of the moon passing before the sun, as the atmosphere tends to be clearer above the clouds.
However, timing commercial flights during an eclipse presents challenges, such as determining which side of the plane will have the best view and the risk of weather-related route changes or delays.
Despite these potential obstacles, several airlines offer special flights to view the eclipse from the sky. Here are some of the airlines and flights that are scheduled to coincide with the path of totality:
Alaska Airlines
According to Kirsten Amrine, the Vice President of Revenue Management and Network Planning at Alaska Airlines (AS), departing at 8:10 a.m. and 8:05 a.m., respectively, Flight 390 from San Diego to Boston and Flight 322 from San Diego International Airport (SAN) to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) will provide passengers with an incredible vantage point to observe the celestial phenomenon.
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines (DL) has scheduled two special flights, 1218 and 1010, to chase the eclipse path. Flight 1218 departs from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) and lands in Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW), while flight 1010 departs from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and also lands in DTW. Both flights are sold out.
Flight 1218 will be operated explicitly on an A220-300, offering premium viewing due to the aircraft’s extra-large windows. The flight will depart from AUS at 12:15 p.m. CST and land in DTW at 4:20 p.m. EST—timed to give those on board the best chance of safely viewing the solar eclipse at its peak.
Additionally, DL mentions that five of its regularly scheduled flights from Los Angeles to Dallas Fort Worth will have prime eclipse-viewing opportunities:
- Flight 5699, DTW-HPN, 2:59 pm EST departure, ERJ-175
- Flight 924, LAX-DFW, 8:40 am PST departure, A320
- Flight 2869, LAX-SAT, 9:00 am PST departure, A319
- Flight 1001, SLC-SAT, 10:08 am MST departure, A220-300
- Flight 1683, SLC-AUS, 9:55 am MST departure, A320
JetBlue
JetBlue (B6) warns that weather and air traffic control guidance may cause flights to be routed out of the eclipse zone. However, they have identified seven flights currently scheduled to travel within the path of totality.
Two flights depart from DTW, heading to New York City’s JFK (JFK) airport and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS). BOS also has two departures, one to San Antonio International Airport (SAT) and one to DFW. Other flights include JFK to Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), SAT to JFK, and IAH to BOS.
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines (WN) has identified three flights most likely to offer passengers the best eclipse view. These flights include departures from Dallas Love Field (DAL) to Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT), AUS to Indianapolis International Airport (IND), and St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) to William P. Hobby Airport (HOU).
Additionally, five other WN flights may cross the path of totality during their scheduled operating time. These flights include departures from DAL to Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW), Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE) to DAL, HOU to IND, MDW to AUS, and Nashville International Airport (BNA) to DAL.
- Flight 1252: departing Dallas (Love Field) at 12:45 p.m. CDT for Pittsburgh
- Flight 1721: departing Austin at 12:50 p.m. CDT for Indianapolis
- Flight 1910: departing St. Louis at 1:20 p.m. CDT for Houston (Hobby)
United Airlines
United Airlines (UA) has 11 flights scheduled within the eclipse pathway. Passengers on select flights will receive complimentary eclipse glasses. Six of the flights depart from Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), including flights to Little Rock, Houston, Dallas, Toronto, New York’s LaGuardia, and Washington Dulles. The other five flights depart Houston and travel to San José del Cabo, Columbus, Detroit, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis.
- Flight 5693 departs Chicago for Little Rock at 12:45 p.m. CDT
- Flight 490 departs Chicago for Houston at 12:47 p.m. CDT
- Flight 455 departs Chicago for Dallas at 12:49 p.m. CDT
- Flight 247 departs Chicago for Toronto at 1 p.m. CDT
- Flight 2440 departs Chicago for New York at 1 p.m. CDT
- Flight 2187 departs Chicago for Washington, D.C., at 1:20 p.m. CDT
- Flight 1438 departs Houston for San Jose del Cabo at 11:55 a.m. CDT
- Flight 6128 departs Houston for Columbus at noon CDT
- Flight 6109 departs Houston for Detroit at 12:05 p.m. CDT
- Flight 1318 departs Houston for Cincinnati at 12:23 p.m. CDT
- Flight 1687 departs Houston for Indianapolis at 12:25 p.m. CDT
The next total solar eclipse visible from the contiguous United States after April 8, 2024, will occur on August 23, 2044. However, the 2044 eclipse won’t have the same broad reach across the US as the 2024 eclipse.
The path of totality for the 2044 eclipse will only touch three states: Greenland, Canada, and parts of Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
Featured image: Boeing 737 wing view. Photo: Matthew Calise/Airways
