Delta Air Lines has 11 gateways in Canada and soon that number will climb to 12 with the addition of Victoria, B.C. in January 2016. More than 90 flights every week connect Canadian cities to Delta’s U.S. hubs, says Steven Larkin, Director Sales, Canada for Delta Air Lines

1. Delta seems keen on raising its profile in the Canadian market. Can you talk about the initiatives that will put Delta front and centre with Canadian travel agents and consumers?

Larkin: Delta has a long and proud history of serving Canada and Canadians. We are constantly looking for ways to increase our reach and penetration and together with our joint venture partners Air France and KLM we have launched two new services this year: Vancouver-Paris with Air France and Edmonton-Amsterdam with KLM. We hosted both industry and consumer events to launch both new routes.

Additionally, for Delta brand we’ve initiated partnerships with festivals such as Taste of Toronto, Tour of Alberta and LGBT pride celebrations in Toronto. We have more planned for the fall and winter including the Vancouver International Wine Festival.

2. What are Delta’s gateways out of Canada and where are the opportunities for future growth in this market?

Larkin: Delta Air Lines currently serves 11 Canadian gateways with one additional coming soon: Halifax, Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. We will commence service from Victoria in January.

3. Delta has a vast flight network. What might surprise travel agents in terms of how far worldwide their clients can travel with Delta connections?

Larkin: What would surprise most agents is the number of flights connecting Canada to our U.S. hub cities – over 90 per week. From our hubs in New York, Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Los Angeles we have flights to Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia.

And thanks to our joint venture with Air France, KLM and Alitalia our international reach is the best in the market with nonstop flights from Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver to Paris, Amsterdam and Rome and connecting onwards to the world.

4. How does Delta work with and connect with its travel agent partners?

Larkin: We love travel agents! We currently have preferred agency agreements with over 200 trade partners across Canada. We also represent our joint venture partners: Air France, KLM and Alitalia. We are a one-stop shop for four of the best airlines serving Canada. Agents can also stay connected by visiting agentconnect.biz. This is our current online portal for industry news.

5. What’s the latest news re: Delta’s product and services?

Larkin: Delta Air Lines continues to innovate its onboard product and services with a rebrand as follows:

Delta One is our new long haul international business class and offers flat bed, all aisle access seats and chef curated meals, Westin Heavenly bedding and new TUMI amenity kits.

Delta Comfort+ is our premium economy product and features added legroom, complimentary drinks and a new amenity kit.

And in main cabin get ready for a higher standard of flying with the must-haves you can’t get on just any airline. Whether you’re headed across the U.S. or around the world, select from a host of flight options to fit your needs. Flying international? No need to lose any shut-eye. A sleep kit featuring eyeshades and earplugs is complimentary on all long-haul international flights.