This special U.S flight will let you see the total solar eclipse from 30,000 feet

You may have heard that there will be a total solar eclipse this April. According to NASA, on April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, United States, and Canada. And this week, Delta announced flights that take you close(r) to the action.

The airline says it is offering a special flight Austin to Detroit on April 8, “specifically for umbraphiles to be able to spend as much time as possible directly within the path of totality.”

Operated on an A220-300, Delta flight 1218 will offer especially premium viewing due to the aircraft’s extra-large windows, according to Delta.

The flight leaves Austin at 12:15 p.m. CT and lands in Detroit at 4:20 p.m. ET, which they say is “timed to give those on board the best chance of safely viewing the solar eclipse at its peak.”

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“This flight is the result of significant collaboration and exemplifies the close teamwork Delta is known for — from selecting an aircraft with larger windows to determining the exact departure time from Austin and the experiences at the gate and in the air,” said Eric Beck, Managing Director of Domestic Network Planning.

“Thanks to teams across the company, the idea of viewing a total eclipse from the air will become a reality for our customers.”

But, besides the special flight, other travelers will also be able to see the eclipse due to the routes on April 8, and those include:

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

Definitely don’t forget your protective viewing glasses if you’re on any of those flights!

“The April 8 eclipse is the last total eclipse we’ll see over North America until 2044,” said Warren Weston, Delta Air Lines Lead Meteorologist. “This eclipse will last more than twice as long as the one that occurred in 2017, and the path is nearly twice as wide.”

Would you hop on a flight to see the total solar eclipse from from 30,000 feet?