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Delta to offer travelers a unique solar eclipse experience—here's what to know about the airline's ‘path of totality' flights

Delta is now offering two flights for travelers to view the total solar eclipse in April from 30,000 feet in the air.
Stringer/Anadolu Agency/Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Delta Air Lines is offering customers the ability to experience April's total solar eclipse from a different perspective... 30,000 feet in the air.

Early this month, the airline announced it was offering a unique flight from Austin to Detroit on April 8 that will fly passengers along the path of totality. The April 8 eclipse will be the last total eclipse over North America until 2044, according to NASA.

The Delta Air Lines flight 1218 will depart from the Austin airport at 12:15 pm CT and land in Detroit at 4:20 pm ET. It will allow passengers a chance to view the solar eclipse at its peak from the A220-300 aircraft's extra-large windows, according to a press release.

The flight sold out in 24 hours, prompting Delta to announce on Monday that they will be scheduling a second flight.

On April 8, Delta Air Lines flight 1010 will depart from the Dallas-Forth Worth airport at 12:30 pm CT and arrive in Detroit alongside Delta flight 1218 at 4:20 pm ET.

The airline stated in a press release that searches for flights from Austin to Detroit on Delta channels spiked by more than 1,500% after the company announced its first path-of-totality flight on February 19.

The Delta flight 1010 will be operating on an A321neo, a larger plane than the aircraft of the first flight, to accommodate more customers. The plane has 20 domestic First Class seats, 42 Delta Comfort+ seats, and 132 Main Cabin seats. The first flight is set to accommodate 130 seats, according to The Points Guy.

Delta's total eclipse flights will come at a cost. Main cabin prices start at $749 one way, while a first-class seat costs $1,150. And if you're hoping to use your Delta SkyMiles, a one-way main cabin ticket starts at 68,000 miles.

Even if you aren't on one of the two special flights, Delta travelers will be able to see some of the solar eclipse on five additional routes on April 8:

  1. DL 5699, DTW-HPN, 2:59 pm EST departure
  2. DL 924, LAX-DFW, 8:40 am PST departure
  3. DL 2869, LAX-SAT, 9:00 am PST departure
  4. DL 1001, SLC-SAT, 10:08 am MST departure
  5. DL 1683, SLC-AUS, 9:55 am MST departure

While it is more expensive than the typical cost for this flight path, flying along the solar eclipse path could be considered a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Representatives for Delta Air Lines did not immediately respond to CNBC Make It's request for comment.

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